The New York Giants are among those remembering former running back Dan Doornink, who died October 31 in Spokane, Washington, at the age of 70.
According to his obituary, he had battled two rare autoimmune diseases for many years.
Doornink’s NFL journey began in blue. The Yakima, Washington, native and Washington State standout was selected by the Giants in the seventh round (174th overall) of the 1978 NFL Draft.
As a rookie, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound back appeared in 12 games with three starts.
He rushed for 306 yards on 60 carries (5.1 yards per attempt) and one touchdown while adding 12 receptions for 66 yards, showing efficiency despite a shoulder injury that limited his availability.
His time in New York proved brief. In August 1979, the Giants traded him to the Seattle Seahawks for a seventh-round pick. T
he move sent him home to the Pacific Northwest, where he spent the remaining seven seasons of his career and became a key contributor for the early Seahawks.
He finished his NFL career with 1,836 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns across 104 games.
With Seattle, Doornink earned the nickname “Dr. Dan” for pursuing medical studies while playing and later practicing internal medicine in the Yakima Valley after earning his degree from the University of Washington.
Fans also knew him as “Mr. Third Down” for his reliability on critical downs.
He helped the Seahawks reach the playoffs for the first time in 1983 and delivered a memorable 123- or 126-yard rushing performance in a 1984 wild-card win over the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Raiders.
Though his Giants tenure lasted only one season during a transitional period for the franchise, it marked the start of a productive eight-year career for a late-round pick who maximized his opportunities.
Those who watched the 1978 Giants remember a young back who produced efficiently when given the ball behind established runners such as Doug Kotar and Bobby Hammond.
After football, Doornink devoted decades to medicine, family, and his community.
He is survived by his wife, Sharon, and their four children.
For Giants fans, his passing closes a short but notable chapter from the late 1970s, when a seventh-round selection briefly carried the ball for a team still searching for consistency.
