Tag: John Teerlinck

Former Colts DL coach John Teerlinck dies at 69

The Colts lost a legend.

Former Indianapolis Colts defensive line coach John Teerlinck died at the age of 69, owner Jim Irsay announced Monday.

Teerlinck coached for six teams during his NFL coaching career with the Colts being his final stop. He is regarded as the coach who helped shape and mold the games of legendary Colts pass rushers Robert Mathis and Dwight Freeney.

Teerlinck played two seasons in the NFL before his coaching career began With the Cleveland Browns (1989-1990). He also worked with the Los Angeles Rams (1991), Minnesota Vikings (1992-1994), Detroit Lions (1995-1996) and Denver Broncos (1997-2001. He landed in Indianapolis in 2002 where he would serve as the defensive line coach until 2012.

Teerlinck was a part of three Super Bowl champion teams. During his coaching career, he worked with 31 Pro Bowlers and seven of his players reached 100 career sacks.

Teerlinck will go down as one of the greatest position coaches of all time and certainly holds a dear place in the hearts of the Colts and their fan base.

Former Browns DL coach John Teerlinck has passed away

Former Browns DL coach John Teerlinck has passed away

Longtime NFL defensive line coach John Teerlinck has passed away. Teerlinck spent two seasons leading the Cleveland Browns defensive line. He was 69.

Teerlinck is best-known in the NFL for his work with the Indianapolis Colts, where he coached the defensive line from 2002-2012 and worked wonders with Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis as two of the premier pass rushers of their era. But the former Chargers defensive tackle got his NFL coaching start with the Browns in 1989.

He made a splash right away working with precocious pass rusher Michael Dean Perry on those 1989-1990 Browns. Teerlinck transformed “MDP” from a promising 2nd-round rookie in 1988 into a first-team All-Pro in both years working with Perry.

Teerlinck later worked with Hall-of-Famer John Randle in Minnesota, and Randle asked his beloved coach to present him at his Hall of Fame induction.

We here at Browns Wire extend our condolences to Teerlinck’s family and those he impacted.