Jim Marshall (Vikings) skydiving info

[NEcrewDOG 0]

I saw a snippet on ESPN Classic featuring Jim Marshall - a retired defensive end for the Minnesota Vikings...famous for running a fumble the wrong way for a TD. Toward the end of the feature, they mentioned that he was an avid skydiver...and even showed a clip of him in freefall. The clip looked about 20 years old.

Does anyone know how many jumps he has...what DZ(s) he regularly jumped at...and if he still jumps?

[DBCOOPER 5]

Not me :)

Replying to: Re: Stall On Jump Run Emergency Procedure? by billvon

If the plane is unrecoverable then exiting is a very very good idea.

[PROGRESSIVE 0]

I use to live down the road from him in the late 70's, in Bloomington Minnesota. His kids went to Olsen Jr high.

I skydived at Stanton Minnesota and Baldwin, Osceola, Alexandria, and one or two times at Superior. I never heard of Jim Marshall jumping.

Google it!

Pete

I just Googled it. 1965 there was an article saying he had 50 or so jumps and participated in demos, but due to playing football for the Vikings, he decided to put it on the side line. Get it? Side line...God I crack myself up!

[Boogers 0]

http://www.thefootballsearchengine.com/JimMarshall/facts/

Quote

" In his effort to "make the mind and body totally harmonious," Marshall has given a lot of thought to human behavior, and he has been able to play week after week despite the ankle sprains and concussions that might have sidelined lesser men. Twice Marshall kept his streak intact by walking out of hospitals where he was recuperating, once from pneumonia and this season from ulcers. On another occasion he played after accidentally shooting himself in the side while cleaning a shotgun.
Strangely, Marshall was regularly on the disabled list during the off season, victim of a life-style that produced any number of close calls. He is an avid sky diver, scuba diver, and snowmobiler. "

[PROGRESSIVE 0]

Good thing he never deployed his reserve into a malfunctioned main! (Not that I know of anyway).

Pete

[Spooky52 0]

If he accidentally shot himself in the side while "cleaning" a shotgun, he's too stupid to be a skydiver, and he certainly shouldn't be handling weapons. The first thing you do when preparing to clean a weapon is CLEAR it. In other words, make sure that there is no ammunition in the weapon, or even in the same room. He was screwing around and got shot. That's what he was doing.

If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

[PROGRESSIVE 0]

Good point! In my brief Google search, he also picked up a fumbled ball and ran to the wrong end zone...Doooh!

No matter how hard you try, you just can't fix stupid!

[Boogers 0]

PROGRESSIVE

Good point! In my brief Google search, he also picked up a fumbled ball and ran to the wrong end zone...Doooh!

No matter how hard you try, you just can't fix stupid!

Would it be fair to characterize YOUR entire life by one stupid moment you've done?

[PROGRESSIVE 0]

Boogers

***Good point! In my brief Google search, he also picked up a fumbled ball and ran to the wrong end zone...Doooh!

No matter how hard you try, you just can't fix stupid!

Would it be fair to characterize YOUR entire life by one stupid moment you've done?

Of course it's fair, but only if is posted on dropzone.com!

[Spooky52 0]

Sounds to me as if he's had more than one stupid moment.

If you know how many guns you have - you don't have enough!

[jdkalou 0]

Jim Marshall is an NFL legend. I would think you guys taking "pot shots" at his intelligence better be hoping that he is not still actively skydiving and you don't run into him at your local dropzone.

[pchapman 279]

jdkalou

I would think you guys taking "pot shots" at his intelligence better be hoping that he is not still actively skydiving and you don't run into him at your local dropzone.

Ah, so he has a criminal violent streak too?

(Just because we're all dumbasses at some point, doesn't make him not a dumbass for something he did.

[pms07 3]

Never met him but I remember stories from the early '70s of him jumping at Osceola.

[jdkalou 0]

Your right about "just because we're all dumbasses at some point, doesn't make him not a dumbass for something he did," but I was just thinking Leon Lett of the Dallas Cowboys should be more on that radar screen. He pulled a couple of blunders which are always showing up on the "Can you believe that" type of programs. I still wouldn't want to run into either one of them after making less than admirable comments about them.

[PROGRESSIVE 0]

Ok, for the sake of saving my own life, Jim Marshall, is not stupid. He just had a couple of "off days" when he ran to the wrong endzone and shot himself with his own gun.

But for my own safety, I'll remain in Utah, and stay away from the DZ's.

Sorry Jim! FaceBook me!

Love,

Pete

[skyjumpenfool 2]

PROGRESSIVE

Ok, for the sake of saving my own life, Jim Marshall, is not stupid. He just had a couple of "off days" when he ran to the wrong endzone and shot himself with his own gun.

But for my own safety, I'll remain in Utah, and stay away from the DZ's.

Sorry Jim! FaceBook me.

I don't remember Marshall every jumping at Osceolla? Or, Baldwin, Chip, Soup, Stanton, etc. I'll ask around and get back to you. Maybe Mootz or Goz would know?

I do, however, remember him playing football. He was an animal! One very tough guy!! Part of the original Purple People Eaters I believe.

Birdshit & Fools Productions

"Son, only two things fall from the sky."

[PROGRESSIVE 0]

He also did commercials for the local Bloomington car dealer in Minnesota. Lived right down the street from my Junior High sweet heart, Karen Mortensen, aka Mort.