Jim Langer

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Langer was a native of Little Falls, Minnesota, and graduated from Royalton High School in 1966. He played middle linebacker at South Dakota State University, where in 1969 he was Honorable Mention All-America. He also played on the team's offensive line, alternating between tackle and guard. He excelled at baseball, making second-team All-America as an outfielder in his junior season. After graduating with a B.S. in economics, he was signed by the Cleveland Browns as a free agent in 1970 but was cut during training camp. He then signed as a free agent with the Miami Dolphins.

In Their Own Story

After a decade with Miami, Langer sought to return closer to his home state of Minnesota. Prior to the 1980 season, he was traded to the Minnesota Vikings, where he played his final two NFL seasons before retiring after the 1981 campaign. In total, he appeared in 22 games and made one start for the Vikings, contributing to his overall career totals of 151 games and 110 starts. His playing days were marred by a knee injury nine games into the 1979 season with Miami, ending that specific tenure. Following retirement, Langer worked as a color commentator for St. Cloud State University Huskies football broadcasts on WJON AM 1240 during the mid-1980s. He remained a proud figure in Minnesota, where his high school football field at Royalton was named after him in 2016, joining an elite group of 97 NFL Hometown Hall of Fame fields across America.

Reader's Guide

Langer played sparingly in his first two seasons with Miami, then became the starting center in 1972 after Bob DeMarco was traded to Cleveland. He played 128 consecutive games for the Dolphins between 1970 and 1979, including the 1972 and 1973 Super Bowl victories. He was named AP First-team All-Pro three times (1974, 1975, 1977) and Second-team All-Pro three times (1973, 1976, 1978), and appeared in the Pro Bowl each of those seasons. He played ten seasons with the Dolphins. A knee injury ended his playing days with Miami nine games into the 1979 season. He was traded to the Minnesota Vikings prior to the 1980 season and played his final two NFL seasons with them, retiring after the 1981 campaign. He played 22 games as a Viking, making one of his total 110 starts there. He was a six-time Pro Bowler, four-time first-team All-Pro, and two-time Super Bowl champion.

Did You Know?

• Langer is one of at least six Dolphins players elected to the Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility; the others are Dan Marino, Don Shula, Paul Warfield, Jason Taylor, and Dwight Stephenson.
• He played every offensive snap in Super Bowl VII, part of the 1972 Dolphins' perfect 17-0 season.
• In 1975, he was voted the Dolphins' most valuable player while serving as an offensive lineman.
• The Jim Langer Award is presented to the nation's top NCAA Division II lineman.
• In 2016, the football field of Royalton High School was named after Langer.