Don Hasselbeck
{{Short description|American football player (1955–2025)}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2019}}
{{Infobox NFL biography
| name = Don Hasselbeck
| number = 80, 87, 88, 85
| position = Tight end
| birth_date = {{birth date|1955|4|1}}
| birth_place = Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
| death_date = {{death date and age|2025|4|14|1955|4|1}}
| death_place =
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 7
| weight_lbs = 245
| high_school = La Salle (Cincinnati)
| college = Colorado
| draftyear = 1977
| draftround = 2
| draftpick = 52
| pastteams =
- New England Patriots ({{NFL Year|1977}}–{{NFL Year|1983}})
- Los Angeles Raiders (1983)
- Minnesota Vikings ({{NFL Year|1984}})
- New York Giants ({{NFL Year|1985}})
| highlights =
- Super Bowl champion (XVIII)
- PFWA All-Rookie Team (1977)
- Second-team All-American (1975)
- 2× First-team All-Big Eight (1975, 1976)
- CU Athletics Hall Of Fame inductee (2024)
| statlabel1 = Receptions
| statvalue1 = 107
| statlabel2 = Receiving yards
| statvalue2 = 1,542
| statlabel3 = Receiving touchdowns
| statvalue3 = 18
| pfr = HassDo00
}}
Donald William Hasselbeck (April 1, 1955 – April 14, 2025) was an American professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL) for the New England Patriots, Los Angeles Raiders, Minnesota Vikings, and the New York Giants. He played college football for the Colorado Buffaloes, earning second-team All-American honors in 1975. Hasselbeck was selected in the second round of the 1977 NFL draft. He won a Super Bowl with the Raiders in the 1983 season.
Early life
Born to John William Hasselbeck and Molly M. ({{nee}} Lang) Hasselbeck, he was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, Hasselbeck attended La Salle High School, where he was an all-city selection in both football and basketball.{{cite web | title = 2004 Cincinnati High School Sports Hall of Fame Inductees | url=http://www.larosasmvp.com/fame/2004_inductees.htm | access-date = May 24, 2007 }} He played college football at Colorado, where he majored in Fine Arts. He is currently ranked 36th on the all-time receptions list at CU.{{cite web | title = Don Hasselbeck Official New England Patriots Biography | url = http://www.patriots.com/alumni/index.cfm?ac=alumnibiosdetail&bio=3360 | access-date = May 24, 2007 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070504161622/http://www.patriots.com/alumni/index.cfm?ac=alumnibiosdetail&bio=3360 | archive-date = May 4, 2007 }}
Professional career
{{moresources|section|date=April 2025}}
Hasselbeck was selected by the New England Patriots in the second round of the 1977 NFL draft, where he played for the first six seasons of his nine year career. In 1981 he started 14 games and led the Patriots in receptions with 46, to go along with 808 yards and six TDs. He was traded to the Los Angeles Raiders early in the 1983 season; in Super Bowl XVIII, Hasselbeck blocked an extra point attempt by Washington. He then played for the Minnesota Vikings in 1984 and the New York Giants in 1985 before retiring; he scored the final touchdown of the Giants' season in a 17–3 NFC Wild Card victory over the defending Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers.
Personal life and death
Hasselbeck was married to Mary Beth "Betsy" (Rueve) Hasselbeck.{{cite book|title=Cincinnati Magazine|date=May 2002|publisher=Emmis Communications|issn=0746-8210|url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_TOsCAAAAMBAJ|page=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_TOsCAAAAMBAJ/page/n9 33]|access-date=December 11, 2014}} He was the father of former NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, formerly the starter for the Seattle Seahawks. Matt played on the Seahawks with Lofa Tatupu, who himself was the son of Don's teammate Mosi Tatupu.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/20/sports/football/20seattle.html?_r=1&fta=y |title=Super Bowl Dream Passes From the Father to the Son|work=The New York Times|date=January 20, 2006 |access-date=December 11, 2014|last1=Brown |first1=Clifton }}
Hasselbeck's second son Tim Hasselbeck was an NFL backup quarterback who currently works for ESPN as a Fantasy Football analyst and is married to Elisabeth Hasselbeck. His third son, Nathanael Nicolas (born 1981), played wide receiver at Boston College and the University of Massachusetts.{{cite web|url=http://umassathletics.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/hasselbeck_nathanael00.html|title=Nathanael Hasselbeck Bio - University of Massachusetts Official Athletic Site|publisher=umassathletics.cstv.com|access-date=December 11, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120717034914/http://umassathletics.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/hasselbeck_nathanael00.html|archive-date=July 17, 2012}}
Death
Hasselbeck died after going into cardiac arrest at his home on April 14, 2025, at the age of 70.[https://apnews.com/article/obit-don-hasselbeck-1b2c27467460f08b2dae493694687e61 Former NFL tight end Don Hasselbeck dies of a heart attack at age 70]
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|id=2422518}}
{{Patriots1977DraftPicks}}
{{Super Bowl XVIII}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hasselbeck, Don}}
Category:American football tight ends
Category:Colorado Buffaloes football players
Category:Los Angeles Raiders players
Category:Minnesota Vikings players
Category:New England Patriots players
Category:New York Giants players