Minnesota Vikings Dream Team

As players get bigger, stronger and faster coupled with rules of the game

being in constant change, conventional wisdom suggests that players from

different eras cannot be compared. However, I have decided to defy that

notion. 

Considering that the Minnesota Vikings were founded in 1961, the task

becomes quite challenging. Today, I have taken on the daunting task of

compiling an All-Time Vikings team. You have to look long and hard to

find a more cursed franchise in NFL history. Despite having some of the

greatest defenses in NFL history, the Vikings went 0-for-4 in the Super

Bowl from 1969-1976. Despite having one of the best offenses in NFL

history and going 15-1 in 1998, the Vikings fell short in the NFC

Championship Game. In 2009, Brett Favre, who made his legend as a

Green Bay Packer had perhaps his career best season in 2009 as a Viking.

Despite that season, Minnesota fell short in the NFC Championship Game

to New Orleans. 

OK, Viking fans, enough of the torture. There are some rigid criteria in

making this team. The player needed to have played at least four seasons as

a Viking. Since the free agency era began 30 years ago, that standard needs

to be in place. Two-year rentals don’t make this list. Being in the Hall of

Fame is the first consideration coupled with impact on the franchise. The

number of All-Pro seasons are a top consideration with longevity also

helping immensely. While I understand it is hard to compare eras, I’m not

going to convolute this discussion. 

Generational reminders

All eras matter. Being on the Viking teams that were on the doorstep of

winning the Super Bowl does not get you a hall pass on this team. Winning

or losing eras, all high-level performers get considered. 

To further the challenge, we are constructing the roster in two-deep format,

which means some worthy players get left off the list. So, before you make

a case to put someone on the list, ask yourself, “Who do I take off the list at

that position?”  

OFFENSE

QB -- First team: Fran Tarkenton. Honorable mention: Daunte Culpepper.

Tarkenton played 18 seasons with two stints as a Viking, playing five years

for the New York Giants as well. Though Tarkenton gets knocked for three

Super Bowl losses, he took the Vikings from expansion team to perennial

contender. At the time of his retirement, Tarkenton held just about every

passing record known to man. Tarkenton is a Hall of Famer, nine-time Pro

Bowler, two-time All Pro and NFL MVP in 1975. Tarkenton might be the

best scrambling quarterback of all-time. He amassed 3,672 rushing yards and

32 touchdowns. Culpepper played 11 seasons with five different teams, the

first seven with Minnesota. Unfortunately, he was never the same after a

brutal knee injury. Similar to Tarkenton, he was a dual threat. His 20,161

passing yards and 135 touchdown passes are both good for third in franchise

history. He also ran for 29 touchdowns, sixth in franchise history. He made the

Pro Bowl three times and All Pro once. 

RB -- First team: Adrian Peterson, Chuck Foreman. Honorable mention:

Robert Smith, Dave Osborn.

Peterson was one of the most supremely talented running backs to play the

game. Still active with the Washington Redskins, he played ten years with

the Vikings. He is the franchise’s all-time leading rushing despite many of

those years being the only viable threat. Peterson is one of only seven players

to rush for 2,000 in a season. The Hall of Fame awaits Peterson after his career

is over. Peterson is fifth in NFL history in career rushing yards. Foreman was

a dual threat running back before it was en vogue. In seven seasons,

Foreman compiled 8,944 yards from scrimmage and 75 touchdowns.

Foreman ranks third in franchise history in rushing yardage. Foreman was a

five-time Pro Bowler and four-time All Pro (two first-team). Smith is the

franchise’s second all-time leading rusher and is fifth in touchdowns. He

might have been on a Hall of Fame track but retired after eight seasons while

still a high-level performer. Nonetheless, Smith made the Pro Bowl twice and

was second-team All Pro once. Osborn was an underrated staple of the

Vikings offense in the late 1960s to mid 1970s. He was All Pro in 1967 and

Pro Bowl in 1970. He gained 4,320 yards rushing and 29 touchdowns. He

also caught 173 passes for 1,412 yards and seven touchdowns. 

FB -- First team: Bill Brown. Honorable mention: Ted Brown

Both Brown fullbacks were a dual threat long before it became commonplace

for the position. In 13 seasons, Bill Brown compiled 8,934 all-purpose yards.

He scored 76 career touchdowns. Brown was a four-time Pro Bowler and

three-time All Pro as a second-teamer. He was also part of four Super

Bowl participants. In eight seasons, Ted Brown compiled 4.546 yards

rushing (fifth in franchise history) and 40 touchdowns (fourth). He also

added 2,850 receiving yards and 13 scores. 

WR -- First team: Randy Moss, Cris Carter. Honorable mention: Anthony

Carter, Sammy White.

Moss was a mercurial personality that the Vikings eventually grew weary of,

and subsequently traded him. Moss, however, burst onto the scene in 1998

catching 17 touchdowns on the way to winning NFC Offensive Rookie of

the Year. Moss might have been the most talented to ever play the position.

He was a tremendous deep threat. He played seven of his 14 seasons with

the Vikings. He was a six-time Pro Bowler, four-time first-team All Pro and

led the NFL in touchdown receptions five times. In case you are wondering,

all Cris Carter did was catch touchdowns. Carter played 12 of his 16 years

with the Vikings. He is sixth in NFL history in receptions, 13th in yardage

and fourth in touchdowns. Carter’s ability to catch passes near the sideline

were incredible. Carter is a Hall of Famer, eight-time Pro Bowl and two-time

first-team All Pro. Anthony Carter spent nine years with the Vikings with the

peak being three straight Pro Bowls from 1987-1989. His crowning moment

was a 10 catch for 224 yard performance in a 36-24 playoff upset over San

Francisco in 1987. White burst onto the scene immediately and earned

NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors in 1976. In each of his first six

seasons, White eclipsed the 700 yard mark in receiving, which would equal

about 1,200 in today’s game. White made the Pro Bowl twice and was All

Pro three times. 

TE -- First team: Steve Jordan. Honorable mention: Kyle Rudolph.

Jordan is first-team for now but Rudolph could supplant him some day.

Jordan is third in franchise history in receptions (498) and sixth in yardage

(6,307). Jordan was a six-time Pro Bowler and second-team All Pro in

1989. Rudolph recently completed his tenth season, two of which were

Pro Bowl campaigns. Rudolph has 425 career receptions for 47 touchdowns. 

OT -- First team: Ron Yary, Gary Zimmerman. Honorable mention: Tim

Irwin, Grady Alderman

Yary was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1968 draft and lived up to that

advanced billing. Yary had a Hall of Fame career and was one of the best

tackles of his time. Yary was a seven-time Pro Bowler and made first-team

All Pro six times. Yary was part of four teams that reached the Super

Bowl. Zimmerman spent seven years in Minnesota and five in Denver

but as a Hall of Famer, he deserves first-team status. In Minnesota,

Zimmerman was a four-time Pro Bowl and three-time All Pro as a first-

teamer. Alderman was an original Viking and played 14 seasons with the

franchise. Alderman was a six-time Pro Bowl selection and two-time All

Pro (one first-team). Irwin was a mainstay for 13 seasons (1981-1993).

He never made the Pro Bowl but that is no reflection of not being deserving.

Irwin was a very dependable left (blindside) tackle for over a decade. 

OG -- First team: Randall McDaniel, Steve Hutchinson. Honorable

mention: David Dixon, Matt Sunde

McDaniel is one of the most underrated interior lineman in NFL history if

that’s possible being a Hall of Famer, 12-time Pro Bowler and nine-time

first-team All Pro. McDaniel was an incredible athlete and one of the best

in his generation. He missed only two games in his 13 year career.

Hutchinson spent his first five seasons in Seattle before signing with

Minnesota as a free agent in 2006. He spent six years as a Viking. In his

career he was a seven-time Pro Bowler and seven-time All pro (five as a

first-teamer). He is deserving of Hall of Fame induction. Dixon never earned

any Pro Bowl honors in 11 seasons but there is something to be said for

only missing two games in his final seven years. Sunde played all 11 seasons

with the Vikings with his best season being a Pro Bowl campaign in 1969.

He was a 20th round pick and started 113 games. 

C -- First team: Mick Tingelhoff. Honorable mention: Matt Birk.

Tingelhoff was the lynchpin for the Vikings offensive line from 1962-

1978. Tingelhoff played 240 games and never missed a single start in his

17 year career. Tingelhoff is a six-time Pro Bowler and five-time first-team

All Pro. Birk is a St. Paul, MN, native and sixth-round draft pick from

Harvard but became one of the best offensive lineman in franchise history.

Birk spent his first 11 seasons in Minnesota and his last four in Baltimore.

Birk was voted to six Pro Bowls as a Viking along with twice being named

All Pro. 

DEFENSE

DE -- First team: Carl Eller, Jim Marshall. Honorable mention: Chris

Doleman, Jared Allen.

Eller, Marshall and defensive tackle Alan Page were centerpieces of the Purple

People Eaters that led the Vikings to four Super Bowl appearances. Eller

recorded 130.5 sacks, which is an unofficial record since such stats were not

kept until 1982. Eller is a Hall of Famer, six-time Pro Bowler, five-time first-

team All Pro and NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1971. Marshall is

known for his wrong way run but his exclusion from the Hall of Fame is

an abomination, and I’m being kind. Marshall played 19 seasons without

missing a single game. His 270 consecutive games started were an NFL

record, since broken by Brett Favre. Marshall was a Pro Bowler on two

occasions. Doleman was a tremendous combination of quickness and

strength. En route to a Hall of Fame career, Doleman recorded 150.5 career

sacks. He was an eight-time Pro Bowler and five-time All Pro (three first-

team). The Vikings traded two first-round picks to Kansas City to acquire

Allen in 2008. Allen spent six years with the Vikings and recorded at least

11 sacks in each of them. Allen had a league-high 22 sacks in 2011. 

DT -- First team: John Randle, Alan Page. Honorable mention: Kevin

Williams, Keith Millard.

This position is so deep that Pat Williams and Henry Thomas didn’t make

the list because of only four spots available. Page was the complete package

when it came to athleticism and power. Page recorded 108.5 unofficial sacks.

He is a Hall of Famer, nine-time Pro Bowler, six-time All Pro, two-time

NFL Defensive Player of the Year, two-time NFC Defensive Player of the

Year and NFL MVP in 1971. Randle was very loquacious with both his

teammates and opponents. Randle, however, was incredibly quick and at

times unblockable. Randle is a Hall of Famer, seven-time Pro Bowler and

six-time All Pro. Randle was an undrafted free agent and recorded 137.5

sacks. Williams played for the Vikings from 2003-2013 and was one of

the most dominant interior lineman of his time. Williams has a Hall of

Fame worthy resume with 60 career sacks, six Pro Bowls and five first-

team All Pro selections. Larsen was nicknamed the “policeman” because

he covered the run while Eller, Page and Marshall rushed the passer. Larsen

also recorded 38.5 career unofficial sacks. He made the Pro Bowl twice in

his ten seasons in Minnesota. Millard could have been higher on this list if

not for a devasting knee injury. Millard was especially dominant in the

late 1980s. He was a Pro Bowler twice and All Pro four times (two as a

first-teamer). Millard recorded double-digit sack totals in three of seven

years as a Viking. 

OLB -- First team: Matt Blair, Roy Winston. Honorable mention:

Wally Hilgenberg, Chad Greenway.

Blair was a great linebacker who also excelled at special teams, blocking

20 career kicks. Blair appeared in two Super Bowls and was equally adept

against the run and pass. Blair has 16 career interceptions. He was a six-

time Pro Bowler and two-time All Pro (one first-team). Despite being

undersized, Winston was one of the hardest-hitting linebackers of his

generation. He never made the Pro Bowl in 15 seasons but was consistent

over time and appeared in four Super Bowls. Hilgenberg spent his first

four seasons in Detroit and his next 12 in Minnesota. Though he never

earned any Pro Bowl honors, he was a reliable performer and was one of

11 Vikings to reach four Super Bowls. Greenway tore his ACL in his

preseason debut but rebounded to become a tackling machine for 11

years. In that span, he only reached two Pro Bowls but was also an

outstanding team leader. 

ILB -- First team: Scott Studwell, Lonnie Warwick. Honorable

mention: Ben Leber, Eric Kendricks.

Studwell played 14 seasons with the Vikings and was a tackling machine.

Studwell was just a two-time Pro Bowler but longevity and consistent

productivity were his hallmarks. Studwell holds the franchise records in

career tackles (1,981), single season tackles (230) and single game tackles

(25). Warwick played eight seasons with the Vikings and though he never

made the Pro Bowl, he led the team in tackles four times. Leber is best

known for the controversial pass interference call against him in the 2010

NFC Championship Game but make no mistake, he had a solid five years

with the Vikings. In five years as a Viking, he tallied 12 sacks, forced nine

fumbles and had five interceptions. Kendricks recently completed his fifth

season, which happened to be his best in which he reached the Pro Bowl.

He has missed just five games in his career. 

CB -- First team: Bobby Bryant, Antoine Winfield. Honorable

mention: Ed Sharockman, Carl Lee.

Bryant played his entire 13 year career (1968-1980) with the Vikings,

helping them reach four Super Bowls. Bryant had a ballhawk mentality,

intercepting 51 passes, second in franchise history behind Paul Krause.

Bryant was a Pro Bowler and All Pro twice. Winfield played 15 seasons

with three different teams but his longest tenure was nine in Minnesota.

Winfield was tough against both the run and pass. He intercepted 21

career passes as a Viking and made three consecutive Pro Bowls.

Sharockman was an original Viking, playing ten seasons with the

franchise. He never made the Pro Bowl but was a vital cog, intercepting

40 passes, good for third in franchise history. Lee was drafted in the

seventh round and became a solid starter for 11 seasons, two of which

were Pro Bowl seasons, including an All Pro campaign in 1988. His 31

interceptions are sixth in franchise history. 

S -- First team: Paul Krause, Joey Browner. Honorable mention:

Harrison Smith, Karl Kassulke.

Krause was the definition of a bawlhawk on the way to a Hall of Fame

career. Krause, who played his first five seasons with Washinton, is the

NFL’s all-time leader with 81 and the Vikings franchise leader with 53.

Krause was an eight-time Pro Bowler and seven-time All Pro (three

first-team). Browner played nine years as a Viking and was a thumper

against both the run and pass. Browner was a six-time Pro Bowler and

three-time first-team All Pro. He recorded 37 career interceptions and

recorded 17 fumbles. Smith recently completed his ninth season and has

been a mainstay of current head coach Mike Zimmer’s tenure. Smith has

been a Pro Bowl selection each of the last five years. He has 24 career

interceptions, seven fumble recoveries and four touchdowns. Kassulke

was a significant contributor during the franchise’s first decade. He was

a Viking from 1963-1972. Though a motorcycle accident that left him

paralyzed from the waist down curtailed his career, he started 117 games

and intercepted 19 passes. 

SPECIAL TEAMS

K -- First team: Fred Cox. Honorable mention: Ryan Longwell.

Cox was the Vikings kicker for 15 years (1963-1977) and remains the

franchise’s all-time leading scorer. At the time of his retirement, he was

the NFL’s second all-time leading scorer behind George Blanda. Cox

was on all four Viking teams that reached the Super Bowl and reached

the Pro Bowl in 1970. Longwell played six of his 16 years with the

Vikings. Longwell has the highest field goal percentage (86.0) in

franchise history among those attempting at least 100. 

P -- First team: Chris Kluwe. Honorable mention: Mitch Berger.

Kluwe was widely known for his advocacy for same-sex marriage and

gay rights but he’s a no-brainer as the first-team punt on this list. Kluwe

was a Viking for nine seasons. Though never voted to the Pro Bowl,

Kluwe leads the Vikings in nine different all-time punting categories.

Berger bounced around the league, playing for 12 teams over 16 seasons.

His best years came in Minnesota from 1996-2001 with one of them being

an All pro season in 1999. Berger averaged 43.5 yards per punt and

handled kickoff duties as well. 

RETURN -- First team: Percy Harvin. Honorable mention: Tommy

Mason.

Harvin meets the minimum requirement to play on this team, four years

as a Viking. Harvin was electrifying as he averaged 27.9 yards per kickoff

return and scored five touchdowns. Harvin was NFL Rookie of the Year

and All Pro in 2009, helping Minnesota reach the NFC Championship

Game. Mason was an original Viking and played for the franchise for six

seasons. He was a Pro Bowl running back three straight years and in the

process averaged 23.7 yards on kickoff returns and 10.7 on punt returns. 

HEAD COACH -- First team: Bud Grant. Honorable mention:

Dennis Green.

Both Grant and Green have the dreaded “couldn’t win the big one” stigma

but their teams were consistently successful in their tenures. Grant coached

from 1967-1983 and again in 1985. In his 18 seasons, Minnesota was in

the playoffs 13 times, won ten division titles, reached five NFC

Championship Games and four Super Bowls. Grant, who is in the Hall of

Fame, was known for having teams that played with discipline and were

battle hardened for cold weather games. Green was among the first black

coaches to lead a franchise as a head coach. In Green’s ten seasons, the

Vikings were in the playoffs eight times, won four division titles and

reached two conference title games. His best attribute was helping fellow

assistant coaches advance their careers. 

TEAM -- 1998. This version of the Vikings is often tabbed as the best not

to win a Super Bowl. They became the first team in NFL history to go

15-1 in the regular season and not win the Super Bowl. The Vikings

scored a single-season record 556 points led by quarterback Randall

Cunningham, the receiver tandem of Cris Carter and Randy Moss along

with running back Robert Smith. The defense, led by Hall of Famer John

Randle, was ranked No. 6 in the NFL. Kicker Gary Anderson became the

first in NFL history to make every field goal and extra point he attempted.

The untimely missed field goal against the Atlanta Falcons in the

NFC Championship game, however, led to a 30-27 in overtime. The

Denver Broncos went on to beat Atlanta 34-19 in the Super Bowl. That

season, fans were clamouring for a Minnesota-Denver showdown.