Todd Christensen, one of the Oakland Raiders' all-time greats, died Wednesday during a surgical procedure, according to reports.
Christensen, 57, won two Super Bowls with the Raiders in a storied NFL career that saw him lead the league in catches twice and be voted to five Pro Bowls.
He had "battled liver disease and other serious illnesses" in recent years, despite a record of impeccable health that saw him compete seriously as a track and field athlete following his NFL career, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
He set world records in track as a nine-year old boy in Oregon before turning to football. He set an NFL record for catches from 1983 to 1986 with 349.
He had worked as an NFL television analyst for NBC, and had also called college football games for MountainWest Sports Network before the channel shut down in 2012, the newspaper reported.
He was also a member of the Brigham Young University Hall of Fame.
"He was a great Raider," Raiders owner Mark Davis told the San Jose Mercury News. "He definitely was a unique player at that position. We'll definitely miss him.
Christensen was born in Pennsylvania but moved to Eugene, Ore., as a child.
Thoughts and prayers to the family of BYU football great Todd Christensen, who passed away today. pic.twitter.com/Ciiwi1KRMZ — BYU (@BYU) November 13, 2013
