David Hinton Middleton (November 23, 1933 – December 29, 2007) was an American football end, wide receiver, and halfback.
A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Middleton played college football as a halfback for the Auburn Tigers in 1953 and 1954.
[17] Lions coach George Wilson agreed: "If he had given himself a chance, Doc would be among the all-time greats.
[18] In August 1961, he took a leave of absence from the University of Michigan Hospital to play a final season in the NFL, this time with the Minnesota Vikings.
[3] The Vikings, in their inaugural season, had acquired the rights to Middleton in a special draft in late January.
The Vikings had rookie Fran Tarkenton as their quarterback, and Middleton was the team's second leading receiver with 30 catches for 444 yards.
[17] In 1997, he suffered a stroke, and in 2001, he moved to Huron Woods, an assisted living facility in Ann Arbor.
On Christmas Eve 2007, Middleton fell and suffered a head injury, which led to his death five days later.