1966 Minnesota Vikings season
Encyclopedia
The 1966 Minnesota Vikings
season was the sixth year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings
and the 47th regular season
of the National Football League
. The Vikings finished with a record of four wins, nine losses, and one tie under head coach Norm Van Brocklin
. This was the final season for Van Brocklin, he resigned February 11, 1967.
1966 NFL Draft
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
season was the sixth year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
and the 47th regular season
1966 NFL season
The 1966 NFL season was the 47th regular season of the National Football League, and the season after which was played Super Bowl I, though it was called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. The league expanded to 15 teams with the addition of the Atlanta Falcons, thus an odd number of teams...
of the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. The Vikings finished with a record of four wins, nine losses, and one tie under head coach Norm Van Brocklin
Norm Van Brocklin
Norman Mack "Norm" Van Brocklin , nicknamed "The Dutchman", was an American football player and coach. He was also a first rate punter in college and in the NFL...
. This was the final season for Van Brocklin, he resigned February 11, 1967.
1966 NFL Draft1966 NFL DraftThe 1966 National Football League Draft was held on November 27, 1965. It was the last draft in which the NFL and the AFL drafted their players separate of one another. As a result, many players selected by teams from both leagues would choose to play for the more established NFL, or in a rarer...
| Round | Overall Pick |
Name | Position | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Jerry Shay Jerry Shay Jerome Paul "Jerry" Shay is a former American football defensive tackle for the Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons, and New York Giants of the National Football League... |
Tackle | Purdue Purdue University Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and... |
| 2 | 27 | Jim Lindsey Jim Lindsey James Edgar Lindsey is a former American football running back for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League, having played from 1966 to 1972.... |
Running back Running back A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running... |
Arkansas University of Arkansas The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in... |
| 3 | 42 | Don Hansen Don Hansen Donald Ray Hansen, is a former professional American football linebacker in the NFL from 1966 to 1977. He was known as an extremely hard hitter and an underrated as well as overachieving linebacker.... |
Linebacker Linebacker A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen... |
Illinois University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system... |
| 4 | 57 | Ron Acks Ron Acks Ron Acks is a former professional American football player who played linebacker for nine seasons for the Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, and Green Bay Packers.-References:... |
Defensive end Defensive end Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years... |
Illinois University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system... |
| 5 | 72 | Doug Davis | Tackle | Kentucky University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky... |
| 6 | 83 | Wilbur Aylor | Tackle | Southwest Texas State |
| 7 | 106 | Bob Meers | End | Massachusetts University of Massachusetts This article relates to the statewide university system. For the flagship campus often referred to as "UMass", see University of Massachusetts Amherst... |
| 8 | Pick acquired by the Baltimore Colts History of the Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls.... |
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| 9 | 134 | Ron Green | Flanker Wide receiver A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible... |
North Dakota University of North Dakota The University of North Dakota is a public university in Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA. Established by the Dakota Territorial Assembly in 1883, six years before the establishment of the state of North Dakota, UND is the oldest and largest university in the state and enrolls over 14,000 students. ... |
| 10 | Pick acquired by the Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
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| 11 | 162 | Stan Quintana | Defensive back Defensive back In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of... |
New Mexico University of New Mexico The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution... |
| 12 | 181 | Bob Petrella | Defensive back Defensive back In American football and Canadian football, defensive backs are the players on the defensive team who take positions somewhat back from the line of scrimmage; they are distinguished from the defensive line players and linebackers, who take positions directly behind or close to the line of... |
Tennessee University of Tennessee The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States... |
| 13 | 195 | Larry Martin | Tackle | San Diego State San Diego State University San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system... |
| 14 | 209 | Howard Twilley Howard Twilley Galena Park Senior High SchoolHoward James Twilley, Galena Park Senior High SchoolHoward James Twilley, Galena Park Senior High SchoolHoward James Twilley, (born December 25, 1943 in Houston, Texas, was the 1965 Heisman Trophy runner-up at the University of Tulsa and a former American professional... |
End | Tulsa University of Tulsa The University of Tulsa is a private university awarding bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. It is currently ranked 75th among doctoral degree granting universities in the nation by US News and World Report and is listed as one of the "Best 366 Colleges" by... |
| 15 | 223 | Hugh Wright | Running back Running back A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running... |
Adams State Adams State College Adams State College is a small state-supported liberal arts college in Alamosa, Colorado, U.S., in the San Luis Valley.-History:Adams State was founded in 1921 as a teacher's college but now offers a variety of programs including masters degrees in many fields... |
| 16 | 237 | Jim Williams | Defensive end Defensive end Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American and Canadian football.This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formations have substantially changed how the position is played over the years... |
Arkansas University of Arkansas The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in... |
| 17 | 256 | Monroe Beard | Running back Running back A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running... |
Virginia Union |
| 18 | 270 | Dale Greco | Defensive tackle | Illinois University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system... |
| 19 | 284 | Jessse Stokes | Running back Running back A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running... |
Corpus Christi State |
| 20 | Pick acquired by the Philadelphia Eagles Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
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Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 11, 1966 | at San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... |
T 20-20 | Kezar Stadium Kezar Stadium Kezar Stadium is a stadium located adjacent to Kezar Pavilion in the southeastern corner of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California. It is the former home of the Oakland Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL, and of the San Francisco Dragons of MLL. It also served as the home of the... |
| 2 | September 18, 1966 | Baltimore Colts | L 38-23 | Metropolitan Stadium Metropolitan Stadium Metropolitan Stadium was a sports stadium that once stood in Bloomington, Minnesota, just outside Minneapolis. The area where the stadium once stood is now the site of the Mall of America... |
| 3 | September 25, 1966 | at Dallas Cowboys Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas... |
L 28-17 | Cotton Bowl Cotton Bowl (stadium) The Cotton Bowl is a stadium which opened in 1929 and became known as "The House That Doak Built" due to the immense crowds that former SMU running back Doak Walker drew to the stadium during his college career in the late 1940s. Originally known as Fair Park Stadium, it is located in Fair Park,... |
| 4 | October 2, 1966 | Chicago Bears Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 13-10 | Metropolitan Stadium |
| 6 | October 16, 1966 | Los Angeles Rams | W 35-7 | Metropolitan Stadium |
| 7 | October 23, 1966 | at Baltimore Colts | L 20-17 | Memorial Stadium (Baltimore) Memorial Stadium (Baltimore) Memorial Stadium was a sports stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, that formerly stood on 33rd Street on an over-sized block also bounded by Ellerslie Avenue , 36th Street , and Ednor Road... |
| 8 | October 30, 1966 | San Francisco 49ers San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and... |
W 28-3 | Metropolitan Stadium |
| 9 | November 6, 1966 | at Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... |
W 20-17 | Lambeau Field Lambeau Field Lambeau Field is an outdoor football stadium in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the home of the NFL's Green Bay Packers. Opened in 1957 as City Stadium, it replaced the original City Stadium as the Packers' home field... |
| 10 | November 13, 1966 | Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
L 32-31 | Metropolitan Stadium |
| 11 | November 20, 1966 | at Los Angeles Rams | L 21-6 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, at Exposition Park, that is home to the Pacific-12 Conference's University of Southern California Trojans football team... |
| 12 | November 27, 1966 | Green Bay Packers Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions... |
L 28-16 | Metropolitan Stadium |
| 13 | December 4, 1966 | Atlanta Falcons Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 20-13 | Metropolitan Stadium |
| 14 | December 11, 1966 | at Detroit Lions Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and... |
W 28-16 | Tiger Stadium |
| 15 | December 18, 1966 | at Chicago Bears Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League... |
L 41-28 | Wrigley Field Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales... |
Standings
| NFL Western Eastern and Western Divisions (NFL) 1933-69 The Eastern and Western Divisions of the National Football League, renamed the American and National Conferences in 1950 and then the Eastern and Western Conferences in 1953, were organized as a result of the disputed NFL championship of 1932... |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | PF | PA | STK | |
| Green Bay Packers 1966 Green Bay Packers season The 1966 Green Bay Packers season was their 46th in the NFL and resulted in a 12-2 record, coached by Vince Lombardi and led by quarterback Bart Starr. The team beat the Dallas Cowboys in the 1966 NFL Championship Game, the Packers' 10th NFL title... |
12 | 2 | 0 | .857 | 335 | 163 | W-5 |
| Baltimore Colts 1966 Baltimore Colts season The 1966 Baltimore Colts season was the 14th season for the team in the National Football League. The Baltimore Colts finished the National Football League's 1966 season with a record of 9 wins and 5 losses and finished second in the Western Conference.... |
9 | 5 | 0 | .643 | 314 | 226 | W-1 |
| Los Angeles Rams 1966 Los Angeles Rams season The 1966 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 29th year with the National Football League and the 21st season in Los Angeles.It was the Rams' first winning season since 1955, the year the Rams went all the way to the NFL Championship Game, 1955.... |
8 | 6 | 0 | .571 | 289 | 212 | L-1 |
| San Francisco 49ers 1966 San Francisco 49ers season -NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-External links:* *... |
6 | 6 | 2 | .500 | 320 | 325 | L-1 |
| Chicago Bears 1966 Chicago Bears season The 1966 Chicago Bears season was their 47th regular season completed in the National Football League. The club posted a 5-7-2 record, earning them a fifth place finish in the NFL Western Conference. This was the club's second losing season in the past three.... |
5 | 7 | 2 | .417 | 234 | 272 | W-1 |
| Detroit Lions 1966 Detroit Lions season The 1966 Detroit Lions season was their 37th in the league. The team failed to improve on their previous season's output of 6-7-1, winning only four games. They missed the playoffs for the ninth straight season.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:... |
4 | 9 | 1 | .308 | 206 | 317 | L-3 |
| Minnesota Vikings | 4 | 9 | 1 | .308 | 206 | 304 | L-1 |