Todd Christensen dies at age 57

[NDFan4Life]

Ex-BYU and NFL star Todd Christensen dies at age 57

Provo • Former BYU football star, five-time NFL Pro Bowler, two-time Super Bowl champion and television sports analyst Todd Christensen died Wednesday morning during surgery at a local hospital.

Christensen, who has battled liver disease and other serious illnesses in recent years, was 57.

Christensen was a four-year starting running back at BYU from 1974-77 before embarking on a standout NFL career as a tight end, primarily for the Oakland Raiders.

At BYU, he caught 152 passes for 1,568 yards and 15 touchdowns and was an all-Western Athletic Conference pick in 1977. He was inducted into the BYU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1992.

Drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 1978 NFL Draft, Christensen’s pro career took off in 1982 with the Raiders, when he caught 42 passes for 510 yards and four touchdowns in the strike-shortened 1982 season. In 1983, his best season in the pros, Christensen caught 92 passes for 1,247 yards and 12 touchdowns.

His 349 catches from 1983-86 set at NFL record.

Christensen was went on to forge a post-football career as an NFL analyst for NBC. He was known most recently for his work as a college football analyst on the MountainWest Sports Network, a position he held until the network shut down in 2012.

In 2000, he was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame, having starred in track and field and football in high school in Eugene, Ore.

Ex-BYU and NFL star Todd Christensen dies at age 57 | The Salt Lake Tribune

 

[Damion704]

Crazy.. ND plays BYU next and he called the ND FSU 1 vs 2 game that was played 20 yrs ago today.

 

[phgreek]

I liked him as a player and in the booth...
Seemed like a good guy...RIP

 

[dwshade]

I was wondering what became of him recently. Used to see him all the time on TV and then he kind of disappeared. Sad to hear of his passing.

 

[TDHeysus]

as a kid, my father had Raider Season tickets while they were in LA, Christensen was Jim Plunkett's favorite target during those years of '83-'86(Along with Cliff Branch being the deep threat). What ppl used to say about Christensen in the stands at the stadium was 'if the ball was anywhere near him, he was going to catch it." I can remember lots of 3rd down conversions by Christensen.

I remember no receiver had caught 90+ balls in a season, and he had done it twice in 2 years as a TE. He was a big part of the '83 offense that won the SB. During the SB he had a somewhat famous line, about the Raiders being "Double Stuffed Oreos."

Ppl used to say that 49ers were the first team to run 'the west coast' offense, but I remember Plunkett throwing a lot to TE's and Marcus Allen catching quite a few passes out of the backfield....the raiders were running the west coast before SF was...with Christensen being a huge component in that system.

RIP Todd Christensen

 

[IrishSteelhead]

Him and Mike Adamle were awesone on American Gladiators.

 

[ACamp1900]

as a kid, my father had Raider Season tickets while they were in LA, Christensen was Jim Plunkett's favorite target during those years of '83-'86(Along with Cliff Branch being the deep threat). What ppl used to say about Christensen in the stands at the stadium was 'if the ball was anywhere near him, he was going to catch it." I can remember lots of 3rd down conversions by Christensen.

I remember no receiver had caught 90+ balls in a season, and he had done it twice in 2 years as a TE. He was a big part of the '83 offense that won the SB. During the SB he had a somewhat famous line, about the Raiders being "Double Stuffed Oreos."

Ppl used to say that 49ers were the first team to run 'the west coast' offense, but I remember Plunkett throwing a lot to TE's and Marcus Allen catching quite a few passes out of the backfield....the raiders were running the west coast before SF was...with Christensen being a huge component in that system.

RIP Todd Christensen

Agreed, though the Air Coryell was doing that earlier than both... though much more vertically I suppose

 

[Rocket 94]

Both he and Charlie Jones called ND-FSU twenty years ago today. Both now gone. RIP.

 

[Catholics_Rule]

I read that today. Very sad news. RIP.

 

[ohara831]

He was a great one! He will be missed. May he rest in peace!