Matt Blair passes away

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MileHighCyclone

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Matt Blair Came to Welch Junior High and people just crowded around to meet him. I got his autograph that day. I was just in awe of this football star. I always followed his career on those great Viking teams as well. One of the true greats of ISU. RIP
 

BoxsterCy

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We were in the same graduating class although I was never in his "class" as an alumni. A really nice guy on campus in an era where we had a lot of wrestlers and football players that were kinda scary and peeps you didn't want to be around. Nobody ever got a bad vibe from Blair.

Knowing how he had been battling dementia, almost assuredly from his football play, has challenged how I watch football in recent years. Setting in the stands almost 50 years ago and cheering the huge hits he put on people makes me uncomfortable in retrospect. Got a change to sit with him and his wife at a local alumni gathering we set up here before the volleyball team was here for a spring game in 2017. He insisted on getting a photo for me that he autographed. I believe he had stopped driving by then but was enjoying being with us alumni. I told him about him trying to coach me in a basketball class back in the '70's (he was a talented guy on the court). At the time he asked me if I had injured my knees thinking that someone as inflexible as I appeared to be in drills must have something injured. Gave us both a laugh years later.

Anyway, got a pretty big sad on now for this great Cyclone.
 
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mj4cy

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Have his book - fun read. RIP. Great Cyclone/Viking.
 

I-stateTheTruth

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Sad news. Rest in peace, Matt.

I saw him play a charity BB game in my hometown in the late 70s. He was all charisma and athletic talent. It seemed like he could've played college hoops. He was very gracious to the kids (and everyone).

He may very well have had the best NFL career of any Cyclone. I can't think of anyone that surpassed his production.
 

Rural

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Sad news. Rest in peace, Matt.

I saw him play a charity BB game in my hometown in the late 70s. He was all charisma and athletic talent. It seemed like he could've played college hoops. He was very gracious to the kids (and everyone).

He may very well have had the best NFL career of any Cyclone. I can't think of anyone that surpassed his production.


SE Iowa?
 

KnappShack

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I saw a guy get roughed up by security at an Elton John show.

Once the dogpile of people got off the ground....

I saw that it was an old guy in a Blair Vikings jersey. Had to smile. Only in Vegas

Rest easy, Sir.
 
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CycloneDTMom

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In the fall of 2010 or 2011 our whole family was down in Ames for our annual ISU football game. My parents, my brothers, spouses and all our kids. We always parked and tailgated behind Scheman. We were playing flag football, and Matt Blair with his two little dogs comes up and watches us for a bit. He called us over and asked if he could play for a bit! We are all from the Twin Cities, so my brothers, husband and Dad were beside themselves. He played with us for about 20 minutes (I can't believe he lasted that long-we are BAD). But he was so nice. He let my son and nephew try on his NFC championship ring and took a big group picture with us. My Dad passed away earlier this year, so looking that the pictures of that day this evening was really bittersweet. 2020 sucks.
 

BoxsterCy

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Matt-Blair-1000x667-1.jpg
 

I-stateTheTruth

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Matt Blair, Keith Sims, Karl Nelson come to mind. Pretty sure Blair wins on total Pro Bowls.
Yeah, those two had good, long careers as linemen (I once saw Keith Sims - and the many others of his FB brethren - doing aerobics on the BB court at State Gym in the offseason and it was, to say the least, pretty entertaining).

Blair might be considered the most successful though.
 
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Rural

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No. NE Iowa.

The Vikings had a barnstorming type team and showed up for a game in my town. A guy I played with in HS was playing on the local "all-star" team selected to be the competition.

The Vikings were just trying to have fun and throw some lobs for dunks and whatnot.

My old high school teammate was Mr. Intensity and bulldogging them every inch of the court.
That went on for about 5 minutes and the Viking players were noticeably irritated.

I think he finally realized about half way in the second half that he wasn't going to win the World Championship and eased up.

Matt Blair probably had half a dozen dunks in the game.