Earsell Mackbee

Earsell Mackbee (January 15, 1941 – November 9, 2009) was a professional American football player.

Mackbee was born in Brookhaven, Mississippi and served as an airman in the USAF. He graduated from Utah State University, where he starred as a cornerback. He played five seasons in the National Football League, all with the Minnesota Vikings. Mackbee was a starting cornerback on the Vikings’ Purple People Eaters defense and made 15 interceptions in his career.[1] He started in Super Bowl IV, but injured himself when he missed a tackle on Kansas City Chiefs' receiver Otis Taylor.

After retiring from the NFL in 1970, Mackbee became an entrepreneur, opening a chain of restaurants and other business ventures. He also worked as a counselor and advisor for City Inc, a Minneapolis outreach and educational program.[2]

In 2005, Mackbee suffered a stroke and was thereafter in a hospice. On October 16, 2009, his condition deteriorated, and his family rallied to fulfill his last wish of returning him to his roots in Vallejo, California.[3] Ten days after donations allowed his family to charter a plane to fly him back to Vallejo, Mackbee died on November 9, 2009.[4] He is interred at Sacramento Valley National Cemetery.[5]