NFL: Mike Fanning, part of touted Rams D-Line of ’70s, dies at 69

Date:

Share post:


Former Notre Dame All-American defensive lineman Mike Fanning, who went on to play 10 years in the NFL, died at age 69.

The University of Tulsa, where Fanning had worked in the athletics department for 13 years, confirmed his Sunday death.

Cause of death was not revealed.

“We are saddened by the news of Mike’s passing,” athletic director Rick Dickson said in a statement Monday. “He was a tremendous football player at Notre Dame and in the NFL and carried that competitiveness and work ethic into everyday life. He was such a likeable person who worked to help TU athletics achieve success.”

A Tulsa, Okla., native, Fanning went on to star at Notre Dame, making 164 career tackles. The Los Angeles Rams made him the ninth overall selection in the 1975 NFL Draft, and he earned all-rookie team honors that season.

In 1979, he was part of a Rams team that lost in Super Bowl XIV to the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played on a defensive line that included future Pro Football Hall of Fame member Jack Youngblood, Fred Dryer and Larry Brooks.

He played eight seasons with the Rams, followed by a year each with the Detroit Lions and Seattle Seahawks.

Fanning tallied 43.5 sacks in 137 career games.

–Field Level Media

spot_img

Related articles

NCAAF: Report: HBO nixed UNC ‘Hard Knocks’ due to demands by Bill Belichick’s girlfriend

In the wake of a report by The Athletic that the docuseries "Hard Knocks" featuring North Carolina fell...

NCAAF: Florida, Georgia to each earn $7.5M for game in Atlanta

Florida and Georgia will each receive $7.5 million for staging their rivalry game at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium in...

NFL: Eagles shove aside tush push vote talk

Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown won't be pulling an all-nighter waiting to see how NFL owners vote on...

NFL: Mike Vrabel feels ‘energy,’ ‘excitement’ at Patriots’ first OTA

Coming off consecutive 4-13 seasons, the New England Patriots are hoping to turn the page quickly under new...

FREE

Get the most important breaking news and analyses for Free.

Thank you for subscribing

Something went wrong.