Karl Mecklenburg

Last updated

Karl Mecklenburg
Karlmecklenburg.jpg
Mecklenburg at a speaking engagement, November 2007.
No. 77
Position: Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (1960-09-01) September 1, 1960 (age 63)
Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:230 lb (104 kg)
Career information
College: Minnesota
NFL draft: 1983  / Round: 12 / Pick: 310
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Tackles:1,118
Sacks:79.0
Forced fumbles:16
Fumble recoveries:14
Interceptions:5
Defensive touchdowns:2
Player stats at PFR

Karl Bernard Mecklenburg (born September 1, 1960), nicknamed "the Albino Rhino", is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Minnesota Golden Gophers.

Contents

National Football League

In 1983, the Denver Broncos drafted Karl Mecklenburg in the 12th round with the 310th pick overall. In spite of his low selection, Mecklenburg went on to become an integral part of the Broncos' Super Bowl teams of the 1980s. He played in six Pro Bowls. His 79 sacks is the third highest total in franchise history; he is one of only three Broncos with four sacks in a game, and the only one to do so twice. In 2001, during half time of a game against the Baltimore Ravens, he and Dennis Smith were inducted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame. He is also in the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame and serves on the Broncos Alumni Council.

Since retiring from pro football in 1994, Mecklenburg divides his time between family, motivational speaking, and his ongoing charity involvements. Karl and his wife Kathi have three children. The Mecklenburgs reside in Littleton, Colorado. The son of Fred Mecklenburg and Marjory Mecklenburg, Karl has two brothers, Eric and Fred, and a sister, Carol.

Mecklenburg is considered one of the greatest Denver Broncos of all time, according to NFL Films top 10 Denver Broncos of All Time.

Concussions

Mecklenburg suffered "at least a dozen +10 concussions" during his football career. [1] By his early fifties, Mecklenburg was experiencing cognitive issues, including memory impairment, which he attributes to the concussions he sustained. [1] [2]

Mecklenburg was a plaintiff in concussion-related litigation against the NFL: "I didn't buy in to professional football with the understanding that I was going to have brain damage. I expected to have a limp. I expected to have sore joints. Bad shoulder, whatever. But that other part, that was kept from us and that wasn't right." [1]

Video games

The digital version of Mecklenburg anchored the 3–4 defense of the Denver Broncos in the NES video games Tecmo Bowl (1989) and Tecmo Super Bowl (1991). Mecklenburg appears in the video game Madden NFL 15 (2014) in the Ultimate Team mode, as a 97 Overall player.

Charity work

Mecklenburg has been the Broncos representative for Taste of the NFL, started For Mercy Sake Sackem, started The Karl Mecklenburg's REACH foundation, has been a board member for Colorado Youth Outdoors, hosted charity celebrity ski races in Durango and in Aspen, worked with Project Healing Waters, and has served as an assistant Scout Master. Karl says, "I take the opportunity and responsibility to work with charities very seriously".

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Bowl XXI</span> 1987 Edition of the Super Bowl

Super Bowl XXI was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos and the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1986 season. It was the 21st Super Bowl and was played on January 25, 1987, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. The Giants defeated the Broncos, 39–20, for their first Super Bowl and first NFL title since 1956. It was the first of consecutive Super Bowl losses for the Broncos, who lost the Super Bowl a year later 42–10 to the Washington Redskins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Bowl XXII</span> 1988 Edition of the Super Bowl

Super Bowl XXII was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Washington Redskins and American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1987 season. The Redskins defeated the Broncos by the score of 42–10, winning their second Super Bowl. The game was played on January 31, 1988, at Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego, California, which was the first time that the Super Bowl was played there. It was the second consecutive Super Bowl loss for the Broncos, who had lost to the New York Giants in the Super Bowl the year before.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Bowl XXIV</span> 1990 Edition of the Super Bowl

Super Bowl XXIV was an American football game between the National Football Conference (NFC) champion San Francisco 49ers and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 1989 season. The game was played on January 28, 1990, at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The 49ers defeated the Broncos by the score of 55–10, winning their second consecutive Super Bowl, and then-tying the Pittsburgh Steelers with four Super Bowl victories. San Francisco also became the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls with two different head coaches; rookie head coach George Seifert took over after Bill Walsh retired following the previous season's Super Bowl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Elway</span> American football player and executive (born 1960)

John Albert Elway Jr. is an American former professional football quarterback who spent his entire 16-year career with the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Following his playing career, he then spent 11 years with the Broncos in various front office positions, eventually being promoted to general manager. Elway, along with former backup quarterback and head coach Gary Kubiak, are the only individuals to be associated with all three of the Broncos' Super Bowl wins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Dawkins</span> American football player (born 1973)

Brian Patrick Dawkins Sr., nicknamed "Weapon X", is an American former professional football player who was a safety for 16 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football for the Clemson Tigers and was selected by the Eagles in the second round of the 1996 NFL draft. In his last three seasons, he played for the Denver Broncos.

Stephen Dennis Atwater is an American former football safety who played for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He was an eight-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time Super Bowl champion. Atwater was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame on February 1, 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ed McCaffrey</span> American football player and coach (born 1968)

Ed McCaffrey is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver for 13 seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, and Denver Broncos. He played college football for the Stanford Cardinal, earning first-team All-America honors in 1990.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Al Wilson</span> American football player (born 1977)

Aldra Kauwa Wilson is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker for eight seasons with the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers, earning consensus All-American honors. Wilson was selected by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 1999 NFL draft, and played his entire professional career for the Broncos. He was a five-time Pro Bowl selection and a two-time All-Pro selection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randy Gradishar</span> American football player (born 1952)

Randy Charles Gradishar is an American former professional football player who played 10 seasons as a linebacker during the 1970s and 1980s for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). A native of Ohio, Gradishar was a one-time consensus and one-time unanimous All-American for the Ohio State Buckeyes, before playing ten seasons for Denver, where he was the centerpiece of their "Orange Crush Defense". In 2024, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Jackson (American football, born 1951)</span> American football player and broadcaster (born 1951)

Thomas Louie Jackson, also referred to as "TJ" or "Tommy", is an American sports commentator and former professional football player. He played as a linebacker for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL) from 1973 to 1986. He was a member of Denver's "Orange Crush Defense" and helped lead the Broncos to the AFC Championship in 1977 and 1986. After his playing career ended, he enjoyed a successful 29-year run as an NFL analyst for ESPN. He was given the Pete Rozelle Award for excellence in broadcasting by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harry Carson</span> American football player (born 1953)

Harry Donald Carson is an American former professional football player who spent his entire career as a linebacker for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). Carson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leonard Marshall</span> American football player (born 1961)

Leonard Allen Marshall Jr. is an American former professional football player who was a defensive lineman for twelve seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Selected 37th overall in the 1983 NFL Draft, he spent the first ten seasons of his career with the New York Giants where he accumulated 79.5 sacks, ranking him third in team history. He was twice selected to the Pro Bowl and twice named NFL Defensive Lineman of the Year following the 1985 and 1986 seasons. He won two championships with the Giants, recording three and a half sacks in the two Super Bowl games which he played in. Marshall is most famously known for his 1991 hit on Joe Montana that knocked him out of the NFC championship game, after which Montana would not play another regular season game for almost two years. After his time with the Giants, Marshall went on to play a season each for the New York Jets and Washington Redskins before retiring from football at the age of 33. Marshall played college football at Louisiana State University.

Alfred Hamilton Williams is an American former professional football player who was a linebacker and defensive end in the National Football League (NFL) for the Cincinnati Bengals, San Francisco 49ers and Denver Broncos. His nicknames include "Big Al", "Hot Plate", and "the Condor".

David Studdard is a former American professional football player. He was an offensive tackle who played in two National Football League (NFL) Super Bowls for the Denver Broncos. He also played for the National Championship in college football for the Texas Longhorns, losing all three games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan Clady</span> American football player (born 1986)

Ryan Jacob Clady is an American former professional football player who was an offensive tackle for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Boise State University, and earned consensus All-American honors. The Denver Broncos selected Clady in the first round of the 2008 NFL draft, and he was named to four Pro Bowls in his eight years with the team. He also played one season for the New York Jets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Bruton (American football)</span> American football player (born 1987)

David Lee Bruton Jr. is a former American football strong safety and special teamer. He was selected by the Denver Broncos in the fourth round of the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at Notre Dame. He was also a member of the Washington Redskins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Ayers</span> American football player (born 1985)

Robert Ayers is an American former professional football player who was a defensive end for 10 years in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers and was selected by the Denver Broncos in the first round of the 2009 NFL draft. He also played for the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Von Miller</span> American football player (born 1989)

Vonnie B'VSean Miller is an American football linebacker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). Miller played college football at Texas A&M, where he earned consensus All-American honors and the Butkus Award. He was selected by the Denver Broncos second overall in the 2011 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shea McClellin</span> American football player (born 1989)

Shea Keegan McClellin is an American former professional football player who was a outside linebacker in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Boise State Broncos. He was selected by the Chicago Bears with the 19th overall pick in the 2012 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Super Bowl 50</span> 2016 National Football League championship game

Super Bowl 50 was an American football game to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2015 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos defeated the National Football Conference (NFC) champion Carolina Panthers, 24–10. The game was played on February 7, 2016, at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, in the San Francisco Bay Area. As this was the 50th Super Bowl game, the league emphasized the "golden anniversary" with various gold-themed initiatives during the 2015 season, as well as suspending the tradition of naming each Super Bowl game with Roman numerals, so the logo could prominently feature the number 50 in more familiar Arabic numerals.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Frei, Terry (August 25, 2013). "Collision Opinions". Denver Post. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
  2. ↑ Reilly, Rick (November 6, 2013). "Football getting harder to watch". ESPN.com. Retrieved November 7, 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.