Long-time Viking Steve Riley passes away

(thank you to member John Dierijck for the heads-up on this story)

Another former Vikings offensive lineman passed away earlier this week, as long-time Viking left tackle Steve Riley passed away at the age of 68. Riley was drafted by the Vikings in the first round of the 1974 NFL draft, and played all 11 seasons of his NFL career with Minnesota. Here’s the story from Vikings.com: https://www.vikings.com/news/steve-riley-tackle-mourn-passing.

Some quotes from the above story:

Riley played – and roomed with – tight end Stu Voigt, who called Riley “an unsung hero on some great teams.”

“When you’re on a line with Ed White, Mick Tingelhoff and Ron Yary, it’s easy to be overlooked – but he was a valuable part of our success,” Voigt told Vikings.com. “Linemen are the strong, silent type, and that was Steve. He was quiet and unassuming, but a great teammate and a great guy to be around. He’s going to be missed.”

Hall of Fame Head Coach Bud Grant expressed similar sentiments about Riley’s impact both on the field and in the locker room.

“Steve had a great attitude, and he was proud to be a Viking,” Grant told Vikings.com. “He was as nice a guy as you could have, and he had a tough job as the left tackle. He was an athletic player and very intelligent.

“He and Ron Yary were our bookends at tackle, a couple of Southern California guys, and they did a great job,” Grant added.

Rest in peace, Steve Riley.