Bowl IX, blocking Bobby Walden's punt, recovered by Terry Brown in the endzone, the Vikings' only points all day, as they missed the extra point. He was a vital part of the 1976 Minnesota Vikings season in which the team compiled a record 11–2–1 and was second in the NFL in fewest points allowed (176 points, 12.6 points per game). Blair recovered five fumbles and intercepted two passes from his linebacker position with Jeff Siemon in the middle and Wally Hilgenberg on the opposite side. The Vikings defeated the Rams again in the NFC championship game of the 1976–77 NFL playoffs, when Blair recovered two fumbles. Death In a 2015 interview, Blair revealed that he had been showing early signs of dementia. He said that he was told by his neurologist that the symptoms were likely the result of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease linked to concussions. Blair died on October 22, 2020 at the age of 70. His cause of death was not immediately announced, but Blair had been dealing with complications from dementia in recent years. References External links 1950 births 2020 deaths American football linebackers Iowa State Cyclones football players Minnesota Vikings players National Conference Pro Bowl players People from Hilo, Hawaii Players of American football from Hawaii