Kicker Fred Cox, the Minnesota Vikings' all-time scorer and the inventor of the Nerf football, died Wednesday at the age of 80, the team announced.
Cox never missed a game in 15 seasons for the Vikings from 1963-77. He finished his career with 1,365 points and led the Vikings in scoring for 11 consecutive seasons. He was a member of four Vikings teams that went to the Super Bowl, including the 1969 champions.
"The Vikings mourn the loss of Fred Cox, one of our proudest legends and a member of the 50 Greatest Vikings," the team said in a statement.