Mike Heimerdinger, who served as an offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans, Denver Broncos, and New York Jets, died on Friday night after battling a rare form of cancer for the last year.

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"It is with a heavy heart, but a trust in God, that we say goodbye to our beloved Dinger who lost his courageous battle with cancer," Heimerdinger's wife, Kathie, said in a statement Saturday.  "Mike approached cancer with the same vigor and tenacity that he approached any football game -- to win. Even in the final minutes he never gave up -- that was our Dinger."

Football seems insignificant after reading a statement like this from Mike Heimerdinger's late wife.  Football, however, was a huge part of "Dinger's" life.  He enjoyed great success as the offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans.  He served as Titans' OC from 2000-2004.  The Titans made it to the playoffs in 2000, 2002, 2003.  Heimerdinger had great players to work with like Steve McNair, Eddie George, and Bruce Matthews.

Heimerdinger was the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets in 2005 under Herm Edwards.  He then was an assistant head coach for the Denver Broncos under Mike Shanahan.  He helped transform Jay Cutler into a starting quarterback before rejoining the Titans as the offensive coordinator from 2008-2010.

"It was a tough deal and Dinger was a tough guy to the end, which is no surprise to those who knew what type of competitor he was," former Titans' head coach Jeff Fisher said in a news release.  "He was a man's man.  No matter how weak he looked, how weak he sounded, he never had a complaint and fought this cancer as you would only expect him to fight it."

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