Fearless Minnesota Vikings since 1960

Learn the entire history of the Minnesota Vikings which includes how they were founded in 1961 and their current struggles with the NFL. Hagart on their golden Bud Grant years, the mythical Purple People Eaters defense, heart-wrenching Super Bowl visits, the reign of Randy Moss and Adrian Peterson, and the ascendancy of Justin Jefferson. The full history of championships, competitions, history, and memorable events in Vikings football history.

 

 

Founding & Early Years (1960–1969)

• Birth of the Franchise (1960):

o The Minnesota Vikings had been established on January 28, 1960, as an expansion team of the NFL.

o The name of the team was formed to represent the powerful Scandinaval culture of Minnesota and the warrior-like and fierceness of the Vikings.

o Some of the founding owners included Max Winter, Bill Boyer, H.P. Skoglund and Bernie Ridder.

o Vikings came into play in 1961 NFL.

• First Head Coach:

o Norm Van Brocklin who had played with Philadelphia Eagles as a star quarterback was hired by the franchise as their first head coach.

• First Game:

o The first regular-season game of its history was on September 17, 1961 when the Vikings used rookie QB Fran Tarkenton off the bench to pass four touchdowns in a 3713 win over the Chicago Bears.

o Tarkenton turned into a representative of the team and a future Hall of Famer.

• Early Struggles:

o The 1960s were largely a construction decade. The Vikings had a losing record during the first six seasons, but gradually became a hard defense under Van Brocklin.

The Bud Grant Era and the Purple People Eaters (1967–1983).

It was the golden age of Vikings, which was marked by the triumph in the NFC and the defeat in the Super Bowl.

• Bud Grant Takes Over (1967):

o In 1967, it hired legendary coach Bud Grant who had made the CFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers successful.

o Grant developed a power house by his reputation of a stoic approach and disciplined teams.

• The Purple People Eaters:

o The defense of the Vikings was so feared by the rest of the league that they were dubbed the Purple People Eaters due to their ability to pass rush and run defense.

o Key players:

• Alan Page (DT, Hall of Famer)
• Carl Eller (DE, Hall of Famer)
• Jim Marshall (DE, NFL ironman)
• Gary Larsen (DT)

o They have a motto of meeting at the quarterback.

Democracy (NFC)- Super Bowl Heartbreaks:

o 1969: Vikings 12-2 and NFL Champs (before the merger), lost Super Bowl IV to Kansas City Chiefs (23- 7).

o Vikings Since the merger of AFL and NFL in 1970, the Vikings have been contenders in the NFC every year:

• Super Bowl VIII (1973) – Lost to Miami Dolphins ( 24-7 )
• PARTICULAR Super Bowl IX (1974) – Lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers (16-6)
• Super Bowl XI (1976) – Super Bowl evacuated to the Oakland Raiders (32-14)

o In eight years, they had four Super Bowl appearances, but they still had no championship.

• Offensive Stars:

o QB Fran Tarkenton came back in 1972 when he was traded with Giants and became the NFL MVP in 1975.

o WR Ahmad Rashad and RB Chuck Foreman were additional offensive fire.

Transformation after Grant and 1980s Rivalries (1984-1991)

• Bud Grant retired temporarily after the season of 1983 and came back one year later, in 1985, after which he retired once again.
• The team rotated coaches (Les Steckel, Jerry Burns) and quarterbacks but still were in the same contention.
• Key moments:

o 1987 Playoffs: As a team in the wildcard, the Vikings upset the highly favored San Francisco 49ers in the Divisional Round, but were beaten by Washington in the NFC Championship.

o Anthony Carter (WR), Tommy Kramer (QB) and Chris Doleman (DE) were some of the star players.

 

The Dennis Green Years (1992–2001)

The offensive fire power returned in the 1990s.

• Dennis Green Hired (1992):

o Green made history as the first African American head coach of Vikings.

o In 10 seasons, he took Vikings to the playoffs eight times.

• Randy Moss Era (1998):

o WR Randy Moss was drafted in 1998, and together with Cris Carter and QB Randall Cunningham formed one of the most powerful offenses in NFL history.

o The Vikings of 1998 finished 151, record points in the NFL (556), and were on the verge of going to a Super Bowl.

o Heartbreak When they backed Atlanta Falcons in NFC title by missing field goal through Gary Anderson.

• Key Players:

o Daunte Culpepper (QB), Robert Smith (RB), and John Randle (DT) were the foundation of the late 1990s and early 2000s.

 

The Rollercoaster 2000s (2002–2013)

• Mike Tice Era (2002–2005):

o Half baked performance and lack of deep play offs.

o Notorious due to the Love Boat scandal in 2005 which generated bad publicity.

• Adrian Peterson Era (2007–2016):

o Adrian Peterson was a quick upgrade to all-time great running backs, and he was drafted in 2007.

o 2012: Peterson has 2,097 yards that ranked second in NFL history, earning NFL MVP.

o 2009: The Vikings reached the NFC Championship and had QB Brett Favre when the Vikings went 12-4 and lost a heartbreaker in overtime to the New Orleans Saints.

The Minneapolis Miracle (2014-2021) and Mike Zimmer Era (2014-2021).

• Zimmer’s Arrival (2014):

o Zimmer was defensive-minded, which made him tough and provided the best defense.

• U.S. Bank Stadium (2016):

o The Vikings are now in their beautiful new home at downtown Minneapolis after a long stay in the Metrodome.

The Minneapolis Miracle (2017 Playoffs):

o Case Keenum, a QB of the NFL franchise, used a last-second TD to WR to defeat the New Orleans Saints 2924 in the Divisional Round.

o The Vikings were defeated by Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Final.

• Key Stars:

o Stefon Diggs, Adam Thielen, Harrison Smith, Dalvin Cook, and QB Kirk Cousins (signed in 2018).

 

Era Kevin O’Connell Recent Years (2022-present)

• New Direction:

o In 2022, Kevin O’Connell was hired by the Vikings in order to introduce an offensive mindset.

o They won the NFC North that season and went 13 4 with the help of QB Kirk Cousins and superstar WR Justin Jefferson, who took the Offensive Player of the Year award.

o Known as the 11 one-score winning team in 2022.

• Justin Jefferson’s Rise:

o Jefferson, who was drafted in 2020, was fast becoming one of the best receivers in the NFL, becoming the first in the history of the NFL to record several receiving yards in his first three years.

Team Identity & Legacy

• Purple, Gold, White colors: Team Colors.
• Mascot: “Viktor the Viking”
• Fight Song: Skol Vikings- Skol is a Scandinavian word that means cheers or victory.
• Rivalries:

o Green Bay Packers (Border Battle)

o Chicago Bears

o Miami Dolphins (all foes in the NFC North)

o Intermittent competitions with New Orleans Saints ( because of several playoff games).

 

Hall of Famers (Notable)

• Fran Tarkenton (QB)
• Alan Page (DT)
• Carl Eller (DE)
• Chris Doleman (DE)
• Randall McDaniel (G)
• Cris Carter (WR)
• Randy Moss (WR)
• John Randle (DT)
• Paul Krause (S) – record-holder in NFL history in interceptions.

 

Overall Achievements (as of 2025)

• Modelo Adidas would own a single NFL Championship: 1 (1969, before losing to Super Bowl IV).
• Super Bowl Applications: 4 (0-4 record)
• NFC Championships: 4 (1969, 1973, 1974, 1976)
• Division Titles: 20+
• Playoff Appearances: 30+

 

Conclusion

The history of Minnesota Vikings is one of long-lasting greatness, rough competitions, and incessant chase of the championship.

Since the mighty fortifications of the Purple People Eaters days, all the way to the switch-knife attack of Randy Moss, Adrian Peterson and Justin Jefferson, the team has created a history of renovating football and losing by a hair.

They have never won the Super Bowl but still have been one of the greatest teams in the NFL history, and their resilience, fan hardiness, and history makes them one of the most iconic teams in the league.

This story of the Vikings and their first Lombardi Trophy is still considered to be one of the most interesting ones in the realm of professional sport an incomplete story of determination, success, and Skol pride.

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