John Teerlinck

Teerlink was born in Rochester, New York. He attended Fenwick High School, where he earned All-Chicago Catholic League honors.

Teerlink played college football for the Western Illinois Leathernecks. He studied Fred Dryer and employed those moves in his play. "We used to get New York Giants games at Western and I'd watch No. 89, Fred Dryer, and copy his moves", Teerlinck said.[https://web.archive.org/web/20140606220255/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1992-10-01/sports/9203290409_1_john-teerlinck-eastern-illinois-western-illinois Chicago] A co-captain as a senior at Western Illinois University, he recorded 122 tackles and 14 sacks. He was named the team's defensive most valuable player and was voted a third-team Little All-American by the Associated Press.{{cite news|date=December 6, 1973|title=Three Repeaters Selected To Small All-American Grid|agency=AP|newspaper=La Crosse Tribune|page=19|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/50848653/|access-date=May 13, 2020|via=Newspapers.com}}

Teerlink was selected by the San Diego Chargers as the 105th overall pick in the 1974 NFL draft.{{cite web|title=Indianapolis Colts 2011 Media Guide|url=https://static.clubs.nfl.com/image/upload/colts/yzzilpylhvjtyjtxtwsb.pdf|pages=24–25|year=2011|access-date=May 12, 2020|publisher=Indianapolis Colts}} He played 20 games with them from 1974 to 1975 before being forced to retire with a knee injury.{{cite news|title=Former Colts defensive line coach John Teerlinck dies at age 69|url=https://www.foxsports.com/indiana/story/indianapolis-colts-john-teerlinck-dies-age-69-051120|first=Michael|last=Marot|date=May 11, 2020|access-date=May 12, 2020|work=Fox Sports}}

Teerlinck coached 32 NFL playoff games, including six conference championship games and four Super Bowls.{{cite web|title=Alumni Spotlight Shines on Coach John Teerlinck, Friar Class of 1969|url=https://www.fenwickfriars.com/john-teerlinck/|date=April 25, 2019|access-date=May 12, 2020|publisher=Fenwick High School|location=Oak Park, Illinois|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200512130743/https://www.fenwickfriars.com/john-teerlinck/|archive-date=May 12, 2020}} Teerlinck earned three Super Bowl rings with two teams (Denver Broncos 1997, 1998 and Indianapolis Colts 2006).{{cite web|title=John Teerlinck, Former Great Colts Assistant Coach, Passes Away|url=https://www.colts.com/news/john-teerlinck-passes-away-robert-mathis-dwight-freeney-super-bowl-xli|date=May 10, 2020|access-date=May 11, 2020|publisher=Indianapolis Colts}} His coaching career ended after the 2011 season, when he was fired by the Colts after their 2–14 season.{{cite magazine|last=Yoder|first=Will|title=Colts Fire Defensive Coaches John And Bill Teerlinck|date=January 19, 2012|magazine=Sports Illustrated|url=https://www.si.com/si-wire/2012/01/19/colts-fire-defensive-coaches-john-and-bill-teerlinck|access-date=May 12, 2020}}

Regarded by some as the greatest defensive line coach of all time,{{cite news|title=Legendary NFL defensive line coach John Teerlinck dies at 69 years old|url=https://www.nbcsports.com/washington/ravens/legendary-nfl-defensive-line-coach-john-teerlinck-dies-69-years-old|first=Andrew|last=Gillis|date=May 11, 2020|access-date=May 12, 2020|publisher=NBC Sports}} Teerlinck established an NFL presence in the early 1990s. "John Teerlinck is kind of like Mr. Miyagi", John Randle said. "He's very unorthodox. A different breed. Rough around the edges. He tells you things that are funny, but they register if you just listen. That's why he's the guru."[http://m.startribune.com/featuredColumns/97903289.html startribune] He is the namesake of the John Teerlinck Award, given annually to the best defensive line coach in the NFL.{{cite web|last=Mayer|first=Larry|url=https://www.chicagobears.com/news/rodgers-named-nfl-d-line-coach-of-year|title=Rodgers named NFL d-line coach of year|publisher=Chicago Bears|date=March 7, 2019|access-date=March 9, 2019}}

As a pass-rush specialist, Teerlinck coached 23 [[Pro Bowl players, including two conference defensive players of the year in Michael Dean Perry with the Cleveland Browns in 1989 and Chris Doleman with the Minnesota Vikings in 1992. Three of his former players—Kevin Greene with the Los Angeles Rams along with Randle and Doleman from the Vikings—have been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Randle selected Teerlinck to be his Hall of Fame presenter at his induction ceremony in 2010. Previously, only 10 assistant coaches had presented out of 260 inductees.{{cite news|title=Randle works his move all the way to Hall|url=https://www.startribune.com/randle-works-his-move-all-the-way-to-hall/97903289/|first=Mark|last=Craig|date=July 6, 2010|access-date=May 12, 2020|newspaper=Star Tribune|location=Minneapolis|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404135313/http://www.startribune.com/randle-works-his-move-all-the-way-to-hall/97903289/|archive-date=April 4, 2016}}{{efn|Also in 2010, Russ Grimm selected his former offensive line coach Joe Bugel to be his presenter.{{cite news|last=Florio|first=Mike|title=A brother, a son, owners and assistants among Hall presenters|date=May 11, 2010|work=Pro Football Talk|url=https://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/05/11/a-brother-a-son-owners-and-assistants-among-hall-presenters/|access-date=May 12, 2020}}}}

In his tenure, Teerlinck coached seven players (Doleman, Greene, Randle, Bubba Baker, Neil Smith, Freeney and Robert Mathis) to 100 career sacks.

Teerlinck developed a reputation for teaching his players to hit quarterbacks low at the knees.{{cite news|last=Schudel|first=Jeff|title=Colts' tactics draw QBs' ire|date=September 24, 2005|newspaper=The News-Herald|url=https://www.news-herald.com/news/colts-tactics-draw-qbs-ire/article_838745ec-58ad-5c28-b71c-0a7e29a8a947.html|access-date=May 13, 2020|quote=Fair or unfair, Colts defensive line coach John Teerlinck, who coached the Browns' defensive line under Bud Carson in 1989 and 1990, has a reputation for teaching his group to take quarterbacks out at the knees.}} With the Detroit Lions in 1996, the allegations were substantial enough that then-NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue summoned him to a meeting for a warning.{{cite web|url=http://www.boston.com/sports/articles/2007/02/03/teerlinck_toes_line_defends_reputation/|title=Colts Coach Teerlinck Defends Reputation|last=Reiss|first=Mike|date=February 3, 2007|work=Boston Globe|access-date=July 14, 2008|url-access=subscription}}{{cite book|last=O'Connor|first=Ian|title=Belichick: The Making of the Greatest Football Coach of All Time|year=2018|publisher=Houghton Mifflin Harcourt|page=284|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=W79wDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA284|isbn=9780544785748|access-date=May 13, 2020}}

Teerlinck and his wife, Sue, had five children: Annie, Bill, Mark, Molly and Mary. Bill followed in his father's footsteps and went into coaching.{{cite news|title=Former Vikings defensive line coach John Teerlinck dies at 69|url=https://www.startribune.com/former-vikings-defensive-line-coach-john-teerlinck-dies-at-69/570379322/|date=May 11, 2020|access-date=May 11, 2020|newspaper=Star Tribune|location=Minneapolis}} He was an assistant under his father with the Colts from 2007 to 2011, and later became a defensive line coach in the NFL and college football.{{cite news|title=Bills lose defensive line coach Bill Teerlinck to Virginia Tech|url=https://buffalonews.com/2020/01/08/buffalo-bills-bill-teerlinck-sean-mcdermott-virginia-tech-nfl-football-news-2020/|first=Vic|last=Carucci|date=May 11, 2020|access-date=January 8, 2020|newspaper=The Indianapolis Star}}

Teerlinck died on May 10, 2020, at the age of 69.{{cite news|title=Legendary Colts defensive line coach John Teerlinck dies at 69|url=https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/nfl/colts/2020/05/11/legendary-colts-defensive-line-coach-john-teerlinck-dies-69/3106896001/|first=Joel A.|last=Erickson|date=May 11, 2020|access-date=May 11, 2020|newspaper=The Indianapolis Star}}

{{notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20090124161059/http://colts.com/sub.cfm?page=coachbio&coach_id=22 Colts bio]

{{San Diego Chargers 1974 draft navbox}}

{{Super Bowl XXXII}}

{{Super Bowl XXXIII}}

{{Super Bowl XLI}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Teerlinck, John}}

Category:1951 births

Category:2020 deaths

Category:American football defensive linemen

Category:Western Illinois Leathernecks football players

Category:San Diego Chargers players

Category:Indianapolis Colts coaches

Category:Players of American football from Rochester, New York

Category:Coaches of American football from New York (state)

Category:Iowa Lakes Lakers football coaches