Former Indianapolis Colts defensive line coach John Teerlinck died at age 69, team owner Jim Irsay announced Monday.
“Rest In Peace, John Teerlinck,” Irsay tweeted. “One of our sport’s all-time greatest assistant coaches. And a Horseshoe guy, through-and-through.”
Teerlinck won three Super Bowls as an assistant coach and was asked to introduce defensive tackle John Randle before his Pro Football Hall of Fame induction speech in Canton, Ohio, in 2010.
Teerlinck played two seasons before he became an assistant coach with the Cleveland Browns in 1989. He joined the Colts in 2002 after stints with the Detroit Lions, Minnesota Vikings, Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams.
Among his prized pupils were Randle and Chris Doleman in Minnesota, Kevin Greene in Los Angeles, and Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis with the Colts. In all, 31 of his players reached the Pro Bowl with Teerlinck as their position coach, and Doleman and Greene also are Hall of Fame members.
“R.I.P. to the GREATEST PASS RUSH COACH OF ALL TIME,” Mathis tweeted. “The man that taught the great Rod Marinelli and all believers of REAL PASS RUSH.”
