1. Jared Allen

Jared is the Vikings’ current great white. He hunts down quarterbacks like a true apex predator. Sometimes he hunts down real animals too. And kills them with spears.

2. Antoine Winfield

Antoine’s probably not big enough to be a great white. Maybe he’s a mako. What’s a mako anyway? Maybe I should watch Shark Week and find out.

3. Robert Griffith

Griffith was the definition of the hard-hitting safety. What I wouldn’t give to have him back there right now, just spearing dudes. Taking proper ANGLES.

4. John Randle

Randle was quick and agile like a shark. Can sharks do spin moves? Oh yeah, they can. Well it’s not exactly the same thing but it’s close. Anyway, Randle was definitely a great white. He’d take your head off and smile doing it.

5. Chris Doleman

Nobody in Vikings history stalked quarterbacks like Chris Doleman. He got into the Hall of Fame for doing it. When he got a QB in his sights, it was pretty much like this scene from Jaws. And their moms would come all dressed in black and slap Roy Scheider in the face. Yup, I’ve seen that movie way too many times.

6. Al Noga

Okay Al Noga was never the great white. He was an okay defensive end who got lucky playing on a line with multiple Pro-Bowlers and had himself a couple good seasons as a result. He’s only on here cause he went to Hawaii and I figured that meant he had to be on here. He probably surfs, right?

7. Joey Browner

1,100 career tackles (estimated cause that wasn’t an official stat back in the day), 37 picks and 18 forced fumbles. That’s a safety. And a GREAT WHITE.

8. Scott Studwell

Hey we need a linebacker on here. I’m gonna snub all the linebackers? No way. Studwell, definite great white. Bringing the pain. And the crazy. LOTS of crazy.

9. Carl Eller

Carl Eller’s a legend. If he were a shark he’d be that shark from years ago that terrorized the sea, eating sailors right and left, and all the old-timers sit around with their pints and their hook hands telling the tales. You know, old guys with gray beards and sweaters. And really comical accents.

10. Paul Krause

He didn’t stalk quarterbacks or ball carriers so much. He stalked the ball. 81 career interceptions. Stealing the ball from the other team was his specialty. It was a little bit like this (warning: language) maybe. Like stealing somebody’s fish off their line. Kind of. (I did say it was a strained tie-in post).

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Chris Doleman has his bust in Canton alongside the other greats of NFL history, including his Vikings teammates John Randle and Randall McDaniel. Chris was introduced at Canton Saturday night by his son Evan and went on to give a heartfelt speech, thanking numerous people and institutions including Zygi Wilf and the current Vikings organization. He also took a moment to remember former GM Mike Lynn who recently passed away. A full transcript of Doleman’s speech can be found here. Video here.

After a stellar career at Pitt, Doleman was drafted by the Vikings with the 4th overall pick in 1985. He was installed as a pass rushing OLB in the Vikings’ 3-4 scheme, recording his first half-sack against the Packers on November 10th, 1985. When the Vikes went 4-3 Doleman was moved to defensive end…and the rest is history. Chris grew into one of the great sack artists in NFL history, finishing his career with 150 1/2, including 21 in 1989. Doleman made his first Pro Bowl in 1987 and would return 7 more times, the last in 1997 as a member of the 49ers. He would be selected to 3 All-Pro teams and would be named a member of the NFL’s official all-decade team for the ’90s.

The Vikings had two periods of dominance on the defensive line, first with Alan Page, Carl Eller, Jim Marshall and the Purple People Eater gang, then again in the late ’80s and early ’90s with Doleman, Keith Millard, Henry Thomas and a little later John Randle. If you’re a Viking fan who grew to love the team in either of those eras, you love defensive line play and you love sack artists like Chris Doleman. Defensive line IS the identity of the Minnesota Vikings as a franchise and Doleman is one of the men who forged that identity. He was, quite simply, a bad-ass crusher of quarterbacks.

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Let’s forget about Carter’s snubbing and focus on Doleman. The newly-minted Hall of Famer was an 8-time Pro Bowler, a 3-time All-Pro and a member of the NFL’s official all-decade team. He finished with 150 1/2 career sacks, good for fourth all-time (keeping in mind that sacks didn’t become an official stat until 1982). His greatest year was 1989 when he recorded 21 sacks, the Vikings all-time record until 2011 when Jared Allen broke it. In all, Doleman topped the double-digit mark in sacks 8 times. Interesting fact: Doleman’s second-best season sack-wise came not as a member of the Vikings but the 49ers. But most will remember him from his time with the Vikings, when he led a fearsome defensive line that also included Keith Millard, Henry Thomas and Al Noga.

The Vikings of the 1990s are now represented in the Hall of Fame by three men: Doleman, John Randle and Randall McDaniel. One day Cris Carter will join them. Hopefully.

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