Don Hasselbeck, former NFL tight end and father of two former NFL quarterbacks, died Monday at the age of 70 after suffering a heart attack.
“He was a great husband, father, grandfather, friend, coach, player, co-worker, artist, mentor and storyteller,” Matt Hasselbeck posted. “Despite being an All-American at Colorado and a Super Bowl champion with the Raiders, what we are most proud of is the leader he was for our family.
Don Hasselbeck has a rich NFL history
“We have a 6ft 7in hole in our hearts. Many will miss him so much. We are extremely grateful that he was our father and we look forward to heaven and being all together again.”
The Patriots selected Don Hasselbeck in the second round of the 1977 NFL Draft, and he played in New England until 1983. His best season was in 1981, when he had 46 receptions for 808 yards and six touchdowns, all career highs.
After playing one game with the Patriots in 1983, he was traded to the Los Angeles Raiders, who won the Super Bowl that season. Hasselbeck’s two receptions for the Raiders in that regular season were touchdowns, and he played in all three of the club’s postseason games, starting one, without recording a reception.
Hasselbeck subsequently played for the Minnesota Vikings in 1984 and the New York Giants in 1985. In 123 NFL games (30 as a starter), he accumulated 107 receptions for 1,542 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Matt Hasselbeck, 49, was a three-time Pro Bowl selection in a 17-year NFL career. He played for the Seattle Seahawks from 2001 to 2010, with a 69-62-0 record as a starter. Overall, with four teams, he had an 85-75-0 record as a starter
Don’s son and Matt’s brother, 47-year-old Tim Hasselbeck played primarily as a backup during parts of four seasons with four teams between 2002 and 2007.
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