Harald Hasselbach, a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Broncos who also won the CFL’s Gray Cup, died after a battle with cancer, his family announced Thursday, according to ESPN.
He was 56.
Hasselbach had metastatic mucinous adenocarcinoma, a type of cancer, the family said.
“We’d like to make it known that he passed from cancer peacefully in the comfort of his home, free of pain,” Hasselbach’s family said in a statement to ESPN. “He’s had an overwhelming amount of support over the last week, including past teammates, coaches and family that’ve flown in from around the world.
“… We learned he had the illness less than 6 months ago and he fought as hard any human possibly could, with incredible strength.”
The defensive lineman is one of at least 10 players to win championships in the NFL and CFL.
He never missed a regular season or postseason game (131) during his seven-year career with the Broncos from 1994-2000, making 29 starts.
Hasselbach had 17.5 career sacks, including a career-high four in 1995, and helped the John Elway-led Broncos to back-to-back Super Bowl wins during the 1997 and 1998 seasons.
“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Harald Hasselbach (1994-00), a DE on our back-to-back Super Bowl teams who courageously fought a recent cancer diagnosis,” the Broncos said in a statement. “Our hearts go out to Harold’s wife, Aundrea, his four children & many loved ones.”
The Washington University product, who was born in the Netherlands, joined the Broncos after four seasons with the Calgary Stampeders in the CFL, where he was a two-time All-Star and won the Grey Cup in 1992.
“Harald was a great Canadian and a championship-calibre player for the Stampeders at a significant time in the franchise’s history,” Stampeders president John Hufnagel said in a statement.