{{NFL team | name = Minnesota Vikings
| current=2009 Minnesota Vikings season
| logo = Minnesota Vikings logo.svg
| helmet = Minnesota Vikings_helmet_rightface.png
| founded = 1961
| city =
Hubert H. Humphrey MetrodomeThe Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, often simply called The Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. The field was renamed Mall of America Field at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in October 2009...
Minneapolis, Minnesota
| misc =
Headquartered in
Eden Prairie, MinnesotaEden Prairie is an edge city southwest of downtown Minneapolis in Hennepin County and the 12th largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies on the north bank of the Minnesota River, upstream from the confluence with the Mississippi River. As the seventh largest suburb, Eden Prairie...
| uniform = Image:NFCN-Uniform-MIN.PNG
| colors = Purple, Gold, White
{{color box|#3b0160}} {{color box|#f0bf00}} {{color box|#FFFFFF}}
| coach =
Brad ChildressBrad Childress is the 7th and current head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, a professional American football team. He attended High School at Marmion Military Academy...
| owner =
Zygi WilfZygmunt "Zygi" Wilf is the principal owner of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.-Life and career:Wilf was born in Germany. His parents, Joseph and Elizabeth Wilf, are both Holocaust survivors from Poland. The Wilf family immigrated to the United States from Europe in the early...
| general manager =
Rick SpielmanRick Spielman is currently the Vice President of Player Personnel of the NFL's Minnesota Vikings. He formerly worked for ESPN on NFL Live.Spielman is the older brother of Chris Spielman, the former Detroit Lions linebacker.-Playing career:...
| mascot = Viktor the Viking, Ragnar
| song =
Skol, Vikings"Skol, Vikings" is the fight song of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. It was introduced around the time the team was founded in 1961...
| nicknames = The Vikes, The Purple, Purple Pride, The
Purple People EatersThe Purple People Eaters was the nickname of the Minnesota Vikings football team's defensive line of the late 1960s to the late 1970s, when the Vikings played in four Super Bowls. The name comes from the purple color of the Vikings' uniforms and a song by Sheb Wooley entitled "Purple People Eater"...
| hist_yr = 1961
| NFL_start_yr = 1961
| division_hist =
- Western Conference (1961–1969)
- Central Division (1967–1969)
- National Football Conference
The National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . The NFC was created after the league merged with the American Football League in 1970. The NFC had 13 teams that year, all of which played in the NFL before the merger...
(1970–present)
- NFC Central (1970–2001)
- NFC North
The NFC North is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It was created prior to the 2002 season when the league realigned its divisions after expanding to 32 teams...
(2002–present)
| no_league_champs = 1
| no_conf_champs = 4
| no_div_champs = 17
| league_champs =
- NFL Championships (1)
1969The 1969 NFL Championship Game was the 37th and final championship game played prior to the AFL-NFL Merger. The winner of the game would go on to play in Super Bowl IV against the champion of the American Football League...
| conf_champs =
- NFL Western: 1969
- NFC: 1973, 1974, 1976
| div_champs =
- NFL Central: 1968, 1969
- NFC Central: 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2000
- NFC North: 2008
| playoff_appearances =
- NFL: 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1980, 1982, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2004, 2008
| no_playoff_appearances = 25
| stadium_years =
- Metropolitan Stadium
Metropolitan Stadium was a sports stadium that once stood in Bloomington, Minnesota, just outside Minneapolis...
(1961-1981)
- Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome
The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, often simply called The Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. The field was renamed Mall of America Field at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in October 2009...
(1982-present)
}}
The
Minnesota Vikings are a professional football team based out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings compete in the
North DivisionThe NFC North is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It was created prior to the 2002 season when the league realigned its divisions after expanding to 32 teams...
of the
National Football ConferenceThe National Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . The NFC was created after the league merged with the American Football League in 1970. The NFC had 13 teams that year, all of which played in the NFL before the merger...
(NFC) in the
National Football LeagueThe National Football League is the largest 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 its name to the National Football League in 1922. The league currently consists of...
(NFL). Prior to divisional realignment in 2002, they had been a member of the Central Division, also known as the Black & Blue Division. The Vikings have won one NFL championship (Pre-1970 AFL-NFL Merger), but subsequently lost 23-7 to the
Kansas City ChiefsThe Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
in
Super Bowl IVSuper Bowl IV was the fourth AFL-NFL World Championship Game in American Professional Football, and the second one to officially bear the name "Super Bowl"...
. The Vikings were the first team to both play in and lose four
Super BowlThe Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League, the premier association of professional American football. In most years, the Super Bowl is the most-watched American television broadcast. Many popular singers and musicians have performed during the event’s pre-game and...
s. The Vikings have won their division 17 times, third most among teams currently playing in the NFL.
The team played home games at
Metropolitan StadiumMetropolitan Stadium was a sports stadium that once stood in Bloomington, Minnesota, just outside Minneapolis...
through the
1981 NFL seasonThe 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:...
and have played their home games at
Hubert H. Humphrey MetrodomeThe Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, often simply called The Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. The field was renamed Mall of America Field at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in October 2009...
(former home of the
American LeagueThe American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, that eventually aspired to major league...
baseballBaseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The goal is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot square, or diamond...
team
Minnesota TwinsThe Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. They have played in the Hubert H...
) since 1982.
Franchise history
{{Main|History of the Minnesota Vikings}}
Pro football in the
Minneapolis-St. PaulU.S. Census Bureau Areas|-! colspan="2" | |-! colspan="2" style="background:#d8d8e8;color:#000;" | Minneapolis-St. Paul-St. Cloud CSA, MN-WI
|-| Population || 3,502,891...
area (the "Twin Cities") began with the
Minneapolis Marines/Red JacketsThe Minneapolis Marines were an American football team that existed prior to the Minnesota Red Jackets and later the Minnesota Vikings. The Marines existed between the years of 1905-1924 and were owned locally by Minnesotans John Dunn and Val Ness...
, an NFL team that played intermittently in the 1920s-30s. However, a new professional team in the area did not surface again until August 1959, when three Minneapolis businessmen Bill Boyer, H. P. Skoglund and
Max WinterMax Winter was a Minneapolis businessman and sport executive. Winter was born in Austria-Hungary and his family emigrated to the United States in 1913 and settled in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Winter graduated from high school in 1922...
were awarded a franchise in the new
American Football LeagueThe American Football League was a major Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when it merged with the established National Football League . The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
. Five months later in January 1960, the ownership group along with Bernie Ridder forfeited its AFL membership and then was awarded the National Football League's 14th franchise with play to begin in 1961.
Ole HaugsrudOle Haugsrud was an American sports executive. Haugsrud was born in Superior, Wisconsin. There is also a field in Superior, Wisconsin called Ole Haugsrud Field. The Superior High School Spartans and University of Wisconsin–Superior Yellowjackets play there. Haugsrud was owner of the Duluth Eskimos...
was added to the NFL team ownership because of an agreement he had with the NFL since the 1920s when he sold his
Duluth EskimosDuluth, Minnesota, hosted a professional football team called the Kelleys from 1923 to 1925 and the Eskimos from 1926 to 1927 in the National Football League...
team back to the league. The agreement allowed him 10% of any future Minnesota team.
1960s
The team was officially named the Minnesota
VikingA Viking is one of the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas of Europe from the late eighth to the early eleventh century. These Norsemen used their famed longships to travel as far east as Constantinople and the Volga River in Russia, and as far...
s on September 27, 1960; the name is partly meant to reflect Minnesota's place as a center of
Scandinavian AmericanScandinavia is a geographical region in northern Europe that includes, and is named after, the Scanian Province. It consists of the kingdoms of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark...
culture. From the start, the Vikings embraced an energetic marketing program that produced a first-year season ticket sales of nearly 26,000 and an average home attendance of 34,586, about 85 percent of the capacity of 40,800 for
Metropolitan StadiumMetropolitan Stadium was a sports stadium that once stood in Bloomington, Minnesota, just outside Minneapolis...
. Eventually Met Stadium capacity was increased to 47,900. The search for the first head coach had the team court then-
Northwestern University{{Infobox university|name = Northwestern University|image_name = NU seal.png|motto = Quaecumque sunt vera |mottoeng =Whatsoever things are true |established = 1851|type = Private|calendar = Quarter...
head coach
Ara ParseghianAra Raoul Parseghian is a former American collegiate football coach of Armenian descent. He served as head coach for three teams, most notably the University of Notre Dame team from 1964-1974...
, who according to Minneapolis Star writer
Jim KlobucharJames John Klobuchar is an American journalist, author, and travel guide. He wrote for the Star Tribune in Minneapolis for three decades and is the father of United States Senator Amy Klobuchar....
-- the Vikings' first beat reporter for that newspaper—visited team management in the
Twin CitiesTwin cities are a special case of two cities or urban centres which are founded in close geographic proximity and then grow into each other over time...
under the condition that his visit was to be kept secret from his current employer. His cover was blown by local columnist
Sid HartmanSid Hartman is an American sports journalist for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and the WCCO 830 AM radio station. He is known for his wide range of insider contacts in the sports world, and also for his coarse and, to some, abrasive personality, and a reputation for name dropping...
who reported the visit and forced Parseghian to issue denials.
Philadelphia EaglesThe Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
assistant Nick Skorich and a man with Minnesota ties who was working in the
CFLThe Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located entirely in Canada.Its eight teams, which are located in eight cities, are divided into two divisions of four teams each . The league's nineteen-week regular season runs from mid-June to early November. Each team plays...
,
Bud GrantHarry Peter "Bud" Grant, Jr is the longtime former American football head coach of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League for eighteen seasons. Grant was the second and fourth head coach of the team...
, were also candidates until a different Eagle, quarterback
Norm Van BrocklinNorman 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. Van Brocklin was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.-Early life:Van Brocklin was born in Parade, Dewey County, South...
, was hired early in 1961. Van Brocklin had just finished his career as a player on a high note, having defeated the
Green Bay PackersThe 1960 Green Bay Packers season was their 40th season in the National Football League. The club posted a 8-4 record under coach Vince Lombardi, earning them a first place finish in the Western Conference. The Packers ended the season by losing to the Philadelphia Eagles 17-13 in the NFL...
in the
1960 NFL championshipThe 1960 National Football League championship game was the 28th NFL title game. The game was played on December 26, 1960 at Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Background:...
.
With the first overall selection in the
1961 NFL DraftThe 1961 National Football League Draft took place on December 27–28, 1960. The league had previously held an expansion draft for the Minnesota Vikings expansion franchise, and the Vikings were also awarded the first selection position in this draft. This draft was also the first regular draft for...
, the Vikings selected running back
Tommy MasonThomas Cyril Mason is a former American football running back in the National Football League. He was selected first overall by the expansion Minnesota Vikings in the 1961 NFL Draft. In six seasons with the Vikings, he rushed for 3,252 yards and 28 touchdowns. In 1967, he was signed by the Los...
of
TulaneThe Tulane Green Wave football program is an NCAA Division I FBS football team that represents Tulane University in New Orleans. Established in 1893, the team is a member of Conference USA and is coached by Bob Toledo...
. They took a young quarterback from the
University of GeorgiaThe University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning. Founded in 1785, UGA claims to be the oldest public university in the United States....
named
Fran TarkentonFrancis Asbury "Fran" Tarkenton is a former professional football player, TV personality, and computer software executive....
in the third round. Notable veterans acquired in the offseason were
Norm SneadNorman Bailey Snead is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers. He played college football at Wake Forest University and was drafted in the first round of...
and
Hugh McElhennyHugh Edward McElhenny is a former American football running back in the National Football League who played from 1952-1964, for the San Francisco 49ers, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, and Detroit Lions...
. The Vikings won their first regular season game, defeating the
Chicago BearsThe 1961 Chicago Bears season was their 42nd regular season completed in the National Football League. The club posted an 8-6 record under George Halas, which was an improvement over the 5-6-1 record of the previous season.-Offseason:...
37–13 on Opening Day {{nfly|1961}}. Tarkenton came off the bench to throw four touchdown passes and run for another to lead the upset. Reality set in as the expansion team lost its next seven games on their way to a 3-11 record.
On March 7, 1967, quarterback
Fran TarkentonFrancis Asbury "Fran" Tarkenton is a former professional football player, TV personality, and computer software executive....
was traded to the
New York GiantsThe New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The team plays its home games at Giants Stadium, which also serves as its headquarters, and trains at an adjacent practice facility within the Meadowlands Sports Complex...
for a 1st and 2nd-round choice in 1967, a 1st-round choice in 1968 and a 2nd-round choice in 1969. With the picks Minnesota selected
Clinton JonesClinton "Clint" Jones was a professional football player in the United States from 1967 until 1973.Jones spent his college years at Michigan State University, and was originally drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the 1967 NFL Draft...
and
Bob GrimRobert Lee Grim is a former American football player in the National Football League who played from 1967–1977. He played high school football at Red Bluff High School and college football at Oregon State University. He was drafted in the second round of the 1967 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings...
in 1967,
Ron YaryAnthony Ronald "Ron" Yary is a former professional American football offensive tackle, playing primarily for the Minnesota Vikings and also for the Los Angeles Rams. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001...
in 1968 and Ed White in 1969. Three days later on March 10, the Vikings hired new head coach
Bud GrantHarry Peter "Bud" Grant, Jr is the longtime former American football head coach of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League for eighteen seasons. Grant was the second and fourth head coach of the team...
to replace Van Brocklin, who resigned following the
1966 NFL seasonThe 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...
. Grant came to the Vikings from the
Canadian Football LeagueThe Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located entirely in Canada.Its eight teams, which are located in eight cities, are divided into two divisions of four teams each . The league's nineteen-week regular season runs from mid-June to early November. Each team plays...
as head coach for the
Winnipeg Blue BombersThe Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian Football League team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Blue Bombers have won the league's Grey Cup championship ten times, most recently in 1990. They were also the first team not located in Ontario or Quebec to win a championship...
, who he led to four Grey Cup Championships in 10 years. During the late 1960s, the Vikings were building a powerful defense known as the
Purple People EatersThe Purple People Eaters was the nickname of the Minnesota Vikings football team's defensive line of the late 1960s to the late 1970s, when the Vikings played in four Super Bowls. The name comes from the purple color of the Vikings' uniforms and a song by Sheb Wooley entitled "Purple People Eater"...
, led by
Alan PageAlan Cedric Page is a jurist and former professional American football player. He graduated from Canton Central Catholic High School in 1963, received his B.A. in political science from the University of Notre Dame in 1967, and received his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1978...
,
Carl EllerCarl Eller was a professional American football player in the National Football League from 1964 through 1979. He was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and attended the University of Minnesota...
,
Gary LarsenGary Larsen was a defensive tackle in the NFL and played college football at Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota. He started his NFL career in 1964 with the Los Angeles Rams and then became a part of the famous Purple People Eaters for the Minnesota Vikings from 1965 through 1974...
, and
Jim MarshallJames "Jim" Lawrence Marshall played college football at Ohio State University. He left school before his senior year, and played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. He was then drafted in the 4th round of the 1960 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. Marshall played...
. In {{nfly|1968}}, that stingy defense earned the Vikings their first Central Division Title and their first playoff berth.
In {{nfly|1969}} the
Vikings1969 was the ninth year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 50th regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings again won the NFL Central Division title, as finished with a record of 12 wins and two losses, plus playoff wins over the Los Angeles Rams in the Western...
went 12–2, the best record in the NFL. The team had 12 straight victories, the longest single-season winning streak in 35 years. The Vikings defeated the
Cleveland BrownsThe 1969 Cleveland Browns season was the team's 20th season with the National Football League.-Preseason:On August 30, a crowd of 85,532 fans viewed a doubleheader at Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium. In the first contest, the Chicago Bears played the AFL’s Buffalo Bills, while the...
, 27–7, in the
NFL Championship GameThe 1969 NFL Championship Game was the 37th and final championship game played prior to the AFL-NFL Merger. The winner of the game would go on to play in Super Bowl IV against the champion of the American Football League...
on Jan. 4, 1970, at Metropolitan Stadium. Minnesota became the first modern NFL expansion team to win an NFL Championship Game, and earned a berth in
Super Bowl IVSuper Bowl IV was the fourth AFL-NFL World Championship Game in American Professional Football, and the second one to officially bear the name "Super Bowl"...
. The heavily favored Vikings lost that game to the
Kansas City ChiefsThe Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
23-7.
1970s
The team continued to succeed in {{nfly|1970}} and {{nfly|1971}} reaching the playoffs due to the effort of a stubborn defense that gave the team the nickname "The Purple People Eaters". In 1971 the defense was impressive enough that Alan Page won the
NFL Most Valuable Player AwardThe National Football League Most Valuable Player Award is given by various entities, most notably the Associated Press , to the player who is considered most valuable in the league. The AP NFL MVP has been shared three times, in 1960, 1997, and 2003...
given by the
Associated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
. He was the first defensive player to win the award.
In {{nfly|1972}} the
Vikings1972 was the 12th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 53rd regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings finished with a record of seven wins and seven losses.-NFL Draft:-Season schedule:-Division standings:-References:...
traded
Norm SneadNorman Bailey Snead is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Washington Redskins, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, and San Francisco 49ers. He played college football at Wake Forest University and was drafted in the first round of...
, Bob Grim, Vince Clements and a 1st-round draft choice in 1972 and 1973 to the New York Giants to reacquire the popular
TarkentonFrancis Asbury "Fran" Tarkenton is a former professional football player, TV personality, and computer software executive....
. While the acquisitions of
Fran TarkentonFrancis Asbury "Fran" Tarkenton is a former professional football player, TV personality, and computer software executive....
and wide receiver
John GilliamJohn Rally Gilliam was an American football wide receiver.Gilliam was a receiver out of South Carolina State University, and was drafted in the second round by the expansion New Orleans Saints. He played his first two seasons in New Orleans, and then had stints with the St...
improved the passing attack, the running game was inconsistent and the Vikings finished with a disappointing 7–7 record. The Vikings addressed the problem by drafting running back
Chuck ForemanChuck Foreman is a retired NFL football player.He was a running back during his NFL career, although he often caught passes out of the backfield.-Early Career:...
with their first pick in the
1973 draftThe 1973 National Football League Draft was held on January 30–31, 1973.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
. Co-owner Bill Boyer died in 1972 and was replaced on the team's board of directors by his son-in-law Jack Steele.
The
VikingsThe 1973 Minnesota Vikings season was their 13th year of play in the National Football League. The Vikings regained the NFC Central title, as they finished with a record of 12 wins and two losses...
won their first 9 games of {{nfly|1973}} and finished the season with a 12–2 record. The Vikings then advanced to their second Super Bowl in franchise history,
Super Bowl VIIISuper Bowl VIII was a professional American football game played on January 13, 1974 at Rice Stadium. in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 1973 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Miami Dolphins defeated the National Football...
, against the
Miami Dolphins-Regular Season:Although the Dolphins were unable to match their 17-0 perfect season of 1972, many sports writers, fans, and Dolphins players themselves felt that the 1973 team was better...
at
Rice StadiumRice Stadium is a football stadium located on the Rice University campus in Houston, Texas. It has been the home of the Rice University football team since its completion in 1950....
in Houston,
TexasTexas is the second-largest U.S. state in both area and population, and the largest state in the contiguous United States.The name had wide usage among native Americans, meaning "friends" or "allies"...
. However, the Dolphins prevailed, 24–7.
The
Vikings1974 was the 14th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 55th regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings won the NFC Central as they finished with a record of 10 wins and four losses. The Vikings defeated the St...
won the Central Division again in {{nfly|1974}} with a 10–4 record, which was a tie for the best record in the conference. In the playoffs they built on their cold weather reputation, defeating both the
St. Louis CardinalsThe St. Louis Cardinals 1974 season was the team's 93rd season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 83rd season in the National League. The Cardinals went 86-75 during the season and finished 2nd in the National League East, a game and-a-half behind the Pittsburgh Pirates.- Offseason :* December 5, 1973:...
30–14 and the
Los Angeles RamsThe 1974 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 37th year with the National Football League and the 29th season in Los Angeles.-NFL Draft:-Season schedule:-Playoffs:-Division standings:...
14–10 in frozen Metropolitan Stadium. The Vikings played in their second straight Super Bowl,
Super Bowl IXSuper Bowl IX was an American football game played on January 12, 1975 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1974 regular season...
(3rd overall), losing to the
Pittsburgh Steelers-NFL Draft:rd.1.Lynn Swann U.S.C. WR rd.2 Jack Lambert LB Kent State rd.3 John Stallworth WR Alabama A&M.rd.4 C Mike Webster-Schedule:- Week 1 : Baltimore Colts :at Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
, 16–6, at
Tulane StadiumTulane Stadium was an outdoor football stadium located in New Orleans, Louisiana from 1926 to 1980. Officially known as the Third Tulane Stadium, it replaced the "Second Tulane Stadium" where the Telephone Exchange Building is now located...
in New Orleans on January 12, 1975.
In {{nfly|1975}}, the
Vikings1975 was the 15th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 56th regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings won their third straight NFC Central title, as they finished with a record of 12 wins and two losses, before losing to the Dallas Cowboys, 17-14 in the NFC...
, led by Tarkenton and running back
Chuck ForemanChuck Foreman is a retired NFL football player.He was a running back during his NFL career, although he often caught passes out of the backfield.-Early Career:...
, got off to a 10–0 start and easily won another division title. However, the Vikings lost to the
Dallas Cowboys-NFL Draft:-Season schedule:-Playoffs:-Season standings: -NFC Divisional Playoff:at Metropolitan Stadium, Bloomington, Minnesota*TV: CBS Gary Bender, Johnny Unitas-NFC Championship Game:at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles...
in the playoffs, 17–14, on a controversial touchdown pass from the Cowboys' quarterback
Roger StaubachRoger Thomas Staubach, also known as Roger the Dodger, The Jolly Roger, Captain Comeback, and Captain America, is a businessman, Heisman Trophy winner and Hall of Fame quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 until 1979...
to wide receiver
Drew PearsonDrew Pearson is a sportscaster and former American football wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League.-Early football years:...
that became known as the
Hail MaryA Hail Mary pass or Hail Mary play in American football is a term made famous when "Hail Mary" was used by the press to describe the game winning touchdown pass by Roger Staubach to Drew Pearson, in the 1975 wild card playoff...
. The touchdown was controversial because many felt that Pearson pushed off on Vikings
defensive backIn 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...
Nate WrightNate Wright played professional American football in the NFL from 1969-1980.-Professional career:Wright earned All-Pro honors at defensive back in 1974 and 1976. His career consisted mostly of time as a defensive back with the great Minnesota Vikings teams of the 1970s...
, which is
pass interferenceIn American and Canadian gridiron football, pass interference is a penalty that occurs when a player interferes with an eligible receiver's ability to make a fair attempt to catch a forward pass. Pass interference may include tripping, pushing, pulling, or cutting in front of the receiver or...
, a violation of the rules. As the Metropolitan Stadium crowd was stunned to learn that no penalty was called, debris was thrown on the field for several minutes. One bottle (Jack Daniels) struck a game official, rendering him unconscious. {{See also|The Hail Mary (American football game)}}
The
Vikings1976 was the 16th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 57th regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings finished with a record of 11 wins, two losses, and one tie.-Season schedule:-Playoffs:-Standings:-References:...
played in
Super Bowl XISuper Bowl XI was an American football game played on January 9, 1977 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1976 regular season...
, their third Super Bowl (4th overall) in 4 years, against the
Oakland RaidersThe 1976 Oakland Raiders season began with the team trying to improve on their 11-3 record from 1975. The 1976 season is the Raiders first Super Bowl winning season.-Offseason:-Players:-Season:...
at the
Rose BowlThe Rose Bowl is an outdoor American Football stadium in Pasadena, California, near Los Angeles. The stadium is the site of the annual college American football bowl game, the Rose Bowl Game, held at the beginning of the New Year. In 1982, it became the home field of the UCLA Bruins college...
in
Pasadena, CaliforniaPasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States; and is a satellite city of Los Angeles. Famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and the Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home of many leading scientific and cultural institutions, including the...
,on January 9, 1977. The Vikings, however, couldn't break their bad luck in the Super Bowl. Minnesota lost, 32–14.
In {{nfly|1977}}, the
Vikings1977 was the 17th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 58th regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings finished with a record of nine wins and five losses.-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Division standings:...
again won the Central Division with a 9–5 record and advanced to their 4th NFC Championship Game in 5 years, but were defeated by the eventual Super Bowl Champion
CowboysThe 1977 Dallas Cowboys season was their 18th in the NFL. The club appeared twice on Monday Night Football. Tony Dorsett rushed for 1,007 yards and became the second member of the Cowboys to have a 1,000 yard rushing season. During the season, the club scored 345 points, which ranked first in the...
, 23–6, at
Texas StadiumTexas Stadium is a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675...
.
By {{nfly|1978}}, age was taking its toll on the
Vikings1978 was the 18th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 59th regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings finished with a record of eight wins, seven losses, and one tie.-Schedule:-Playoffs:-Season standings:...
, but they still made the playoffs with an 8–7–1 record. There was no more playoff magic as the
RamsThe 1978 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 41st year with the National Football League and the 33rd season in Los Angeles.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Season standings:-NFC Divisional Playoff:*Los Angeles Rams 34, Minnesota Vikings 10...
finally defeated the Vikings, 34–10 in Los Angeles. Quarterback Fran Tarkenton retired following the season holding league passer records in attempts (6,467), completions (3,686), yards (47,003), and touchdowns (342).
In December, 1979, ground was broken for construction of the
Hubert H. Humphrey MetrodomeThe Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, often simply called The Metrodome, is a domed sports stadium in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. The field was renamed Mall of America Field at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in October 2009...
in downtown Minneapolis.
1980s
On May 15, 1981, the Vikings moved into a new facility in suburban
Eden PrairieEden Prairie is an edge city southwest of downtown Minneapolis in Hennepin County and the 12th largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies on the north bank of the Minnesota River, upstream from the confluence with the Mississippi River. As the seventh largest suburb, Eden Prairie...
that houses the team's offices, locker room and practice fields. The complex was named "Winter Park" after Max Winter, one of the Vikings' founders, who served as the team's president from 1965 to 1987. The Vikings played their final game at Metropolitan Stadium on December 20 to conclude the
1981 NFL seasonThe 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:...
by losing to the
Kansas City ChiefsThe 1981 Kansas City Chiefs season ended with a 9-7 record, but no playoff appearance.Bill Kenney began the 1981 season as the club's starting quarterback and directed the Chiefs to a 6-2 start, including a 37-33 win over the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers at Three Rivers Stadium on Opening...
, 10–6.
The Vikings played their first game at the Metrodome in a preseason matchup against the
Seattle SeahawksThe 1982 Seattle Seahawks season was the team's seventh season with the National Football League. Head coach Jack Patera was fired after the first two games of the season, which were followed by a 57-day players strike...
on August 21, 1982 in a game Minnesota won, 7–3. The first touchdown in the new facility was scored by
Joe SenserJoseph Michael Senser , is a former professional American football player. A 6'4", 240 lbs. tight end from West Chester University, Senser was selected in the 6th round of the 1979 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings...
on an 11 yard pass from
Tommy KramerThomas Francis Kramer is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the NFL from 1977-1990....
. The first regular-season game in the Metrodome was the 1982 opener on September 12, when the Vikings defeated
Tampa BayThe 1982 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season began with the team trying to improve on an 9-7 season, having made the playoffs 2 of the last 3 years. The season was shortened by a players stike. Tampa Bay resumed play with an 0-2 record after two close losses, and made it 0-3 with a 9-14 loss to the Dallas...
, 17–10.
Rickey YoungRickey Young is a former American football running back who played nine seasons in the NFL. Young played college football at Jackson State and was a teammate of Walter Payton. Rickey was drafted in 1975 by the San Diego Chargers...
scored the first regular-season touchdown in the facility on a 3 yard run in the 2nd quarter.
On January 27, 1984, Bud Grant retired as head coach of the Vikings. With a career regular-season record of 151–87–5 (.632) in 17 seasons with Minnesota, Grant led the franchise to 12 playoff appearances, 11 division titles, and four Super Bowls.
Les SteckelLes Steckel was a coach of the Minnesota Vikings for one brief season in 1984. He has also worked as an assistant coach with the San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.-Biography:Steckel was born in Whitehall,...
, who was an offensive assistant with the Vikings for 5 seasons, was then named the 3rd head coach in franchise history. Steckel, who came to the Vikings in 1979 after working as an assistant with the 49ers, was the youngest head coach in the NFL in 1984 at age 38. However, the Vikings lost a franchise-worst 13 games. After the season Steckel was fired, and on December 18, 1984, Bud Grant was rehired as the head coach of the Vikings.
On January 6, 1986, following the
1985 seasonThe 1985 NFL season was the 66th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XX when the Chicago Bears defeated the New England Patriots.-Major rule changes:...
, Bud Grant re-retired as head coach of the Vikings. At the time of his retirement he was the 6th winningest coach in NFL history with 168 career wins, including playoffs. In 18 seasons, he led the Vikings to a 158–96–5 regular season record. Longtime Vikings assistant coach
Jerry BurnsJerome Burns is a former American football coach. He coached college football, most notably as an assistant and later as the head coach at the University of Iowa...
was named the 4th head coach in team history on January 7, 1986. He served as the Vikings' offensive coordinator from 1968–85, when the team won 11 division titles and played in 4 Super Bowls. In his first season, the
Vikings1986 was the 26th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 67th regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings finished with a record of nine wins and seven losses.-Schedule:-Division standings:-Roster:-References:* *...
led by the
NFL Comeback Player of the YearThe NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award has been given out after every season since 1972 by Pro Football Weekly and since 1998 by the Associated Press...
Tommy Kramer, went 9–7, their first winning record in 4 years. On August 2, 1986, Fran Tarkenton was the first player who played the majority of his career with the Vikings, to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Following the strike-shortened
1987 seasonThe 1987 NFL season was the 68th regular season of the National Football League. A 24-day players' strike reduced the 16-game season to 15. The games that were scheduled for the third week of the season were canceled, but the games for weeks 4-6 were played with replacement players...
, the 8–7
VikingsThe 1987 season was the 27nd year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 68th regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings finished with a record of eight wins and seven losses.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:- Standings:-Roster:...
--- who had finished 8–4 in regular games but 0–3 using strike-replacement players --- pulled two upsets in the playoffs by beating the two teams with the best regular season records. They beat the 12–3
New Orleans SaintsThe 1987 New Orleans Saints season was the Saints' 21st season. The Saints qualified for the postseason for the first time, riding largely on a nine-game winning streak to close the season.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-NFC Wild Card Game:...
, 44–10, at the
Louisiana SuperdomeThe Louisiana Superdome, often informally referred to simply as the Superdome, The Dome or the New Orleans Superdome is a large, multi-purpose sports and exhibition facility located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana...
in the Wild Card Playoff game. The following week, in the Divisional Playoff game, they beat the 13–2
San Francisco 49ersThe 1987 San Francisco 49ers season was the team's 38th year with the National Football League. In the offseason, the 49ers acquired Steve Young in a trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.-Offseason:...
, 36–24;, at Candlestick Park. During that game
Anthony CarterAnthony Carter is a former American football wide receiver. He finished his college career as the University of Michigan's all-time leading receiver, and played professionally for thirteen years in the United States Football League and the National Football League...
set the all-time record for most receiving yards in a playoff game with 227 yards. The Vikings played the
Washington RedskinsThe 1988 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 11-4 record from 1987, when they won Super Bowl XXII. The Redskins failed to qualify for the playoffs. They were the seventh team in NFL history to enter a season as the defending Super Bowl champion and miss the...
in the NFC Championship Game on January 17, 1988, at RFK Stadium. Trailing 17–10, the Vikings drove to the Redskins' six yard line with a little over a minute left in the game but failed to get the ball into the end zone. Darren Nelson dropped a pass from Wade Wilson at the goal line to officially end the Vikings' hopes of a Super Bowl.
The Vikings would make what would be considered its biggest personnel blunder in team history. On October 12, 1989, the Vikings
acquiredThe Herschel Walker Trade, also known as "The Trade", was the largest player trade in the history of the National Football League. It involved 18 players and/or draft picks...
Herschel WalkerHerschel Junior Walker is a former American football running back in the United States Football League for the New Jersey Generals and in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, Minnesota Vikings, Philadelphia Eagles, and the New York Giants.Walker attended and played college football...
from Dallas. The final result of the trade gave the Vikings Walker, third-round choice Mike Jones, fifth-round choice Reggie Thornton and tenth-round choice
Pat NewmanPat Newman was the first head women’s tennis coach at Louisiana State University. Newman recorded an overall record of 71-24 in four seasons as head coach of the Lady Tigers, including the Louisiana AIAW Championships in 1976, 1977, and 1978. Her team was the Louisiana AIAW Runner-Up in 1979. She...
in 1990 and a third-round choice in 1991
Jake ReedWillis "Jake" Reed is a former professional American football player who played for 12 seasons in the National Football League as a wide receiver from 1991 to 2002 for the Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints...
, while Dallas received Issiac Holt, David Howard, Darrin Nelson, Jesse Solomon, Alex Stewart, a 1st, 2nd and 6th-round choice in 1990, 1st and 2nd-round choices in 1991 and a 1st, 2nd and 3rd-round choice in 1992. Two of those selections turned into
Emmitt SmithEmmitt James Smith III is a former American football player. He played for the Dallas Cowboys and Arizona Cardinals and is the NFL's all-time rushing leader, a record formerly held by his childhood hero, Walter Payton...
and
Darren WoodsonDarren Ray Woodson is a former American football safety in the National Football League. He played his entire career for the Dallas Cowboys from 1992 to 2004...
. Herschel's performance fell short of expectations in his three seasons with the Vikings, while the Cowboys rode their draft picks to three Super Bowl victories in the early to mid 1990s.
1990s
{{Unreferenced|date=June 2009}}
On December 3, 1991, Jerry Burns announced his retirement. In six seasons as Head Coach of the Vikings, Burns compiled a career record of 52–43 (.547). He also led Minnesota to three playoff appearances, including a division title and an NFC Championship Game.
Dennis GreenDennis "Denny" Green is an American football head coach for the California Redwoods of the United Football League...
was later named the fifth Head Coach in team history. He came to Minnesota after turning around a struggling
Stanford University football programThe Stanford Cardinal football program competes in NCAA Division I-A and is a member of the Pac-10 Conference. Stanford began playing football in 1892, and its annual Big Game against Cal, also begun 1892, is one of the oldest rivalry games in college football.
-Head coaches:-Bowl game...
as head coach from 1989–91. In his 10 seasons as the coach of the Vikings, Green won 4 NFC Central division titles, had 8 playoff appearances, 2 NFC Championship game appearances and an all-time record of 97–62.
1998
{{Main|1998 Minnesota Vikings season}}
1998The 1998 NFL season was the 79th regular season of the National Football League.The Tennessee Oilers moved their home games from Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium in Memphis to Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, still awaiting construction on a new stadium in Nashville.This was the first season that CBS...
was a year to remember for the franchise. With a spectacular offense led by quarterback
Randall CunninghamRandall W. Cunningham is a former American football quarterback.After playing college football at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he was selected in the second round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, with whom he remained through the 1995 season...
(who replaced an injured
Brad JohnsonJames Bradley Johnson is a free agent quarterback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State....
), running back
Robert SmithRobert Scott Smith is a former American football running back who played with the Ohio State Buckeyes and later with the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL. While in college, he openly criticized the Ohio State football staff for not allowing him to concentrate on academics...
, veteran wide receiver
Cris CarterCristopher D. Carter is a former American football player in the National Football League. He played wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles , the Minnesota Vikings and the Miami Dolphins ....
, and explosive rookie
Randy MossRandall Gene Moss is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Minnesota Vikings 21st overall in the 1998 NFL Draft...
, the Vikings set a then-NFL record by scoring a total of 556 points, never scoring fewer than 24 in a game. The record was later broken by the
2007 New England PatriotsThe 2007 New England Patriots season was the 38th season for the team in the National Football League and 48th season overall. They finished with a perfect 16–0 regular season record but lost to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII....
, (who also had Moss as a player), with 589 points. The Vikings finished the season 15–1, their only loss by 3 points to the
Tampa Bay BuccaneersThe 1998 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was seen as a disappointment following their breakthrough 1997 season. It was their first season in Raymond James Stadium. They were the only team to beat the Minnesota Vikings during the regular season. In week 16 they recorded the biggest road win in their...
in Week 9. In the playoffs, the Vikings rolled past the
Arizona CardinalsThe 1998 Arizona Cardinals season was the Cardinals 11th season in Arizona. The club appeared in the postseason for the first time since the 1982 season.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-NFC Wildcard Game:* Arizona Cardinals 20, Dallas Cowboys 7...
41–21, and came into the Metrodome heavily favored for their NFC title showdown with the
Atlanta FalconsThe 1998 Atlanta Falcons season saw the Falcons qualify for the Super Bowl for the first time under the guidance of second-year head coach Dan Reeves. The team won its final nine games of the season to earn the #2 seed in the NFC for the playoffs and the first-week bye...
, which lost only one game more than the Vikings, at 14–2. After kicker
Gary AndersonGary Allan Anderson is a former American football placekicker. He was the first NFL kicker to have a "perfect season," successfully making every field goal and every PAT during regular season play....
, who had just completed the first perfect regular season in NFL history (not missing a single extra point or field goal attempt the entire year), missed a 38-yard attempt with less than 2 minutes remaining, the Falcons tied the game. This led to a controversial decision by head coach Dennis Green to run out the clock and let the game go onto overtime. Though the Vikings won the coin toss, Atlanta went on to win it 30–27 in overtime on
Morten AndersenMorten Andersen is a former American football kicker. He holds the distinction of being the all-time leading scorer in NFL history and the all-time leading scorer for two different teams; the New Orleans Saints, with whom he spent 13 seasons, and the Atlanta Falcons, with whom he spent a combined...
's 38-yard field goal. The Vikings became the first 15–1 team to fail to reach the Super Bowl. The Falcons lost Super Bowl XXXIII to
John ElwayJohn Albert Elway, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback. He played his college football at Stanford and his entire professional career for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League ....
and the
Denver BroncosIn 1998 the Denver Broncos had a record of 14-2, second best in the NFL, and won Super Bowl XXXIII. It was John Elway's final season and the season Terrell Davis ran for 2,008 yards, making him only the fourth player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season.In 2007, the 1998 Broncos were...
.
1999
{{Main|1999 Minnesota Vikings season}}
Cunningham resumed duties again in 1999, but after a lukewarm 2–4 start,
Jeff GeorgeJeffrey Scott "Jeff" George is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He was the first overall pick of the 1990 NFL Draft by the Indianapolis Colts...
was given the starting job. He finished the season with an 8–2 record, and led the Vikings into the postseason once again, with an overall team record of 10–6. Minnesota beat
Dallas-Regular season:The season would begin at Washington with a dramatic come-from-behind victory over the hated division rival Washington Redskins. After trailing by three touchdowns in the second half, free agent acquisition Rocket Ismail would pay immediate dividends for the team by hauling in the...
in the Wild Card game 27–10, and faced playoff newcomer
Kurt WarnerKurtis Eugene "Kurt" Warner is an American football quarterback who currently plays for the Arizona Cardinals of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 1994. He played college football at Northern Iowa.Warner first reached...
and the
St. Louis RamsThe 1999 St. Louis Rams season was the team's 62nd year with the National Football League and the fifth season in St. Louis, Missouri. The Rams finished the regular-season with a record of 13-3, and the NFC West Championship. The Rams were 8-0 at home for the first time since 1973. On the road,...
in the Divisional matchup. The game was a shootout which Minnesota led 17–14 at halftime, but the Rams outscored Minnesota 35–20 in the second half to win 49–37. St. Louis would go on to win
Super Bowl XXXIVSuper Bowl XXXIV featured the National Football Conference champion St. Louis Rams and the American Football Conference champion Tennessee Titans in an American football game to decide the National Football League champion for the 1999 regular season...
.
2000
{{Main|2000 Minnesota Vikings season}}
In
2000The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants.Week 1 of the season reverted to Labor Day weekend in 2000...
, the Vikings went 11–5. The Vikings were 11–2 after 14 weeks, but slumped briefly, losing their last three to the
RamsThe 2000 St. Louis Rams season was the team's 63rd year with the National Football League and the sixth season in St. Louis. The Rams finished the regular-season with a record of 10-6 but would go on to lose to the New Orleans Saints in the Wild Card round of the playoffs. They led the NFL in...
,
PackersThe 2000 Green Bay Packers season was the first season for which Mike Sherman was the head coach of the team. Sherman was the thirteenth head coach in franchise history. The Packers finished 9-7, failing to qualify for the playoffs. The Packers total offense ranked 15th in the league, and their...
and
ColtsThe 2000 Indianapolis Colts season was the 48th season for the team in the National Football League and 17th in Indianapolis...
while starting
quarterbackQuarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the center, in the middle of the offensive line. Quarterbacks are the leaders of the offensive team, responsible for calling the play in the huddle...
Daunte CulpepperDaunte Richard Culpepper is an American football quarterback for the Detroit Lions in the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Central Florida....
was hampered by injury. Nonetheless, the Vikings made the playoffs for the fifth straight year. After easily beating the
SaintsThe 2000 New Orleans Saints season saw the Saints win their first ever playoff game. On February 3, Jim Haslett was named the thirteenth head coach in franchise history.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings:-Playoffs:-Rushing: -Receiving: -Sacks:...
in the Divisional game 34–16, they went to
New YorkGiants Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. It primarily serves as the home stadium for the New York Giants and New York Jets American football teams of the NFL, and the New York Red Bulls soccer team of MLS...
to face the
New York GiantsThe 2000 New York Giants season was the 76th season for the club in the National Football League.-NFL Draft:-Preseason:-Schedule:-Standings:-Postseason:...
in the NFC Championship Game. Though they were the road team, the Vikings were actually favored to win the game (since most considered their 12–2 record with Culpepper more indicative than their 0–3 record when he was out). But the Vikings were humiliated by the Giants 41–0, the worst loss in franchise history. Robert Smith, who ran for a team record (and NFL best) 1521 yards that season, retired at the end of the year after only playing eight NFL seasons.
2001–05
In
2001The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League.Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day...
, after a disappointing 5–11 season, the Vikings bought out the contract of
Dennis GreenDennis "Denny" Green is an American football head coach for the California Redwoods of the United Football League...
, despite his successful coaching tenure with the team.
Mike TiceMichael Peter Tice is an American football National Football League coach, best known as the former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He is currently the Assistant Head Coach/Tight Ends for the Jacksonville Jaguars.-Playing career:Tice attended the University of Maryland, College Park where he...
coached the final game of 2001, losing to the
RavensThe 2001 Baltimore Ravens season was the team's sixth year in the National Football League.-NFL Draft:-Schedule:-Standings: - Playoffs :-Roster:-References:* *...
19-3. Tice was named the permanent coach after the season, but he would not lead the Vikings back to the playoffs until 2004.
During the
2003 seasonThe 2003 regular season of the National Football League was the 84th one played by the major professional American football league in the United States. Regular season play was held from September 4, 2003 to December 28...
, the
Vikings2003 was the 43rd year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 84th regular season of the National Football League.The Vikings began 2003 with a fast 6-0 start...
came close to getting into the playoffs. However, the
Arizona CardinalsThe 2003 Arizona Cardinals season was the 84th season the team was in the National Football League. The team was unable to improve upon their previous output of 5-11, instead winning only four games. For the fifth consecutive season, the team failed to reach the playoffs. In his NFL debut, Anquan...
completed a game winning touchdown with 0:00 left knocking the Vikings out of the playoffs. The moment of Arizona's touchdown was actually the first moment the entire season in which the Vikings hadn't led their division. The Vikings became the second team in football history to miss the playoffs after getting off to a 6–0 start. The first team was the 1978
Washington RedskinsThe Washington Redskins are a professional American football team based in the Washington, D.C. area. The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, which is in Prince George's County, Maryland. The team's headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn, Virginia, a community...
.
In
2004The 2004 season of the National Football League was the 85th season for the major professional American football league in the United States. With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
,
Daunte CulpepperDaunte Richard Culpepper is an American football quarterback for the Detroit Lions in the National Football League. He played college football at the University of Central Florida....
amassed MVP-like statistics, throwing for 4,717 passing yards (leading the NFL), 39 passing touchdowns (a Viking record), and 5,123 total yards (an NFL record). In the wild card game, the Vikings defeated the rival
Green Bay PackersThe 2004 Green Bay Packers season started with the Packers losing four of their first five games, then winning their next six games, and finally ending in a Wild Card playoff loss to the Minnesota Vikings. They finished with an overall record of 10-7....
in their first-ever playoff meeting, 31–17. In doing so, the Vikings became the second team in NFL history to have a .500 record (8–8) in the regular season and win a playoff game (The
St. Louis RamsThe 2004 St. Louis Rams season was the team's 67th year with the National Football League and the 10th season in St. Louis.-Schedule:...
did the same thing only a day earlier). In the divisional round, the Vikings were defeated by the eventual NFC champion
Philadelphia EaglesThe 2004 Philadelphia Eagles season was the best in the modern history of the team. The Eagles had been one of the most successful teams in the league after the Andy Reid and Donovan McNabb era began in 1999, making it to the playoffs for four straight seasons and to the NFC Championship Game in...
.
On March 2, 2005, Vikings wide receiver Randy Moss was traded to the Oakland Raiders for linebacker
Napoleon HarrisNapoleon Bill Harris is an American football linebacker for the Florida Tuskers of the UFLHe was drafted by the Raiders in the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Northwestern....
and the Raiders' first round draft pick. After struggling to a disappointing 2–5 start to the
2005 seasonThe 2005 season of the National Football League was the 86th season played by the major professional American football league in the United States. With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
, Vikings lost quarterback Daunte Culpepper to a season ending knee injury. This injury was a very significant part to this Minnesota Vikings team due to the fact they also lost Randy Moss. The dynamic duo from years earlier were now lost and a new leader would eventually emerge. The Vikings finished the 2005 season with a 9–7 record, one win away from the playoffs.
Head Coach Mike Tice was let go after the 2005 season and was replaced by
Brad ChildressBrad Childress is the 7th and current head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, a professional American football team. He attended High School at Marmion Military Academy...
. This was one of many significant front office moves made by the new ownership team, led by
Zygi WilfZygmunt "Zygi" Wilf is the principal owner of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.-Life and career:Wilf was born in Germany. His parents, Joseph and Elizabeth Wilf, are both Holocaust survivors from Poland. The Wilf family immigrated to the United States from Europe in the early...
.
2006–present
Minnesota2006 was the 46th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 87th regular season of the National Football League.The 2006 Minnesota Vikings season began with the team trying to improve on their 9–7 record in 2005 which was the last under embattled head coach Mike Tice...
began the
2006 seasonThe 2006 season of the National Football League was the 87th season played by the major professional American football league in the United States. Regular season play was held from September 7 to December 31, 2006...
4–2 (and Childress becoming the first coach in Vikings history to start 2–0 in his first year), but would finish the year at 6–10, tying for the 7th worst record in the NFL and receiving the 7th pick in the
NFL DraftThe 2007 National Football League Draft took place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 28 and April 29, 2007. The draft was televised for the 28th consecutive year on ESPN and ESPN2. The NFL Network also broadcast coverage of the event, its second year doing so...
; with it, the Vikings selected
Adrian PetersonAdrian Lewis Peterson , nicknamed "A.D." or "Purple Jesus", is a professional football running back for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. Peterson was selected by the Vikings with the seventh overall pick in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at...
out of the
University of OklahomaThe Oklahoma Sooners football program is a college football team that represents the University of Oklahoma . The Oklahoma Sooners are a perennial powerhouse. As of 2008, ESPN ranked the Oklahoma Sooners as the most prestigious college football program since 1936...
.
Peterson's first career TD was a 60 yard screen pass in his first career game against the
Atlanta FalconsThe 2007 Atlanta Falcons season was the 42nd season for the team in the National Football League. They finished the 2007 season with a disappointing record of 4-12 and failed to improve upon their 7-9 record in 2006 after finishing third place in the NFC South....
. When the Minnesota Vikings played the
Chicago BearsThe 2007 Chicago Bears season was the team's 88th regular season in the National Football League. The season officially began on September 9, 2007 against the San Diego Chargers, and concluded on December 30 against the New Orleans Saints...
in the first of their two games, Peterson broke the record for single game All-Purpose (rushing, receiving, kick returning) yards (361, 224 of them rushing yards). In Week 9 of the 2007 season, Peterson broke the NFL record set by
Jamal LewisJamal Lafitte Lewis is an American football running back for the Cleveland Browns. He was originally drafted by the Baltimore Ravens fifth overall in the 2000 NFL Draft...
in 2003 for most rushing yards in one game by rushing for 296 yards against the San Diego Chargers. Despite a strong push in the middle of the 2007 season winning five straight games, the Vikings lost their final two games to finish the season at 8–8, missing the playoffs. In week 13 of the
2008 seasonThe 2008 NFL Season was the 89th season of the National Football League, the major professional American football league in the United States, themed with the slogan "Believe in Now." Super Bowl XLIII, the league's championship game, was at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida on February 1,...
against the
BearsThe 2008 Chicago Bears season is the franchise's 89th regular season in the National Football League. They finished the 2008 season with a 9-7 record, improving upon their 7-9 record from the 2007 season...
,
Gus FrerotteGustave Joseph "Gus" Frerotte is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was originally drafted by the Washington Redskins in the seventh round of the 1994 NFL Draft...
hooked up with
Bernard BerrianBernard Berrian is an American football wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Chicago Bears in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft...
for a 99 yard touchdown pass after goal line stand by the Vikings. This was the longest play in Vikings history.
Adrian PetersonAdrian Lewis Peterson , nicknamed "A.D." or "Purple Jesus", is a professional football running back for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. Peterson was selected by the Vikings with the seventh overall pick in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at...
had 1760 rushing yards, first in the NFL, in front of Atlanta's Michael Turner. A journeyman from the
Chicago BearsThe Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the NFC North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Bernard Berrian led the team in receiving yards with 795, and
Bobby WadeRobert Louis Wade, Jr. is an American football wide receiver for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fifth round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
led the team in catches. After Week 14, the Vikings had a very tough game against the winless
Detroit LionsThe 2008 Detroit Lions season was the 79th season for the franchise in the National Football League. The Lions became the first team in NFL history to compile an 0-16 record. They were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention after Week 11...
who gave them a close game. The Lions led through halftime, although the Vikings managed a 20–16 win. In Week 15 the Vikings beat the
Arizona CardinalsThe 2008 Arizona Cardinals season was the 89th season for the team in the National Football League and their 21st season in Arizona. The season marked the Cardinals' first-ever Super Bowl appearance, coming as a result of their defeat of the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Championship.The Cardinals...
35 to 14. Tarvaris Jackson started this game and threw for four touchdowns. Bernard Berrian caught a touchdown pass and returned a punt for a touchdown. Adrian Peterson broke the franchise record for most single season rush yards. In Week 16, the Vikings faced the Atlanta Falcons at the Metrodome, looking to clinch the NFC North with a victory. However, they suffered from 7 fumbles, 4 of them resulting in turnovers, and lost 24–17. Starter Tarvaris Jackson had another good game for Minnesota, as did tight end Visanthe Shiancoe, who caught 2 touchdowns from Jackson. The Vikings clinched the
NFC NorthThe NFC North is a division of the National Football League's National Football Conference. It was created prior to the 2002 season when the league realigned its divisions after expanding to 32 teams...
championship by defeating the
New York GiantsThe 2008 New York Giants season was the franchise's 84th season in the National Football League . They improved upon their 10-6 record from 2007, becoming NFC East champions...
20–19 in week 17 of the 2008 NFL Season, when kicker
Ryan LongwellRyan Walker Longwell is an American football placekicker for the Minnesota Vikings in the National Football League. After playing college football for the California Golden Bears, he started his professional football career with the San Francisco 49ers, but never played a game for that franchise...
was successful in his attempt at the game-winning field goal.
On January 4, 2009, the Vikings hosted the
Philadelphia EaglesThe 2008 Philadelphia Eagles season was the team's 76th season as a franchise in the National Football League. The Eagles improved upon their 8-8 record and fourth-place finish in the NFC East in the 2007 season by going 9-6-1 and earning the 6th seed in the NFC Playoffs. The team lost in the...
for the Wild Card round and for the first time in eight years, the Vikings hosted a playoff game. The Vikings held the Eagles 14–16 at halftime, but the Eagles, coming off of a 44–6 victory over the
Dallas CowboysThe 2008 Dallas Cowboys season was the 49th season for the team in the National Football League. The season was most noted for week 17, when the Cowboys were blown out by the Philadelphia Eagles 44-6, their worst loss since the 1985 Chicago Bears came to Texas Stadium and beat the Cowboys 44-0...
, defeated the Vikings, 26–14. The Eagles would go on to defeat the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants in the Divisional round only to lose to the Arizona Cardinals (who in turn lost Super Bowl XLIII to the
Pittsburgh SteelersThe 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers season was the franchise's 76th season in the National Football League . The season concluded with the team winning Super Bowl XLIII to become the first franchise in the NFL with six Super Bowl titles....
) in the NFC Championship Game.
Since 2006, the Vikings are particularly known for their strong defense against the run (#1 in the NFL in 2006, 2007, and 2008; they are the first NFL team to accomplish this since the AFL-NFL merger in 1970) anchored by the nicknamed “Williams Wall”/"Williams Wrecking Crew" consisting of defensive tackle Kevin Williams and nose tackle Pat Williams (no relation).. Starting with the addition of
Jared AllenJared Scot Allen is an American football defensive end for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Idaho State...
in 2008 the front four began being called the Four Norsemen of the Apocalypse.
On August 18, 2009, after months of speculation and negotiations, often retired
QuarterbackQuarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the center, in the middle of the offensive line. Quarterbacks are the leaders of the offensive team, responsible for calling the play in the huddle...
Brett FavreBrett Lorenzo Favre is an American football quarterback for the Minnesota Vikings. He was the starting quarterback for the Green Bay Packers between 1992 and 2007, and for the New York Jets in 2008....
, who, until 2007 played for division rival
Green Bay PackersThe Green Bay Packers are a professional 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 and are the third-oldest franchise in the NFL.The Packers are the last vestige of "small town...
, signed a two-year, $25 million deal with the Vikings. Favre is universally acknowledged to be a future hall of fame player, holding the NFL all-time record for most touchdown passes. Coincidentally, he took the record from Dan Marino (420 TD passes) in 2007 while playing for the Green Bay Packers against the Vikings.
On October 5, 2009 the Vikings hosted the Green Bay Packers, the first time Brett Favre played his old team. With a 30-23 victory, the Vikings moved to a 4-0 record, and Brett Favre became the only player in NFL history to defeat all 32 current teams. Over 21.8 million viewers tuned in to watch the game, beating the previous record of 18.6 million viewers in 2008's game between the Philidephia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys.
Ownership
The team is currently owned by
Zygi WilfZygmunt "Zygi" Wilf is the principal owner of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.-Life and career:Wilf was born in Germany. His parents, Joseph and Elizabeth Wilf, are both Holocaust survivors from Poland. The Wilf family immigrated to the United States from Europe in the early...
, Jeffrey Wilf, Leonard Wilf, David Mandelbaum, Alan Landis and
Reggie FowlerReggie Fowler was born Reginald Dennis Fowler in February, 1959, to Al and Eloise Fowler – one of five children. Reggie is an African-American businessman who currently resides in in Chandler, Arizona. He is the owner of Chandler-based and Kyrene OEM, LLC in nearby Tempe.When his father,...
. The Vikings have been conducting summer training camp at
Minnesota State University, MankatoMinnesota State University, Mankato [MSU] is a public four-year university located in Mankato, Minnesota. It is located 85 miles southwest of Minneapolis-St.Paul. As of Fall 2009, the student body is the third-largest in the state of Minnesota with nearly 15,000 students, with the University of...
since 1966. From 1961–65 they held camp at
Bemidji State UniversityBemidji State University is a public state university in Bemidji, Minnesota, USA, located on the shores of Lake Bemidji. It is a part of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities . BSU was founded in 1919 as Bemidji State Normal School. The name was later changed to Bemidji State Teachers...
.
Logo and uniforms
{{Unreferenced section|date=October 2009}}
From the team's debut in 1961 to 1995, the Vikings' logos and uniforms essentially remained the same. One of the team's two primary logos consists of a profile of a blond norseman, while the other consists of a white Viking horn.
The team's helmet is purple with a Viking horn logo on each side. The horn logo was slightly revised in 2006. The original uniform design consisted of white pants, gold trim, and either purple or white jerseys. From 1961 to 1964, the Vikings wore purple pants with their white jerseys (The Vikings, with their new uniform, still wear, on occasion, purple pants with yellow and white trim). In a design that was unique among American football teams, the white jerseys had a completely different stripe pattern, which was over the shoulders, than the purple ones, which was around the sleeve cuff. These unique shoulder stripes on the white jerseys did not appear until 1969, the year they went to their first Super Bowl. There have also been minor changes to the uniform design throughout the years, such as changing the color of the facemask from gray to white (1980), and then to purple (1985); and adding the Norseman logo to the sleeves (1996). The Vikings wore black shoes until Les Steckel became the coach in 1984. In 2006 team returned to black shoes for first time since the 1983 season.
During the 1964 season, the Vikings along with several other NFL teams wore their white jerseys for home games to allow their fans to see what the other teams primary jerseys looked like. The Lions played at
Metropolitan StadiumMetropolitan Stadium was a sports stadium that once stood in Bloomington, Minnesota, just outside Minneapolis...
on October 11. The Lions only brought their white jerseys. The Vikings had also brought their white jerseys to the stadium. The team practiced at
Midway StadiumMidway Stadium is the name of two different minor league baseball parks in Saint Paul, Minnesota, one now demolished and the other still in active use. The name derives from the location of the stadium in St. Paul's Midway area, so named because it's roughly halfway between the downtowns of...
in St. Paul and that is where they stored their equipment. Both teams started the game in their white jerseys. By the second quarter the Vikings had been able to get their purple jerseys to Met Stadium. The team changed jerseys on the sidelines and finished the game in purple jerseys and purple pants. It wasn't until 43 years later, on December 17, 2007 (a Monday Night Football game versus the Chicago Bears) that the Vikings again donned all purple jerseys and pants.
From 1969 through 1973, the Vikings had an alternate purple jersey without stripes for warm-weather games.
The team's uniforms were redesigned in 2006, the first significant change in the franchise's 46-year history. Although the team colors remained the same, trim lines were added to the outside shoulders and sleeves, and the sides of the jerseys and pants. In addition the horn on the helmet was slightly more defined. Included in the new design are both white and purple pants. However, the Vikings have not worn the purple pants since the aforementioned 2007 home game vs. Chicago.
The team wore black armbands for the last four games in 1978 in memory of Jack "Jocko" Nelson, an assistant coach who died during the season. In 1985 the team wore a 25 years patch on their jerseys. In 1989, they wore a "40 for 60" patch honoring the 1969 NFL championship team. They wore a 35 years patch in 1995, 40 years in 2000 and 45 years in 2005. They also wore patches in 1999 for assistant coach
Chip MyersPhillip Leon "Chip" Myers was a wide receiver who played nine Pro Football seasons, for the NFL San Francisco 49ers in 1967, the AFL's Cincinnati Bengals in 1969, and the NFL's AFC Bengals from 1970 through 1976. He later was an assistant coach with the Minnesota Vikings for four seasons...
who died in the offseason and in 2001 for
Korey StringerKorey Damont Stringer was an American football player who died from complications brought on by heat stroke, during training camp in Mankato, Minnesota while in training camp with the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.-College career:Stringer was born in Warren, Ohio and attended...
. The Vikings like the other teams wore NFL 50 and 75 year patches in 1969 and 1994.
Current mascots
The current team
mascotThe term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
is Ragnar (played by Joseph Juranitch). Ragnar has been working for the Vikings since 1994 and claims to be the most widely-recognized mascot in the world.{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}} Juranitch admits to being somewhat of an
eccentricIn popular usage, eccentricity refers to unusual or odd behavior on the part of an individual. This behavior would typically be perceived as unusual or unnecessary, without being demonstrably maladaptive. Eccentricity is contrasted with "normal" behavior, the nearly universal means by which...
—he holds the current world record for fastest time shaving a
beardA beard is the hair that grows on a person's chin, cheeks, neck, and the area above the upper lip. Typically, only males going through puberty, or post-pubescent males are able to grow beards. However, women with hirsutism may develop a beard...
with an
axeThe axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood, harvest timber, as a weapon and a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
.{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}} Ragnar drives onto the field at the beginning of the game dressed in Viking garb, on a motorcycle, while a cheerleader used to ride a snowmobile.
After several failed attempts at developing an official team-owned mascot, the Vikings finally introduced Viktor E. Viking during the 2007 Vikings' season. Team officials had long indicated that they were after a mascot concept that would primarily appeal to the team's younger fan base. Viktor the Viking, a muscle-bound, blonde-haired and mustachioed character wears a Vikings' #1 jersey and an oversized Vikings' helmet with protruding horns and a small yellow nose guard.
Historic mascots
During the 1970s and 1980s, Herb Meeds dressed as a Viking and served as the team mascot. It is said {{By whom|date=October 2009}} that Herb showed up for the very first regular season game against Chicago. He had no ticket but was dressed as a Viking and convinced someone to let him onto the sideline.{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}} This began a multi-decade part time job.
Another mascot associated with the Vikings was "Vikadontis Rex", a purple foam dinosaur.{{Citation needed|date=October 2009}} Vikadontis was the official mascot of the Minnesota Vikings Children's Fund and took part in the 1995 Celebrity Mascot Olympics. Vikadontis was retired starting with the 2000 season.
Fight song
{{See|Skol, Vikings}}
"Skol, Vikings" is the fight song of the Minnesota Vikings. It was introduced around the time the team was founded in 1961 and is always played whenever the team scores as well as half time and the end of regulation. "Lets Go Vikings.. Lets Go," is the interpretation of SKOL, Vikings.
Helga hats
Viking fans are known to dress up in "Helga hats", or purple hats with white horns and blond braids, mimicking the helmets popularly believed to have been worn by
VikingA Viking is one of the Norse explorers, warriors, merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas of Europe from the late eighth to the early eleventh century. These Norsemen used their famed longships to travel as far east as Constantinople and the Volga River in Russia, and as far...
warriors. The original Helga Hats are still hand assembled in the Twin Cities area; however, some vendors have imported other versions from overseas in recent years.
Vikings horn
During home games at the Metrodome, the Vikings
GjallarhornIn Norse mythology, Gjallarhorn is the horn with which the gatekeeper god, Heimdallr, announces Ragnarök. As said in the Völuspá :...
is loudly played and sounds often after the team has a big play or scores a touchdown. In addition, a flash cannon fires upon Vikings touchdowns.
Pro Football Hall of Famers
| Minnesota Vikings Hall of Famers |
| No. |
Player |
Position(s) |
Seasons as a Viking |
Year Inducted |
| 10 |
Fran Tarkenton Francis Asbury "Fran" Tarkenton is a former professional football player, TV personality, and computer software executive....
|
QBQuarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the center, in the middle of the offensive line. Quarterbacks are the leaders of the offensive team, responsible for calling the play in the huddle...
|
1961-1966, 1972-1978 |
1986 |
| 22 |
Paul Krause |
S |
1968-1979 |
1998 |
| 64 |
Randall McDanielRandall McDaniel is a former offensive guard in the National Football League. On January 31, 2009 he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame...
|
GIn American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
|
1988-1999 |
2009 |
| 65 |
Gary ZimmermanGary Wayne Zimmerman is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League. Zimmerman played for the Minnesota Vikings from 1986-1992 and for the Denver Broncos from 1993-1997. He was selected to the Pro Bowl 7 times and was an All-Pro selection 8 times...
|
OTIn American and Canadian football, offensive tackles are a part of the offensive line. Like other offensive linemen, their job is to block: to physically keep defenders away from the offensive player who has the football....
|
1986-1992 |
2008 |
| 73 |
Ron Yary Anthony Ronald "Ron" Yary is a former professional American football offensive tackle, playing primarily for the Minnesota Vikings and also for the Los Angeles Rams. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001...
|
OTIn American and Canadian football, offensive tackles are a part of the offensive line. Like other offensive linemen, their job is to block: to physically keep defenders away from the offensive player who has the football....
|
1968-1981 |
2001 |
| 81 |
Carl Eller Carl Eller was a professional American football player in the National Football League from 1964 through 1979. He was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and attended the University of Minnesota...
|
DE 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...
|
1964-1978 |
2004 |
| 88 |
Alan PageAlan Cedric Page is a jurist and former professional American football player. He graduated from Canton Central Catholic High School in 1963, received his B.A. in political science from the University of Notre Dame in 1967, and received his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1978...
|
DT Defensive tackle is a position on the defensive line in American and Canadian football. The defensive tackle lines up toward the center of the field, and is flanked by the defensive ends. With the defensive ends, they comprise the defensive line.Defensive tackles are typically the largest and...
|
1967-1978 |
1988 |
| -- |
Jim Finks James Edward Finks was an American sports executive, primarily for American Professional Football.-Biography:...
|
General Manager General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
|
1964-1973 |
1995 |
| -- |
Bud Grant Harry Peter "Bud" Grant, Jr is the longtime former American football head coach of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League for eighteen seasons. Grant was the second and fourth head coach of the team...
|
Head Coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing sports men and women. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
|
1967-1983, 1985 |
1994 |
Retired numbers
| Minnesota Vikings Retired Numbers |
| No. |
Player |
| 10 |
Fran Tarkenton Francis Asbury "Fran" Tarkenton is a former professional football player, TV personality, and computer software executive....
|
| 53 |
Mick Tingelhoff Henry Michael "Mick" Tingelhoff was a football center for the Minnesota Vikings from 1962-1978.-College career:Tingelhoff attended the University of Nebraska. He earned three letters during his football career there, but did not become a starter until his senior season in 1961...
|
| 70 |
Jim Marshall James "Jim" Lawrence Marshall played college football at Ohio State University. He left school before his senior year, and played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. He was then drafted in the 4th round of the 1960 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. Marshall played...
|
| 77 |
Korey StringerKorey Damont Stringer was an American football player who died from complications brought on by heat stroke, during training camp in Mankato, Minnesota while in training camp with the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.-College career:Stringer was born in Warren, Ohio and attended...
|
| 80 |
Cris CarterCristopher D. Carter is a former American football player in the National Football League. He played wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles , the Minnesota Vikings and the Miami Dolphins ....
|
| 88 |
Alan PageAlan Cedric Page is a jurist and former professional American football player. He graduated from Canton Central Catholic High School in 1963, received his B.A. in political science from the University of Notre Dame in 1967, and received his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1978...
|
Ring of Honor
| Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor |
| No. |
Player |
Position(s) |
Seasons as a Viking |
Date Inducted |
| 10 |
Fran Tarkenton Francis Asbury "Fran" Tarkenton is a former professional football player, TV personality, and computer software executive....
|
QBQuarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the center, in the middle of the offensive line. Quarterbacks are the leaders of the offensive team, responsible for calling the play in the huddle...
|
1961-1966, 1972-1978 |
September 9, 1998 |
| 22 |
Paul Krause |
S |
1968-1979 |
November 15, 1998 |
| 30 |
Bill Brown |
RB A running back is the position of a player on an American or Canadian football team who usually lines up in the offensive backfield...
|
1962-1974 |
September 26, 2004 |
| 44 |
Chuck Foreman Chuck Foreman is a retired NFL football player.He was a running back during his NFL career, although he often caught passes out of the backfield.-Early Career:...
|
RB A running back is the position of a player on an American or Canadian football team who usually lines up in the offensive backfield...
|
1973-1979 |
September 30, 2007 |
| 53 |
Mick Tingelhoff Henry Michael "Mick" Tingelhoff was a football center for the Minnesota Vikings from 1962-1978.-College career:Tingelhoff attended the University of Nebraska. He earned three letters during his football career there, but did not become a starter until his senior season in 1961...
|
C Center is a position in American football and Canadian football . The center is the innermost lineman of the offensive line on a football team's offense...
|
1962-1978 |
November 25, 2001 |
| 64 |
Randall McDanielRandall McDaniel is a former offensive guard in the National Football League. On January 31, 2009 he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame...
|
GIn American and Canadian football, a guard is a player that lines up between the center and the tackles on the offensive line of a football team....
|
1988-1999 |
December 17, 2006 |
| 70 |
Jim Marshall James "Jim" Lawrence Marshall played college football at Ohio State University. He left school before his senior year, and played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. He was then drafted in the 4th round of the 1960 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. Marshall played...
|
DE 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...
|
1961-1979 |
November 28, 1999 |
| 73 |
Ron Yary Anthony Ronald "Ron" Yary is a former professional American football offensive tackle, playing primarily for the Minnesota Vikings and also for the Los Angeles Rams. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001...
|
OTIn American and Canadian football, offensive tackles are a part of the offensive line. Like other offensive linemen, their job is to block: to physically keep defenders away from the offensive player who has the football....
|
1968-1981 |
September 9, 2001 |
| 77 |
Korey StringerKorey Damont Stringer was an American football player who died from complications brought on by heat stroke, during training camp in Mankato, Minnesota while in training camp with the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.-College career:Stringer was born in Warren, Ohio and attended...
|
OTIn American and Canadian football, offensive tackles are a part of the offensive line. Like other offensive linemen, their job is to block: to physically keep defenders away from the offensive player who has the football....
|
1995-2000 |
November 19, 2001 |
| 80 |
Cris CarterCristopher D. Carter is a former American football player in the National Football League. He played wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles , the Minnesota Vikings and the Miami Dolphins ....
|
WR 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...
|
1990-2001 |
September 14, 2003 |
| 81 |
Carl Eller Carl Eller was a professional American football player in the National Football League from 1964 through 1979. He was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and attended the University of Minnesota...
|
DE 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...
|
1964-1978 |
November 10, 2002 |
| 88 |
Alan PageAlan Cedric Page is a jurist and former professional American football player. He graduated from Canton Central Catholic High School in 1963, received his B.A. in political science from the University of Notre Dame in 1967, and received his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1978...
|
DT Defensive tackle is a position on the defensive line in American and Canadian football. The defensive tackle lines up toward the center of the field, and is flanked by the defensive ends. With the defensive ends, they comprise the defensive line.Defensive tackles are typically the largest and...
|
1967-1978 |
September 20, 1998 |
| 93 |
John Randle John Randle is a former NFL defensive end who played for the Minnesota Vikings and the Seattle Seahawks. Born in Hearne, Texas, Randle was raised poor, and worked odd jobs when he was young. His brother Ervin Randle played as a linebacker for eight years...
|
DT Defensive tackle is a position on the defensive line in American and Canadian football. The defensive tackle lines up toward the center of the field, and is flanked by the defensive ends. With the defensive ends, they comprise the defensive line.Defensive tackles are typically the largest and...
|
1990-2000 |
November 30, 2008 |
| -- |
Jerry Burns Jerome Burns is a former American football coach. He coached college football, most notably as an assistant and later as the head coach at the University of Iowa...
|
Head Coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing sports men and women. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
|
1986-1991 |
November 6, 2005 |
| -- |
Jim Finks James Edward Finks was an American sports executive, primarily for American Professional Football.-Biography:...
|
General Manager General manager is a descriptive term for certain executives in a business operation. It is also a formal title held by some business executives, most commonly in the hospitality industry.-Generic usage:...
|
1964-1973 |
October 18, 1998 |
| -- |
Bud Grant Harry Peter "Bud" Grant, Jr is the longtime former American football head coach of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League for eighteen seasons. Grant was the second and fourth head coach of the team...
|
Head Coach A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing sports men and women. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
|
1967-1983, 1985 |
November 8, 1998 |
| -- |
Fred Zamberletti |
Medical Adviser |
1961-Present |
December 20, 1998 |
40th Anniversary Team
- Fran Tarkenton
Francis Asbury "Fran" Tarkenton is a former professional football player, TV personality, and computer software executive....
QB, #10
- Chuck Foreman
Chuck Foreman is a retired NFL football player.He was a running back during his NFL career, although he often caught passes out of the backfield.-Early Career:...
RB, #44
- Robert Smith RB, #26
- Ahmad Rashad
Ahmad Rashād is a sportscaster and former professional football player. An All-American running back and wide receiver from Oregon known as Bobby Moore, Rashad was the fourth overall pick in the 1972 NFL Draft, drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals...
WR, #28
- Cris Carter
Cristopher D. Carter is a former American football player in the National Football League. He played wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles , the Minnesota Vikings and the Miami Dolphins ....
WR, #80
- Steve Jordan
Steven Russell Jordan is a former American football tight end who played his entire career with the Minnesota Vikings . Jordan was selected to 6 consecutive Pro Bowls from 1986 through 1991. He attended Brown University. He was featured playing football in a WWE vignette with professional...
TE, #83
- Ron Yary
Anthony Ronald "Ron" Yary is a former professional American football offensive tackle, playing primarily for the Minnesota Vikings and also for the Los Angeles Rams. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001...
OT, #73
- Randall McDaniel
Randall McDaniel is a former offensive guard in the National Football League. On January 31, 2009 he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame...
OG, #64
- Mick Tingelhoff
Henry Michael "Mick" Tingelhoff was a football center for the Minnesota Vikings from 1962-1978.-College career:Tingelhoff attended the University of Nebraska. He earned three letters during his football career there, but did not become a starter until his senior season in 1961...
C, #53
- Ed White OG, #62
- Tim Irwin
Timothy Edward Irwin was an offensive tackle for the Tennessee Volunteers in college and played in the NFL for 14 years. Most of his professional career was with the Minnesota Vikings....
OT, #76 |
Jim Marshall James "Jim" Lawrence Marshall played college football at Ohio State University. He left school before his senior year, and played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. He was then drafted in the 4th round of the 1960 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. Marshall played...
DE, #70
Alan PageAlan Cedric Page is a jurist and former professional American football player. He graduated from Canton Central Catholic High School in 1963, received his B.A. in political science from the University of Notre Dame in 1967, and received his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1978...
DT, #88
John RandleJohn Randle is a former NFL defensive end who played for the Minnesota Vikings and the Seattle Seahawks. Born in Hearne, Texas, Randle was raised poor, and worked odd jobs when he was young. His brother Ervin Randle played as a linebacker for eight years...
DT, #93
Carl EllerCarl Eller was a professional American football player in the National Football League from 1964 through 1979. He was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and attended the University of Minnesota...
DE, #81
Matt BlairMatt Blair was a linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League for 12 seasons from 1974-1985. Blair was selected out of Iowa State University by the Vikings in the second round of the 1974 NFL Draft with the 51st overall selection.Blair established himself as one of the top...
LB, #59
Scott StudwellScott Studwell is a former professional American football player. He was nicknamed "Stud". Studwell graduated from the University of Illinois, where he starred as a linebacker. In 1977, he was drafted in the ninth round by the Minnesota Vikings, for whom he played fourteen seasons from 1977 to 1990...
LB, #55
Jeff SiemonJeffrey Glenn Siemon is a former professional American football player and an inductee in the College Football Hall of Fame....
LB, #50
Bobby BryantBobby Bryant was a cornerback for the Minnesota Vikings during the days of the Purple People Eaters . Bryant was a fierce competitor despite his size leading to the nickname "Bones"...
CB, #20
Carl LeeCarl Lee is a former professional American football player who played cornerback for twelve seasons for the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints. Carl attended South Charleston High School and played college football at Marshall University....
CB, #39
Paul KrausePaul James Krause is a former professional American football defensive back in the National Football League...
S, #22
Joey BrownerJoey Matthew Browner is a former American Football strong safety for the Minnesota Vikings from 1983 until 1991.-Professional career:...
S, #47 |
Greg Coleman Gregory Jerome Coleman is a retired American football punter who had a 12-year career in the National Football League playing for the Cleveland Browns, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Washington Redskins. He attended Florida A&M University...
P, #8
Fred CoxFrederick William Cox is a former National Football League kicker for the Minnesota Vikings throughout his career . He is also the inventor of the nerf football. However the creators of the nerf materials are Robert Witt and colleagues. Fred was raised in Monongahela, PA, where his family owned a...
K, #14
Darrin NelsonDarrin Milo Nelson is a former professional American football player in the National Football League....
KR, #20
Bill Brown ST, #30 |
Head coaches
{{Main|List of Minnesota Vikings head coaches}}
| Name | Years | Won | Lost | Ties | Winning % | Post Season |
|---|
| 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. Van Brocklin was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.-Early life:Van Brocklin was born in Parade, Dewey County, South...
|
1961-1966 |
29 |
51 |
4 |
.363 |
| Bud Grant Harry Peter "Bud" Grant, Jr is the longtime former American football head coach of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League for eighteen seasons. Grant was the second and fourth head coach of the team...
|
1967-1983 |
151 |
87 |
5 |
.634 |
1968-71, 1973-78, 1980, 1982 |
| Les Steckel Les Steckel was a coach of the Minnesota Vikings for one brief season in 1984. He has also worked as an assistant coach with the San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots, Denver Broncos, Tennessee Titans, Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.-Biography:Steckel was born in Whitehall,...
|
1984 |
3 |
13 |
0 |
.188 |
| Bud Grant Harry Peter "Bud" Grant, Jr is the longtime former American football head coach of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League for eighteen seasons. Grant was the second and fourth head coach of the team...
|
1985 |
7 |
9 |
0 |
.438 |
| Jerry Burns Jerome Burns is a former American football coach. He coached college football, most notably as an assistant and later as the head coach at the University of Iowa...
|
1986-1991 |
52 |
43 |
0 |
.547 |
1987-89 |
| Dennis Green Dennis "Denny" Green is an American football head coach for the California Redwoods of the United Football League...
|
1992-2001 |
97 |
62 |
0 |
.610 |
1992-94, 1996-2000 |
| Mike Tice Michael Peter Tice is an American football National Football League coach, best known as the former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He is currently the Assistant Head Coach/Tight Ends for the Jacksonville Jaguars.-Playing career:Tice attended the University of Maryland, College Park where he...
|
2001-2005 |
32 |
33 |
0 |
.492 |
2004 |
| Brad Childress Brad Childress is the 7th and current head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, a professional American football team. He attended High School at Marmion Military Academy...
|
2006- present |
29 |
24 |
0 |
.547 |
2008 |
Radio and television
{{Unreferenced section|date=September 2009}}
The Vikings' flagship radio station is
KFANKFAN is a sports talk radio station in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area of Minnesota, whose in-house programs also can be heard in North Dakota, Wisconsin and other areas of Minnesota through The FAN Radio Network. KFAN's main studios are in St. Louis Park...
-AM (1130). The games are also heard on the "KFAN Radio Network" in
MinnesotaMinnesota is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. The twelfth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.2 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the...
,
WisconsinWisconsin is one of the fifty U.S. states. Located in the north-central United States, Wisconsin is considered part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the...
,
IowaIowa is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland." It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of...
,
South DakotaSouth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. South Dakota was carved out of the southern half of the Dakota Territory and admitted to the Union on November 2, 1889...
, and
North DakotaNorth Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States of America; on the Canadian border halfway between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans. North Dakota is the 19th largest state by area in the U.S.; it is the 3
rd least populous, with just over 641,481 residents as...
, as well as many other outlets. Paul Allen has been the play-by-play announcer since the
2002 NFL seasonThe 2002 season of the National Football League was the 83rd one played by the major professional American football league in the United States. The league expanded to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each...
and
Pete BercichPete Bercich is a former professional American football player who played linebacker for the University of Notre Dame and for five seasons for the Minnesota Vikings. He has served as the color commentator on the Vikings Radio Network since 2007...
is the analyst, who began his first season in 2007.
Telecasts of preseason games not shown on national networks are aired on
KSTP-TVKSTP-TV, channel 5, is the ABC affiliate for the Twin Cities. Its transmitter is located in Shoreview, Minnesota. It is the flagship station of Hubbard Broadcasting Corporation, which also owns several other TV stations across the United States and some other properties.KSTP is licensed in St...
(Channel 5) in the Twin Cities with
Ari WolfeAri Wolfe is a play-by-play announcer of college and professional sports on both television and radio.Since graduating from the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and obtaining a Masters Degree in Broadcast Journalism in 1997, Wolfe has utilized his versatile...
doing play-by-play.
External links
{{Minnesota Vikings}}
{{Navbox
| name = Minnesota Vikings Ring Of Honor
| title = Minnesota Vikings Ring Of Honor
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| above=Founded in 1961 • Based in
Minneapolis,
MinnesotaMinnesota is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. The twelfth largest state by area in the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.2 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the...
| group1 = 1998 Inductees
| list1 =
Fran TarkentonFrancis Asbury "Fran" Tarkenton is a former professional football player, TV personality, and computer software executive....
• Parl Krause •
Alan PageAlan Cedric Page is a jurist and former professional American football player. He graduated from Canton Central Catholic High School in 1963, received his B.A. in political science from the University of Notre Dame in 1967, and received his J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1978...
•
Jim FinksJames Edward Finks was an American sports executive, primarily for American Professional Football.-Biography:...
•
Bud GrantHarry Peter "Bud" Grant, Jr is the longtime former American football head coach of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League for eighteen seasons. Grant was the second and fourth head coach of the team...
• Fred Zamberletti
| group2 = 1999 Inductees
| list2 =
Jim MarshallJames "Jim" Lawrence Marshall played college football at Ohio State University. He left school before his senior year, and played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League. He was then drafted in the 4th round of the 1960 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns. Marshall played...
| group3= 2001 Inductees
| list3=
Mick TingelhoffHenry Michael "Mick" Tingelhoff was a football center for the Minnesota Vikings from 1962-1978.-College career:Tingelhoff attended the University of Nebraska. He earned three letters during his football career there, but did not become a starter until his senior season in 1961...
•
Ron YaryAnthony Ronald "Ron" Yary is a former professional American football offensive tackle, playing primarily for the Minnesota Vikings and also for the Los Angeles Rams. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001...
•
Korey StringerKorey Damont Stringer was an American football player who died from complications brought on by heat stroke, during training camp in Mankato, Minnesota while in training camp with the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.-College career:Stringer was born in Warren, Ohio and attended...
| group4 = 2002 Inductees
| list4 =
Carl EllerCarl Eller was a professional American football player in the National Football League from 1964 through 1979. He was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and attended the University of Minnesota...
| group5 = 2003 Inductees
| list5 =
Cris CarterCristopher D. Carter is a former American football player in the National Football League. He played wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles , the Minnesota Vikings and the Miami Dolphins ....
| group6 = 2004 Inductees
| list6 = Bill Brown
| group7 = 2005 Inductees
| list7 =
Jerry BurnsJerome Burns is a former American football coach. He coached college football, most notably as an assistant and later as the head coach at the University of Iowa...
| group8 = 2006 Inductees
| list8 =
Randall McDanielRandall McDaniel is a former offensive guard in the National Football League. On January 31, 2009 he was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame...
| group9 = 2007 Inductees
| list9 =
Chuck ForemanChuck Foreman is a retired NFL football player.He was a running back during his NFL career, although he often caught passes out of the backfield.-Early Career:...
| group10 = 2008 Inductees
| list10 =
John RandleJohn Randle is a former NFL defensive end who played for the Minnesota Vikings and the Seattle Seahawks. Born in Hearne, Texas, Randle was raised poor, and worked odd jobs when he was young. His brother Ervin Randle played as a linebacker for eight years...
}}
{{NFL}}
{{Minnesota Sports}}