The first overall selection of the 1968 NFL Draft out of USC, Ron Yary won the right tackle position during his second season in Minnesota as a protector of quarterback Joe Kapp. He is the first-ever offensive lineman to be picked with the first pick in a draft.
In Yary’s rookie year, the Vikings made the playoffs for the first time in franchise history and he was a key part of the 1969 NFL Championship team despite missing three games of the season due to a previous military commitment.
Proving to be one of the most solid and competitive players to ever put on a Vikings uniform, Yary missed only two games due to injury in his career, with both being because of a broken ankle.
He appeared in seven Pro Bowls, was a member of eight All-Pro teams, joined the Vikings Ring of Honor, was named to the NFL 1970s All-Decade Team, and was a part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame class of 2001.
– AC