Facts and information about the Minnesota Vikings

• Hall-of-Fame Quarterback Fran Tarkenton started and ended his career with the Vikings, but in the middle he played for the New York Giants.

• Vikings running back Chuck Foreman had his rushing record he set at the University of Miami broken by future Cardinal and Giant running back Ottis Anderson.

• Vikings running back Robert Smith led the NFL in rushing during the 2000 season. He retired after that season at the top of his game.

• Vikings star John Randle was not drafted in the NFL Draft, every team passed on him.

• Running Back D.J. Dozier also played baseball in the New York Mets system.

• The Minnesota Vikings franchise was given to owner Max Winter in exchange for him backing out of his plans to buy an expansion team in the AFL and putting it in Minnesota.

• Defensive Lineman Jim Marshall once scored a safety for the opposition by recovering a fumble and running the wrong way into the Vikings’ own endzone.

• Defensive Lineman Alan Page had an interesting post-football career; judge.

• The Vikings Defense was at one-time known as the Purple People Eaters.

• The Vikings were the first expansion team ever to win the first game they played, defeating the Chicago Bears.

• The Minnesota Vikings were the first team to play in four Super Bowls, as well as the first team to lose in four Super Bowls.

• The Vikings were founded in 1961 when the ownership group withdrew its franchise application with the AFL and instead joined the rival NFL.

• Hall-of-Fame Defensive Tackle and former Viking, Alan Page was the first player inducted into the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame who had grown up in Canton, Ohio where the Hall-of-Fame resides. The second player to accomplish this was Dan Dierdorf. Incidentally, Alan Page also worked construction on the actual Pro Football Hall-of-Fame building, long before he would enter it as an inductee.

• The Vikings won their first regular season game ever, beating the Chicago Bears 37-13 in 1961.

• Original Quarterback Fran Tarkenton was traded to the New York Giants in 1967 for a 1^st and 2^nd round draft pick in 1967, a 1^st round pick in 1968, and a 2^nd round pick in 1969. Then, in 1972 the Vikings traded Norm Snead, Bob Grim, Vince Clements, a 1^st round draft pick in 1972, and a 1^st round draft pick in 1973 to get Tarkenton back.

• In 1971, Defensive Lineman Alan Page became the first defensive player ever to win the Most Valuable Player award given by the Associated Press.

• When former Quarterback Fran Tarkenton retired after the 1978 season he held the NFL records for passing attempts, passing completions, total passing yards, and passing touchdowns.

• The Vikings moved to the Metrodome in 1982 and won the first game ever played there, a preseason game against the Seahawks, 7-3.

• The first touchdown scored in the Metrodome was a pass from Tommy Kramer to Joe Senser.

• The 1970s Minnesota Vikings owe much of their initial success to the Canadian Football League. General Manager Jim Finks came to the Vikings from Canada, he then hired Head Coach Bud Grant from the CFL, and brought Quarterback Joe Kapp from the Canadian Football League as well.

• Running Back Rickey Young scored the first regular season touchdown in the Metrodome in a 17-10 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

• Bud Grant retired as Head Coach of the Vikings after 17 seasons on January 27, 1984. He was replaced by Les Steckel who lasted only one season. Former Coach Bud Grant was then rehired on December 18, 1984 to coach the team again, only staying for one season this time.

• In the famous Herschel Walker trade with the Cowboys in 1989, the Vikings received: Herschel Walker; a 3^rd, 5^th, and 10^th round draft pick in 1990, as well as an additional 3^rd round draft pick in 1991. While, the Cowboys received: Issiac Holt, David Howard, Darrin Nelson, Jesse Solomon, and Alex Stewart. The Cowboys also received; a 1^st, 2^nd, and 6^th round pick in 1990; a 1^st and 2^nd round pick in 1991; plus a 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd round pick in the 1992 NFL draft. This trade is often credited with building what would become the Dallas Cowboys dynasty of the early 1990’s.

• During the 1998 season the Vikings led by Randall Cunningham, Robert Smith, Cris Carter, and rookie Randy Moss, never scored less than 24 points in any of their games.

• When former Vikings Defensive Lineman, and Hall-of-Famer, Alan Page was re-elected as Associate Justice in 1998 he garnered more votes than any other candidate, in any other election, in Minnesota state history ever had.

• After the 1998 season, and a loss to the Atlanta Falcons in the playoffs, the Vikings became the first team to go 15-1 in the regular season and not make the Super Bowl.

• Running Back Robert Smith retired from professional football following only eight years in the league after the 2000 season.

• On October 11, 1964 due to an equipment and communication failure, the Vikings played the Lions and both teams wore their white jerseys. By the middle of the second quarter the Vikings were able to make the change to their purple jerseys avoiding further confusion.

• The first former Viking to be inducted into the Hall-of-Fame was Fran Tarkenton in 1986, followed by Alan Page two years later.

• Hall-of-Fame NFL Quarterback Norm Van Brocklin was the Vikings first Head Coach from 1961-1966.

• In 1979, Vikings Defensive Lineman Alan Page became the first active NFL player to complete a marathon

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