Which 30 Minnesota Vikings players should be considered the absolute best?
Since the team’s first season in 1961, the Minnesota Vikings have had many very talented players take the field in their purple and gold uniform.
Not all of these players took the same path to the Vikings though. Minnesota drafted some, some signed with the team in free agency, some played in the USFL before joining the Vikings, and some were even claimed on the waiver wire by Minnesota.
In their history, the Vikings have had 22 players inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, 32 earn at least one First-Team All-Pro selection, and 100 get voted to at least one Pro Bowl. Some of the greatest players in NFL history spent the majority of their careers in Minnesota.
So of everyone to ever suit up for the Vikings since 1961, which 30 players should be considered among the franchise’s greatest of all-time?
All-time Greatest Minnesota Vikings: No. 30 – Bill Brown
While his name might not be immediately recognizable to casual Vikings fans, there is plenty to love when it comes to former Minnesota running back Bill Brown, who dominated his competition with an aggressive style that punished the defenders of other teams.
Coming to the Vikings in 1962 after spending one season with the Chicago Bears, the former first-round draft pick was a member of the 1969 NFL Championship team and was for four-time Pro Bowl and three-time All-Pro during his 14-season career.
During his time with the Vikings, Brown picked up 5,757 yards running the ball and 3,177 through the air, totaling 8,934 offensive yards. He added 52 touchdowns on the ground and 23 through the air, and one score on a kick return.
The Vikings recognized his contributions to the team and placed Brown in the team’s Ring of Honor and made him one of their 50 Greatest Vikings after spending 13 seasons with Minnesota.
– Adam Carlson