Gophers football great Greg Larson dies at 84

Larson grew up in Minneapolis and spent his post-football life in Minnesota.

Greg Larson at center for the 1960 Minnesota Golden Gophers / University of Minnesota

Greg Larson, who starred for the 1960 national champion Gophers, died recently at the age of 84.

Larson, an offensive lineman, lived in Nisswa, Minn. for years before he died June 20 at a senior living center in Plymouth. His wife of 63 years was at his side when he passed, according to his obituary.

Larson walked on to the Gophers football team after starring at Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis – where his school won two basketball state championships – and he wound up becoming a team captain, All-Big Ten selection and a star on the 1960 national championship team. He was inducted into the M Club Hall of Fame in 2010.

After his college career, Larson was drafted to both the AFL and the NFL and he took the opportunity in the NFL with the New York Giants. That led him to a 13-year professional career before retiring in 1973. Larson was named to the Pro Bowl in 1968.

His obituary notes that he was a passionate golfer in his post-football life, and he "won several club championships over the year."

1960 Gophers national championship team / University of Minnesota