John Mendenhall, a defensive tackle for the Giants for eight seasons in the 1970s, died on Friday after a long illness in his hometown of Cullen, Louisiana, his family announced on Monday. He was 72.
Though he played during an era that saw little success for the Giants – after the team went 8-6 his rookie year of 1972 he never again played on a winning team and won just 29 games in his next seven seasons – Mendenhall was part of a strong defensive front that included George Martin, Troy Archer and Jack Gregory as well as linebackers Harry Carson, Brad Van Pelt and Brian Kelly.