There was no word on exactly when Doleman died, but he had had surgery in January 2018 to remove a brain tumor and Pro Football Hall of Fame president and chief executive David Baker said he died “after a prolonged and courageous battle against cancer.”
“I had the honor of getting to know him not only as a great football player but an outstanding human being,” Baker said in a statement Tuesday night. “One of the honors of my life was witnessing Chris get baptized in the Jordan River during a Hall of Fame trip to Israel. The legacy of Chris Doleman will live forever in Canton, Ohio, for generations to learn from how he lived a life of courage and character.”
Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid, whose team is preparing to face the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl on Sunday, was tasked with trying to defend Doleman for years while Reid was an assistant coach at Green Bay, working primarily with the Packers’ offensive line.
“I didn’t really know him well, but I knew he was a phenomenal player,” Reid said Wednesday. “I had teams that played obviously against him. My heart goes out to him. I know the struggles he’s had here the last little bit.”