Jeff Siemon, College Football Hall of Famer and Four-Time Pro Bowler With the Minnesota Vikings, Dies at 75 — The Defensive Standout Is Remembered for His Leadership, Toughness, and Lasting Impact on the Game.
Jeff Siemon, a four-time Pro Bowl linebacker who played 11 years in the NFL, died Saturday, the Vikings announced.
He was 75.
No cause of death was given.
Born in Rochester, Minn., Siemon grew up in California and attended Stanford, where he became one of college football’s best linebackers.
Running back Pete Banaszak #40 of the Oakland Raiders is hit by Jeff Siemon #50 of the Minnesota Vikings during Super Bowl XI on January 9, 1977 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.
During the 1971 season, he won the Dick Butkus Award as the top player at the position at the college level. That same year, he was an All-American honoree and won the Pop Warner Trophy as the most valuable player on the West Coast.
His accolades and accomplishments led the Vikings to draft him with the 10th overall pick in the first round of the 1972 NFL Draft.
He recorded two interceptions during his rookie campaign with 87 tackles, according to the Vikings’ official website, making an immediate impact in the NFL, as he finished fifth in the defensive rookie of the year voting.
From 1973-77, Siemon was a Pro Bowler four times while starting in three separate Super Bowls.
During the 1973 NFC Championship game, Siemon picked off a pass from legendary Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach in a 27-10 Minnesota win.
After 11 seasons, Siemon retired following the 1982 season.
Vikings linebacker Jeff Siemon makes a tackle at Metropolitan Stadium, Dec. 29, 1974.
“Jeff was a great teammate — a leader for us on the field and a really good linebacker. He was key to our teams,” Vikings teammate Bobby Bryant said of Siemon, per the team. “As good of a player that Jeff was, he was a better person — truly one of the best guys we had. You never heard anyone speak cross of Jeff. His faith was his guide, and he was not afraid to share it with people. He touched so many.”
In 2006, he was named to the College Football Hall of Fame, and, in 2023, he was enshrined into the California High School Football Hall of Fame.
