Former NFL tight end Don Hasselbeck, a Super Bowl champion and father of two NFL quarterbacks, passed away on Monday at the age of 70.
According to his son, Matt Hasselbeck, Don died after suffering cardiac arrest at his home.
In a tribute shared on social media, Matt wrote, “He was a great husband, father, grandfather, friend, coach, player, coworker, artist, mentor, and storyteller. Despite his accomplishments as an All-American at Colorado and Super Bowl champion with the Raiders, what we are most proud of is the leader he was for our family.”
Don Hasselbeck was drafted by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 1977 NFL Draft following a standout college career at Colorado. He played six full seasons with the Patriots, leading the team in receptions in 1981 with 46 catches for 808 yards and six touchdowns.
In 1983, he was traded to the Raiders, where he contributed to their Super Bowl XVIII victory, including two touchdown receptions during the regular season and a key blocked extra point in the 38-9 Super Bowl win over Washington.
Hasselbeck spent the next season with the Minnesota Vikings before finishing his career with the New York Giants in 1985, where he caught a touchdown pass in a playoff victory over the 49ers.
Throughout his 123 career regular-season games, Hasselbeck accumulated 107 catches for 1,542 yards and 18 touchdowns.
Don’s legacy extends to his sons, Matt and Tim, both of whom followed in his footsteps to play in the NFL. Matt earned three Pro Bowl selections and started in a Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks in 2005, while Tim played mostly as a backup quarterback.
