Eddie Meador, the Rams star cornerback who was selected to the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team, died at 86, the team announced Tuesday.

Meador, who played from 1959-70, was a six-time Pro Bowler and his 46 interceptions remain the Rams’ franchise record.

“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of an NFL great, Eddie Meador, who was a standout leader for our organization and the Los Angeles community throughout his entire 12-year career,” the Rams said in a statement.

“He was an instinctive and fearless competitor who captained some of the greatest defenses in NFL history. Eddie’s ability to galvanize teammates made him a heartbeat of the Rams and his humility made him approachable to everyone. The Meador family and friends are at the core of our thoughts, and his legacy will live on forever.”

Meador picked off a career-high eight passes in 1967, as the Rams made the postseason for the first time since 1955.

“Eddie Meador was one of the finest defensive backs I have ever seen,” teammate and Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen said in 2009, according to Meador’s website. “Outstanding in coverage and a fierce tackler, he had a remarkable nose for the football that allowed him to come up with big plays again and again during his career with the Rams. He was also a fine leader and one of my favorite teammates. Eddie Meador belongs in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.”

That nose for the football also made Meador the Rams leader in opponents’ fumbles recovered and blocked kicks.

“A real classy person in every way a player can be — that’s what Eddie Meador is all about,” Colts Hall of Fame receiver Raymond Berry said, according to Meador’s site. “Fast, quick, smart, and a top competitor. A big part of one of the best defenses of all time, put together by one of the best coaches of all time — George Allen.”

Meador attended Russellville High School in Arkansas and later played at Arkansas Tech from 1955 to 1958.

He later said his biggest obstacle was proving to people he could play.

“Bear Bryant’s staff told me there was no chance for me at A&M or at any other school in the SWC,” Meador said. “I went to Tulsa and was basically told the same thing. I came back to Tech and they told me they had a scholarship left for me if I’d play for them … mainly because one of my high school coaches had moved over to help coach at Tech.”

He was later elected to the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame and is a member of the NAIA Collegiate Hall of Fame.

Meador married his wife, Annette, in 1968 and had three sons and one daughter.