Jim Marshall: NFL Legend – Wikipedia

James Lawrence Marshall (born December 30, 1937 in Wilsonville, Kentucky, † June 3, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota) was an American football player at the position of defensive end in the NFL.

When Marshall was five years old, he and his family moved to Columbus, Ohio. He also attended high school here.^[1]

He later attended Ohio State University, where he was a member of the 1957 college football team that won the national college football title. In 1958 he was selected as a third-team All-American. He then dropped out of his studies for financial reasons.

Marshall joined the Saskatchewan Roughriders.^[2] After his first season he was transferred to the NFL.

Marshall was selected in the fourth round, 44th overall, by the Cleveland Browns in the 1960 NFL Draft.^[3] A year later he was traded with five other players to the Minnesota Vikings, which had newly formed in the NFL.^[4]

Marshall stayed with the Minnesota Vikings for 19 years. During this time he was selected to the Pro Bowl twice, in 1968 and 1969.^[5] He still holds several NFL records (including most consecutive games as a defensive starter: 270; most fumbles recovered: 30) and was named to the list of 50 Greatest Vikings chosen. He is also the holder of the Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor. With the Vikings he reached the Super Bowl four times, but was never able to win it.^[6]

Marshall also gained infamous attention when, on October 25, 1964, in a game against the San Francisco 49ers, he picked up an opponent’s fumble and returned it the wrong way. The result was a safety for the opponent instead of a touchdown for your own team.

After Marshall picked up an opponent’s fumble, he accidentally ran 66 yards in the wrong direction and into his own end zone. After his run, he celebrated his supposed touchdown. 49ers opponent Bruce Bosley ran up to Marshall and thanked him. Marshall’s teammate Fran Tarkenton explained to him what had happened and he realized he had just scored points for the opponent.

In 2019, this mishap was ranked 54th in the 100 Best NFL Football Plays chosen.^[7]

• 

  Marshall recovers the ball after a fumble

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  before running in the wrong direction

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  After the safety in conversation with 49ers player Bruce Bosley

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  when Marshall realized what had happened

After his playing career, Marshall entered the finance and insurance industry.^[8]

He was also a passionate skydiver in his free time. In August 1980 he had a jumping accident, sustaining a broken arm and leg.^[9]

He was married twice and had two daughters with his first wife.^[10]

Marshall died on June 3, 2025 at the age of 87.^[11]

1. ↑ From NKAA, Notable Kentucky African Americans Database (main entry) on uky.edu. July 28, 2021, accessed on December 16, 2025 (English).
2. ↑ Crazy Canton Cuts: Jim Marshall on bleacherreport.com May 15, 2009, accessed on December 16, 2025 (English).
3. ↑ 1960 NFL Draft Listing on pro-football-reference.com accessed on December 16, 2025 (English).
4. ↑ Original Viking Paul Dickson dies on startribune.com June 10, 2011, accessed on December 16, 2025 (English).
5. ↑ Jim Marshall’s remarkable pro football journey began in Saskatchewan on leaderpost.com. August 7, 2020, accessed on December 16, 2025 (English).
6. ↑ Vikings Jim Marshall Biography on the Minnesota Vikings website accessed on December 16, 2025 (English).
7. ↑ Jim Marshall’s “Wrong Way Run” on nfl.com. accessed on December 16, 2025 (English).
8. ↑ Seahawks Place Earl Thomas & Will Dissly On Injured Reserve on dispatch.com. accessed on December 16, 2025 (English).
9. ↑ Jim Marshall, iron man defensive end for the Vikings, dies at 87 on nytimes.com accessed on December 16, 2025 (English).
10. ↑ Vikings great Jim Marshall’s Pro Football Hall of Fame bid denied yet again on startribune.com. accessed on December 16, 2025 (English).
11. ↑ https://www.vikings.com/news/jim-marshall-mourn-passing-legend-captain-nfl-ironman on the Minnesota Vikings website. June 3, 2025, accessed on December 16, 2025 (English).