Picture this—mid-70s Boulder, Colorado. You’ve got Peter Brock, this big ol’ lineman built like a fridge, and Don Hasselbeck, tall (we’re talking 6’7” towering height), smooth, and catching passes like he’s got glue on his gloves. On one side, Don was out there earning first-team All-American honors in 1976. While Brock, who was known for his versatility, was anchoring the O-line. But the interesting part?
Yeah, their path crossed again when both of ’em found themselves playing for the New England Patriots. Brock joined the Patriots back in ’76, and throughout his 12-year tenure in the NFL, the man was switching positions like a journeyman player switches jerseys. And Hasselbeck? Oh, that’s the tricky part.
Drafted a year later by the Patriots in the second round of the ’77 NFL draft, Don found himself playing second fiddle to Russ Francis, the Patriots’ star tight end. He was that Don Hasselbeck—the coaches and the players used to call him “Russ Francis’ Stuntman.” Yeah, you read that right. The reason? Well, let’s hear from none other than his old teammate, Peter Brock.
Last week, Don tragically passed away at the age of 70 after suffering a cardiac arrest at his home. Brock was planning to travel to Nashville early this week to attend the memorial services. When asked about his memories with Don during their Patriots days, Brock didn’t just offer a quick soundbite—he took it back to the moment New England drafted Don in the second round, bringing their bond full circle. “They drafted him [in the second round], and we already had Russ Francis on the team at tight end,” Brock recalled.
“They weren’t trying to replace Russ with Donnie, as Donnie had a different type of skill set at the position, and a different type of work ethic than Russ. We called him ‘Russ Francis’ stuntman’ for a while, because he would go through the practices and then Russ would start on Sunday, with Donnie filling in.” See, Hasselbeck was widely celebrated for his exceptional athleticism and speed. After all, the late Patriots’ legend was 6’7” and weighed nearly 250 pounds. But Francis?
Well, there was a reason why he was dubbed as “All-World Tight End” by Howard Cosell. His physique? Let’s just say the late ex-Patriots TE possessed the same height and weight as Don. But what made him different from Hasselbeck was his ability to stretch defenses and make significant plays downfield. Remember the time when he caught his career-long 53-yard reception against the Oakland Raiders?
Sure, we’ve got TEs like Kelce pulling off deep plays every other Sunday. But in the 70s? Tight ends weren’t doing that. They were basically extra linemen with hands. One of the reasons why the Patriots chose Francis over Don back in the day. But if you’re thinking that Don Hasselbeck was just some background extra out there—yeah, nah. Think again.
When Don Hasselbeck united the Patriots’ locker room
On April 14, 2025, Don Hasselbeck passed away at the age of 70 after suffering a cardiac arrest. His son, Matt, shared the news on his IG handle. “He was a great husband, father, grandfather, friend, coach, player, coworker, artist, mentor, and storyteller. Despite being an All-American at Colorado and a Super Bowl Champion with the Raiders, what we are most proud of is the leader he was for our family,” he paid tribute to his father.
A career spanning over nine years, Don Hasselbeck spent his first six seasons in New England, followed by brief stints with the Los Angeles Raiders, the Minnesota Vikings, and the New York Giants. He showed his true sportsmanship when the players’ strike hit the NFL (not just once, but a couple of times) when he served as the team’s representative. Let’s get to the core of it.
Back in ’79, before the season even got rolling, NFL players hit the pause button—yep, a full-on strike. Why? They were pushing for better benefits, mostly trying to beef up their pensions. And guess what? That wasn’t a one-time thing. Fast forward to ’82, boom—another strike, this time right in the middle of the season. And holding it down both times for the Pats? Don Hasselbeck, the team’s go-to union guy. What did he do?
He led the team from the front, not necessarily fighting against team management, but trying to keep things together. And Peter Brock knows it very well. “But the other thing he gave us was kind of a leadership thing,” Brock continued. “He became our union rep, and those were times we struck twice in his tenure here. It wasn’t like he was anti-management. It was more, ‘Let’s try to hold this whole thing together.’ That’s how he led; it wasn’t ‘us vs. them.’”
After spending six seasons in New England that included that 1981 season where he started 14 games and led the Patriots in receptions with 46, to go along with 808 yards and six TDs. A couple of seasons later, the Patriots traded him to the Raiders. And now, at the age of 70, the Patriots legend left the world at the age of 70. But one thing’s for sure: whenever the Pats talk about the NFL strikes, Don Hasselbeck’s name is going to come up.
The post Patriots Veteran Exposes Team’s Mistreatment of 70-YO TE Days After Super Bowl Winner’s Tragic Demise appeared first on EssentiallySports.
