I want to start out saying right now – that I think Dent deserves to be in the Hall, the comparisons I’m making are for example only.
 
At first glance you quickly notice the Richard started in 53% of games as Jim started. This is basically half as many games. A better way to describe this is: Jim played for two of Richard’s careers. So I decided to check out those “extra” games Jim played – here’s what I found:
 
In the last five years of Jim’s career; the years Richard wasn’t able to play – Jim played in four Central Division championships, two NFC championship games and one Super Bowl. Richard played for fifteen years and started four games in his final four NFL career playing years. I really don’t care what the reason Richard didn’t play, but I do know that Jim was leading his team to championship after championship along with going to a Super Bowl for five years longer than Hall of Famer Richard Dent played. When I went back and looked at the last four years of Richard’s career and compared them to the twelfth through fifteenth year of Jim’s career – here’s what I found.
 
When Richard started in four games and played in thirty-six games; Jim started every game in the equivalent time period and led his team to three Central Division Championships, two NFC Championships and two more Super Bowls. This is not only durability; this is durability at the highest quality of play possible. The record shows that Hall of Famer Richard Dent had trouble playing at the same level at the end of his career – while Jim played for basically a second Hall of Fame worthy career and the teams he lead competed at the highest level possible.
 
Okay Jim was durable, what about Mick. With Mick we didn’t have an offensive lineman going into the Hall of Fame this year so I went and looked at Jim Langer as a comparison. Jim Langer was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1987 and he played center for the Miami Dolphins (same position as Mick) – he was a member with the Miami team that went undefeated and won the Super Bowl.

Here’s the durability numbers for Mick versus Jim.
 

So let’s look at the durability factor again – Jim started 45% of the games Mick started. Mick literally played more than two of Jim Langer’s careers. And as you guessed – I looked at the quality of play during those “extra” years. Here’s what I found: In the five “extra” years Mick played; he started every game. Mick led the Vikings to five Central Division Championships, three NFC Championships and two Super Bowls in those five years. It’s hard to imagine how any man could play at a level that accomplished this feat; Mick did just that, Jim Langer was home watching the games on television (viewed from an equivalent time period standpoint).
 
Again – I do not mean to criticize Jim Langer, only to point out the durability of Mick Tingelhoff.
I also looked at the beginning of Mick’s career and compared that to Mr. Langer’s career. Mick comes into the league and is the starting center for an expansion team – okay one year removed, not the best of situations. Mick comes in and not only starts, but becomes the true cornerstone for the Vikings offense. Mr. Langer comes into the league and doesn’t start a game until his third year into the league. Mick came into the league strong, stayed strong and continued to play strong long after Hall of Famer Jim Langer retires (when you look at years of playing). This is the true test of durability!
 
I had the opportunity to discuss this attribute with Minnesota Vikings Hall of Fame member Alan Page and his statement to me was “This is an incredible feat for any man”. Alan went on to explain that what Jim and Mick did was practically inhuman – to prepare and play at the level they did for as long as they did; both Mick and Jim deserve to be in the Hall. These are Alan’s thoughts – not mine, I agree with Alan, but these are his opinions.
 
It’s crystal clear that Mick Tingelhoff and Jim Marshall are the first true and only “Iron Men” of the NFL. Both these men played in the trenches, one on offense and one on defense and both men found a way to do what no other person in NFL history has been able to do – play in the middle of all the hitting week in and week out, without missing a game, without missing a beat, without losing a step and making every person around them a better player, and that’s a topic for another day.
 
There are two players that have longer consecutive starting streaks than Jim Marshall– Brett Favre and Jeff Feagles. There are three people that have longer consecutive starting streaks than Mick Tingelhoff - Brett Favre, Jeff Feagles and Jim Marshall and only Jim and Mick played in the line, the positions where every play they were hitting or being hit. You have to consider the positions played as well as the streak and when you play in the line – it’s clearly different, it’s clearly more physical, it’s clearly a more amazing starting streak for these two Iron Men than any other on the leader board.
 
Let’s put the true NFL Iron Men in the Hall of Fame!
 
Skol
 
Wm. R. Martin
President