Former Giants Professional Bowl lineman Greg Larson, who solely missed three video games in 13 seasons, died in late June at 84 years outdated “together with his spouse of 63 years at his facet.”
A reason for dying was not revealed, in keeping with his obituary.
Larson, named one of many high 100 New York Giants forward of the crew’s one hundredth anniversary season earlier this 12 months, performed in 179 video games from 1961-73, which on the time was second in crew historical past solely to working again and extensive receiver Joe Morrison.
“He was our chief, our captain, probably the most standard gamers that we had,” Giants president John Mara stated on the Giants 100 occasion in June. “Only a nice all-around particular person. He actually epitomized what it meant to be a Big in that period.”
The Giants reached the NFL Championship Recreation in every of his first three seasons.
“The followers went completely nuts in New York,” Larson recalled in 2001. “It was a particular city to be in. Individuals got here out of the woodwork. Individuals have been actually intense. You’ve obtained to grasp that Giants followers return a very long time. That was their crew. At the moment the Giants encompassed the entire jap space. They simply cherished us alongside the entire East Coast.”
Larson’s finest particular person season was in 1968 when the middle was chosen to the Professional Bowl together with teammates Fran Tarkenton, Homer Jones and Spider Lockhart.
He retired in 1974 because of knee accidents
“If I hadn’t had surgical procedure,” he advised The New York Instances, “I positively wouldn’t have given retirement a thought and would have come again. However the leg wasn’t responding the way in which I would really like, and I stated final 12 months if I ever had one other operation, that will be it.”
Larson had been a star for the Minnesota Golden Gophers and was a crew captain on the 1960 championship crew, a 12 months through which he was First-Staff All-Large Ten.
He was drafted by the NFL’s Giants and AFL’s Chargers, selecting to signal with New York.
After his enjoying profession, he ran a sporting items enterprise in Minneapolis together with his spouse earlier than they offered it in 2010.
Regardless of his spectacular enjoying profession, he didn’t stay prior to now.
“It doesn’t imply that a lot to me,” he stated in 2001. “I at all times stay for the second, not the previous a lot. I’ve completed that each one my life. It’s nice to know that you’ve got completed these issues. As you become old these associates that you simply had do develop into extra significant.”
He’s survived by his spouse, 4 kids, seven grandchildren, six great-grandchildren, and a number of other nieces and nephews.