Brad Van Pelt dead at 57
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- February
- 18
Brad Van Pelt, a great linebacker on a lot of bad Giants teams, has died of an apparent heart attack, the Giants announced today. He was 57.
Van Pelt starred as a safety at Michigan State. He was chosen by the Giants in the second round of the 1973 NFL draft and went on to make the Pro Bowl five years in a row from 1976-1980.
I remember watching the Giants as a kid and for a while it seemed like the only good players were Van Pelt, fellow linebacker Brian Kelley, defensive lineman George Martin, punter Dave Jennings and kicker Joe Danelo. In fact, I remember on CBS when Jimmy the Greek would do his comparison between the two teams in each game, the Giants would usually get the check mark for kicking game and nothing else.
It wasn’t Van Pelt’s fault, though, and it was good to see him and Kelley still there when the Giants made the playoff in 1981 under Ray Perkins. When the Giants drafted Lawrence Taylor in 1981, he along with Van Pelt, Kelley and Harry Carson formed one of the league’s most feared linebacking units.
“Brad was a very good friend,” Carson told The Associated Press. “Obviously he was a great teammate, but I consider him more of a very good friend and very much like a brother. Having played together for a number of years … but then the relationship after football and the things that we did as a group of linebackers after football, those things really bonded us together.”
After leaving the Giants in 1983, Van Pelt played two seasons with the Los Angeles Raiders and one with the Cleveland Browns.
What are your memories of Brad Van Pelt?
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, February 18th, 2009 at 2:33 pm by Joe Erwin. 
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Ernie Palladino
I remember him as a hardworking, talented professional who didn’t feel the need to hotdog it when he made a great play. He let the play speak for itself.
One of my dad’s favorite players. Great work ethic. A true pro. That linebacking corps was probably the best of all time!!!
Tom Laundry said it best: You don’t which way to run the ball againest these guys!That was a linebacking core that will never be seen again!
“BVP” rest in pease God bless.