Former NFL first-round pick Mike Fanning dead at 69
Fanning was the ninth pick of the 1975 NFL Draft
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Mike Fanning, a first-round pick in 1975, died Sunday at age 69.
Fanning made a name for himself at the University of Notre Dame, winning the national championship with the Fighting Irish in 1973 with their 11-0 record.
The following season, he was named an AP Second-team All-American – he was named to the First-team by the Walter Camp Foundation, The Sporting News, the Newspaper Enterprise Association, and Time.
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Terry Bradshaw of the Pittsburgh Steelers scrambles away from Mike Fanning of the Los Angeles Rams during Super Bowl XIV on Jan. 20, 1980, at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. (Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
Fanning was the ninth pick to the Los Angeles Rams in 1975, where he spent eight of his 10 NFL seasons – he also spent a season in both Detroit and Seattle.
He was named to the All-Rookie team despite an injury forcing him to miss six games – he did, however, help the Rams to the NFC Championship Game that season, and made it to Super Bowl XIV four seasons later.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fanning shared a defensive line with Hall of Famer Jack Youngblood, who spoke on his death.
"Mike was my wing man in Battle, God Bless you My Brother!!!" he tweeted late Monday night.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Fanning had worked for the University of Tulsa's athletic department in their group ticket sales and was a special assistant for administration and operations since 2009.
"We are saddened by the news of Mike's passing," said Tulsa's vice president and director of athletics Rick Dickson. "He was a tremendous football player at Notre Dame and in the NFL and carried that competitiveness and work ethic into everyday life. He was such a likable person who worked to help TU athletics achieve success."
Mike Fanning of the Los Angeles Rams pursues Pittsburgh's Terry Bradshaw during Super Bowl XIV on Jan. 20, 1980. The Steelers won, 31-19. (Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}His best season came in 1980, when he recorded a career-high 10 sacks. He finished with 42.5 in his career, which amassed 137 career games.