Forrest Gregg, who earned the nickname “Iron Man” for playing in a then-record 188 consecutive NFL games during his Hall of Fame career, died Friday in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He was 85.

Barbara Gregg said her husband of 59 years died from complications of Parkinson’s disease.cheap nike nfl jerseys wholesale

The former offensive lineman, who was a seven-time All-Pro and nine-time Pro Bowler, played 15 seasons in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys from 1956 to 1971.

Legendary coach Vince Lombardi once called Gregg “the best player I ever coached.”

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to Barbara and the Gregg family,” Packers president Mark Murphy said in a statement. “He was a legendary player for the team, one of the greatest in our history. The ultimate team player, he raised the level of play of those around him. He also had a great connection with the organization over the years. We enjoyed welcoming him back to Lambeau Field and seeing fans appreciate him around the state.”cheap nfl nike jerseys china

After his playing career, Gregg went on to coach the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns and Packers, compiling a record of 75-85-1 over 11 seasons. He led Cincinnati to the Super Bowl in the 1981 season, where the Bengals lost to San Francisco 26-21.

“It’s a sad day here,” Bengals president Mike Brown said in a statement. “My memories of Forrest are very special. He not only was the coach of the team, but we were also good friends.

“As a coach, he was very successful here. We had good people, good players and he got the best out of them. He was demanding. The players didn’t try to cut corners. They went out and did what they had to do, and what we were doing worked. We were somewhat ahead of the curve at the time.”