The Minnesota Vikings and Bud Grant are making a strong push to get former defensive end Jim Marshall enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
When talking about the greatest players ever to suit up for the Minnesota Vikings, many of those names will be from the era when the Purple People Eaters dominated opposing teams on the football field.
Half of the players from that defensive line are currently in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Both Alan Page and Carl Eller have been enshrined with Jim Marshall and Gary Larsen still hopeful for their chance one day.
The Vikings are hoping that day comes soon for Jim Marshall, who was part of the 1969 NFL Championship team as well as a 4 time Pro Bowl and All-Pro. In fact, the franchise is pushing to get the defensive tackle enshrined according to the Star Tribune with the help of a former head coach.
One of the biggest supporters of this campaign by the Vikings is former head coach Bud Grant who has gone on record to say that he will do anything in his power to correct the injustice of him not yet being enshrined in the Hall of Fame.
"More from The Viking Age6 biggest draft steals in Minnesota Vikings historyFormer Vikings first-round pick could reportedly return to NFC NorthBears analyst has extremely embarrassing Kirk Cousins take6 Vikings who (maybe) won’t make the 53-man roster in 2023Predicting what the Vikings will do in the 2023 NFL Draft based on 2022“I love Jim Marshall. He’s one of the most unique guys I ever coached. When I talk about him, it won’t be a bunch of baloney, either. I haven’t done this a lot. I haven’t stepped up to this degree, so I think the credibility is there.”"
Sadly, while Marshall had an amazing career dominating the line of scrimmage, he is best remembered for a play against the 49ers in 1964 where he recovered a fumble and returned it to the wrong end zone. At -66 yards, it is considered the shortest play in the NFL record books and is a blemish on an otherwise amazing career that should land him in the Hall of Fame.
"“It’s one of the big injustices in football,” Grant said. “It’s a problem that needs fixing.”"
Next: Vikings 2017 schedule breakdown
Of course, now that Jim Marshall has been out of the NFL for over 25 years, his enshrinement will depend on the voting of a 9 person senior selection committee. However, it is not impossible to get in this way, as former Minnesota Vikings offensive lineman Mick Tingelhoff found out in 2015.