Mick Tingelhoff

Henry Michael Tingelhoff (May 22, 1940 – September 11, 2021) was an American professional football player who played center for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League from 1962 to 1978.

Tingelhoff was born in Lexington, Nebraska, where he grew up on his family's farm, the sixth and youngest child of German immigrants Henry and Clara (Ortmeier) Tingelhoff. The family did not have electricity until he was a senior in high school. He attended Lexington High School, where he played center and linebacker, though his parents thought little of football and preferred that he remain on the farm rather than attend college.

He went to the University of Nebraska–Lincoln on a scholarship, again playing center and linebacker. He earned three letters but did not become a starter until his senior season in 1961, when he served as co-captain and earned All-Conference and All-State honors on a team that recorded its biggest offensive output in more than five seasons. He also participated in the Senior Bowl.

Tingelhoff went on to play his entire seventeen-year professional career with the Minnesota Vikings, from 1962 to 1978. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015.