RIP Todd Christensen

Former Raiders great. Had liver disease. Died during surgery at 57.

He was fun to watch and then became part of American Gladiators' fixation on former football players as analysts -- Csonka, Theismann, etc. (I did like him as a regular broadcaster too).

foxs.pt/1j4OY3f

 

Was a fullback when he first came into the league, which is why he wore 46. Great, great hands and a really good runner after the catch.

With Kellen Winslow & Ozzie Newsome, part of the 2nd generation of great NFL tight ends (with John Mackey, Mike Ditka & Jackie Smith comprising the first). You can draw a straight line from the "tackles who caught a pass once in a while" of the 1960s thru Christensen and his ilk to the true downfield threats of today like Rob Gronkowski and Jimmy Graham.

 

Wow. That sucks...

RIP.

 

Sad. So young. Can't believe it. Really enjoyed him on NBC with Charlie Jones, and on ESPN and ESPN2 alongside Charlie Steiner, among others.

 

Great, great Caucasian "natural" afro; insightful as well. The original 100 catch TE. Way, way too early.

 

Terrible news. He was my second favorite player from the L.A. Raiders era (after Marcus Allen). Always a well-spoken and pretty funny dude also. RIP.

 

Great player. Interesting career stat line. Rip

 

He was the ultimate chain-moving tight end.
He got a lot of crap for introspection that at times bordered on intellectual vanity.
Apologized for that in the 1983 Raiders America's Game documentary, though it wasn't necessary.

 

Met Todd in the late 80s when he was subbing for Roy Firestone on ESPN's Sports Look. I was there with a ballplayer on a book tour, and Todd was asking him which William Blake quote best described the baseball experience. I believe the answer was "Ummm..."

While all the Super Bowl Raiders were lining up for tell-all book deals, Todd sent me a box filled with poetry he had written. He said he had enough to fill four books. He was wrong; he had enough for ten. We never got the book(s) published, but he quizzed me on every verse of every poem.

I don't think he ever understood the open disdain his teammates had for him personally; maybe it was the relentless quoting of Thoreau, I don't know. I'm interested to see what the Howie Longs and others say about him in the wake of his death.

Sad for his family. I believe he had four sons (the youngest with spina bifida), and a couple grandkids. RIP.

 

He had my favorite line from American Gladiators

"If combat mano-a-mano is your style, The Joust is your cup of tea."

 

RIP to a true Raider. I hope the liver surgery he was undergoing wasn't because of roid use or some other NFL related problem.

 

Always enjoyed his work, both as a player and broadcaster.

Taken way too young... RIP.