Former Gophers, NFL center Greg Larson dead at 84

Greg Larson, a captain on the Gophers football team’s 1960 national champion before spending 13 seasons with the New York Giants, died on June 20.

Larson, a Minneapolis Roosevelt graduate who was living in Plymouth, was 84.

A center, Larson was a three-year Gophers letterwinner and was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 1960.

After graduating from the University, he was drafted in the sixth round of the 1961 NFL draft by the New York Giants and 11th round of the 1961 AFL draft by the San Diego Chargers.

In his 13 seasons with the Giants, he missed only three games. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 1968. Earlier this year, he was named one of the top 100 Giants ahead of their 100th anniversary season in 2024. Larson ranks ninth in Giants team history for number of games played (179).

After retiring following the 1973 season, he owned a sporting goods business in the Brainerd area. He was elected to the Gophers’ M Club Hall of Fame in 2010.