Earsell Mackbee (January 15, 1941 – November 9, 2009) was a professional American football player.
| No. 46 | |
| Date of birth | January 15, 1941 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth | Brookhaven, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Date of death | November 9, 2009 (aged 68) |
| Place of death | Vallejo, California, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Cornerback |
| College | Utah State |
| NFL draft | 1965 / Round: |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1965–1969 | Minnesota Vikings |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| Career stats | |
| |
Mackbee was born in Brookhaven, Mississippi and served as an airman in the United States Air Force. He graduated from Utah State University, where he starred as a cornerback. He played five seasons in the National Football League, all with the Minnesota Vikings. Mackbee was a starting cornerback on the Vikings’ Purple People Eaters defense and made 15 interceptions in his career.[1] He started in Super Bowl IV but was injured while unsuccessfully attempting a tackle on a play that resulted in Otis Taylor running down the sidelines for a 46-yard touchdown to close out the scoring with 82 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Mackbee explained, “He had used a hitch and go earlier. This was just a hitch. I had gone up tight on him a lot. Earlier I had a pinched nerve in my shoulder and as I hit him my shoulder went numb and I lost him.”[2][3]
After retiring from the NFL in 1970, Mackbee became an entrepreneur, opening a chain of restaurants and other business ventures. He also worked as a counselor and advisor for City Inc, a Minneapolis outreach and educational program.[4]
In 2005, Mackbee suffered a stroke and was thereafter in a hospice. On October 16, 2009, his condition deteriorated, and his family rallied to fulfill his last wish of returning him to his roots in Vallejo, California.[5] Ten days after donations allowed his family to charter a plane to fly him back to Vallejo, Mackbee died on November 9, 2009.[6] He is interred at Sacramento Valley National Cemetery.
Notes edit
- ^ Pro Football-Reference.com
- ^ Wallace, William N. "Kansas City Beats Minnesota by 23–7 in the Super Bowl," The New York Times, Monday, January 12, 1970. Retrieved March 11, 2023.
- ^ "#45: Otis Taylor Breaks Tackles & Stiff Arms defender on 46-yard TD | Top 50 Clutch Super Bowl Plays". YouTube. Retrieved December 26, 2022.
- ^ Earsell Mackbee | Biography Archived 2009-11-02 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Vallejo Times-Herald | October 26, 2009". Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved October 28, 2009.
- ^ Ex-Viking Mackbee dies 10 days after wish fulfilled[permanent dead link], Star Tribune, November 9, 2009.
External links edit
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