Posts with players, coaches, and other topics from the Minnesota Vikings for The Football History Dude podcast, covering the history of the NFL.
Every pro football fan knows that the Minnesota Vikings went to four Super Bowls during the 1970s. They lost them all. After each, the questions why flourished. You heard excuses such as Their front lines on offense and defense weren’t strong enough. Or their overall team speed wasn’t fast enough or quick enough. Or their … Read more
From the late 1960s through the late 1970s, the Vikings’ storyline was great promise followed by bitter disappointment. It all started in 1969. In 1961, the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings were born in expansion. Under the direction of Head Coach Norm Van Brocklin, they achieved a winning record in just their fourth season, going 8–5–1 in … Read more
This week Scottie Graham rides shotgun with me in the DeLorean to head back to his playing days at The Ohio State University and in the NFL. Hailing from Long Beach, Scottie found himself at The Ohio State University and ended up becoming a three-year starter and voted Captain in his senior season. For his … Read more
In 1975, the cover of Sports Illustrated identified Soviet weightlifter Vasily Alekseyev as “The World’s Strongest Man.” Few could contradict that claim. His achievements spoke for themselves. At the time, Alekseyev was preparing to win his sixth consecutive World Superheavyweight Championship. What Made Alekseyev So Powerful? When he was just 11 years old, Vasily was put to … Read more
Fifty years after he retired, Joe Kapp is still the only QB in history who played in the Rose Bowl, a Grey Cup championship game, and the Super Bowl. After a successful college career at Cal, Joe Kapp began his professional football career in 1959, playing for the Calgary Stampeders. Then, in 1961, Calgary traded … Read more