Chris Doleman, former Pitt player and Pro Football Hall of Famer, dies of brain cancer

Chris Doleman, one of the NFL’s most feared pass rushers of all-time and one of nine former Pitt players to earn induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, died Tuesday night after a prolonged battle with brain cancer.

Doleman was 58.

Doleman, a defensive end and outside linebacker, was the fourth overall choice in the 1985 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings after a Pitt career that spanned 1981-84. He played 15 seasons in the NFL, 10 in Minnesota, two with the Atlanta Falcons and three with the San Francisco 49ers.

He retired with 150 ½ career sacks, which ranked fourth in NFL history at the time of his retirement (now fifth). Doleman reached double-digit sacks in eight seasons, including his landmark 1989 season when he recorded a league-high 21, plus five forced fumbles and five recoveries.

Overall, he compiled 975 tackles, with 44 forced fumbles, 24 recoveries, eight interceptions and three touchdowns. He returned to the Vikings for his final season (1999) and recorded eight sacks.

A three-time first-team All-Pro, Doleman earned a berth on eight Pro Bowl teams and was named to the NFL’s All-Decade Team of the 1990s.

He was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2012.

Doleman was an immediate starter at Pitt when he arrived from Valley Forge Military Academy in 1981. After maintaining an important role on some of the greatest defenses — and teams — in Pitt history, Doleman finished third all-time in school history with 25 sacks. Four decades later, that total stands eighth. Pitt finished second and ninth in the final Associated Press polls of the 1981 and ‘82 seasons. As a senior, Doleman was a tri-captain with Troy Benson and College Football Hall of Famer Bill Fralic.

Foge Fazio, who was Pitt’s defensive coordinator and later head coach, once said, “Sometimes we’ll stop the game film just to point out to the team Chris’ desire and hustle to get there.”

Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi offered his memories of Doleman in a statement Wednesday.

“I had only been at Pitt for a few months when I first met Chris, and he could not have been more supportive and enthusiastic about the University of Pittsburgh,” he said. “It was obvious that he took great pride in being a Panther.

“I remember we had him as our honorary captain when we played at Georgia Tech one year, and he was so energetic with our kids. You know he wanted to put on that Pitt helmet one more time.

“Our deepest sympathies to the Doleman family. His passing is a great loss for all of us, but his memory and legacy, on and off the field, will never be forgotten.”

Condolences also were sent by Pro Football Hall of Fame president and CEO David Baker.

“The entire Pro Football Hall of Fame family mourns the passing of Chris Doleman after a prolonged and courageous battle against cancer,” Baker said in a statement. “I had the honor of getting to know him not only as a great football player but an outstanding human being. One of the honors of my life was witnessing Chris get baptized in the Jordan River during a Hall of Fame trip to Israel.

“The legacy of Chris Doleman will live forever in Canton, Ohio, for generations to learn from how he lived a life of courage and character.”

“The Minnesota Vikings express our deepest sympathies to Chris Doleman’s family and friends upon his passing,” the team said in a statement. “Chris was a great example for players past and present, as he embodied all the best characteristics of a Viking: resilience, toughness and a competitive spirit. Chris always carried himself with dignity and class. Vikings fans worldwide will greatly miss him.”

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