Former Minnesota Vikings defensive lineman Doug Martin, who was the No. 9 pick in the 1980 NFL draft, died on Thursday, the team announced. He was 68.

Martin spent 10 seasons with the Vikings, appearing in 126 regular-season games and making 94 starts.

After he was drafted out of the University of Washington, Martin held out, missing rookie camp and not reporting until the regular season had begun, Sports Illustrated reported. But after debuting in Week 2, he played 11 games and had five sacks.

During the strike-shortened 1982 season, Martin led the NFL with 11.5 sacks. He followed up with a career-high 13 sacks in 1983, NBC Sports reported.

Martin finished his career with 61.5 sacks; at the time, that ranked fourth in franchise history behind Carl Eller, Jim Marshall and Alan Page, according to Sports Illustrated.

According to a news release from the Vikings, Martin won NFC Player of the Month honors in September 1986, recording three sacks, forcing two fumbles and recovering one as Minnesota went 3-1 that month.

At Washington, Martin earned first-team All-Pac 10 honors during his junior and senior seasons. He totaled 323 tackles, which remains third in school history among defensive linemen.

Martin and the Huskies would win a Rose Bowl and the 1979 Sun Bowl. He would be named a second-team All-American during his senior season.

A native of Fairfield, California, Martin was the younger brother of George Martin, who played defensive end for the New York Giants for 14 seasons.

Quarterback Warren Moon was Doug Martin’s teammate in college and in the pros.

“I’ll always remember his big chuckle, his laugh, and I will miss him calling me ‘Moony,’” Moon said, according to the Vikings’ website. “He was a loyal and honest friend.”

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