Hall of Famer Chris Doleman dies at 58
Hall of Fame defensive end Chris Doleman died Tuesday night after a battle with brain cancer, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced.
"The entire Pro Football Hall of Fame family mourns the passing of Chris Doleman after a prolonged and courageous battle against cancer," Hall of Fame president and CEO David Baker said in a statement.
He added: "I had the honor of getting to know him not only as a great football player but an outstanding human being. One of the honors of my life was witnessing Chris get baptized in the Jordan River during a Hall of Fame trip to Israel. The legacy of Chris Doleman will live forever in Canton, Ohio, for generations to learn from how he lived a life of courage and character."
Doleman underwent surgery to remove a brain tumor in 2018 and had been fighting glioblastoma since.
The Indianapolis native was the fourth overall pick of the 1985 NFL Draft and played in the league until 1999. His career is best remembered for his tenure with the Minnesota Vikings (1985 to 1993, 1999), with whom he led the league in sacks once - 21 in 1989 - and was voted to six of his eight career Pro Bowls.
Doleman also played for the Atlanta Falcons (1994 and 1995) and San Francisco 49ers (1996 to 1998).
A member of the 2012 Pro Football Hall of Fame class, the pass-rusher amassed 150.5 career sacks, which rank fifth all time in the NFL.