John Mendenhall (American football)

For other people named John Mendenhall, see John Mendenhall (disambiguation).

John Rufus Mendenhall (December 3, 1948 – February 26, 2021) was an American professional football defensive tackle in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants and Detroit Lions. He played college football at Grambling State University and was selected in the third round of the 1972 NFL draft.

John Mendenhall

No. 64
Position:	Defensive tackle
Personal information
Born:	(1948-12-03)December 3, 1948 Cullen, Louisiana, U.S.
Died:	February 26, 2021(2021-02-26) (aged 72) Cullen, Louisiana, U.S.
Height:	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight:	255 lb (116 kg)
Career information
College:	Grambling State
NFL draft:	1972: 3rd round, 55th pick
Career history
New York Giants (1972–1979) Detroit Lions (1980)
Career highlights and awards
First-team Little All-American (1971)
Career NFL statistics
Sacks: 45.0 Fumble recoveries: 6 Interceptions: 1 Stats at Pro Football Reference

Mendenhall played in 116 games over the course of 9 seasons between 1972 and 1980. He had his best year as a pro in 1977, when he recorded 12 sacks and 7 forced fumbles.

He died on February 26, 2021, at age 72 in Cullen, Louisiana.^[1]