NFL

Former Raiders star Todd Christensen dead at 57

Five-time Pro Bowl tight end Todd Christensen died at the age of 57 on Wednesday morning in a Utah hospital.

A two-time Super Bowl champion who twice led the NFL in receptions — spending most of his 11-season career with the Raiders — Christensen had battled liver disease and other illnesses, according to the Salt Lake Tribune. Brigham Young University, where Christensen starred from 1974-77, announced he died from complications from surgery.

Christensen was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the second round of the 1978 NFL Draft, and played one game with the Giants in 1979, before joining the Raiders for the rest of his career.

His best season came in 1983, when he set a single-season record for tight ends with 92 receptions, along with 12 touchdowns, a record he broke three seasons later with 95 catches. Christensen finished his career with 461 receptions, 5,872 yards and 41 touchdowns.

He went on to become an NFL analyst at NBC. Most recently, he worked as a college football analyst on the MountainWest Sports Network, until the station shut down in 2012.