#Purple people eater pro#

In 1976, The Vikings would win yet another divisional title and would make it to their third Super Bowl in four years and fourth overall. The win was not without controversy fans continued to argue that Cowboy's receiver Drew Pearson pushed Vikings cornerback Nate Wright.

The season would come to a disappointing end as the Cowboys would pull off a Hail Mary pass to beat the Vikings in the Divisional round 17-14. In 1975 the Vikings' defense gave up the fewest total yards for the third time in 7 years. Super Bowl IX would be Larsen's last game. However they lost in a 16-6 defensive struggle to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Sutherland would go on to start in Super Bowl IX as the Vikings were once again NFC Champions. In 1974, Doug Sutherland would start in place of Gary Larsen and continue for the next seven years. In 1973, Alan Page was named NEA Defensive player of the year as the Vikings would return to their second Super Bowl in five years. With the Vikings intimidating line leading their defense and their future Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton leading the offense, the Vikings went on to participate in Super Bowl's VIII, IX, and XI. That year, Carl Eller was voted NEA NFL Defensive Player of the Year and Defensive tackle Alan Page became the first and only defensive lineman to be voted NFL MVP. In 1971 the Vikings for the third year in a row gave up the fewest points and gave up the 2nd fewest yards.

#Purple people eater pro#

Meanwhile, Page, Eller and Larsen all made the Pro Bowl. The next year, the Vikings defense once again gave up the fewest points, fewest yards, and recorded 49 sacks. This app combination led the team to their first NFL Championship and to Super Bowl IV, where they lost in a 23-7 upset to the Kansas City Chiefs. Their offense was just as impressive by scoring the most points. In 1969, all four members of the Vikings front line made the Pro Bowl as the defense gave up the fewest points, fewest yards, and sacked the opposing quarterback 50 times. Meanwhile, Marshall, Eller and Page all made the Pro Bowl.

In 1968, the defense led the Vikings to their first divisional title. This foursome went down as one of the most intimidating Front Fours in NFL history. Then in 1967, the Vikings drafted Alan Page in the first round. In the next season they acquired Gary Larsen from the Los Angeles Rams. In 1964, Carl Eller was drafted in the first round. When the Minnesota Vikings first came into the NFL in 1961, they picked up Jim Marshall From the Cleveland Browns in the expansion draft. 1 The building of the Purple People Eaters.Many fans, sports writers, players, and coaches argue that Jim Marshall should be in the Hall of Fame as well. Despite not winning a Super Bowl in any of their 4 trips (Super Bowls IV, VIII, IX and XI), the Vikings' defense is considered arguably among the greatest defense of all time.Ĭarl Eller and Alan Page were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The Purple People Eaters were one of the most identifiable Front Fours in National Football League history, with the ' Fearsome Foursome' of the Los Angeles Rams during the 1960s and early 1970s, the ' Steel Curtain' of the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 1970s, and the ' New York Sack Exchange' of the New York Jets during the 1980s. The Purple People Eaters were a major factor in the post-season success of the Vikings from the late 1960s through the 1970s. One of the original members of the defensive line, Gary Larsen, was replaced in the mid-1970s by Doug Sutherland. Defensive tackle Gary Larsen, 2 Pro Bowl Selections (1969, 1970).Defensive end Jim Marshall, 2 Pro Bowl Selections (1968, 1969).The motto of the Purple People Eaters was 'Meet at the quarterback.' The term is a reference to a popular song from 1958, the superb efficiency of the defense, and the color of their uniforms. Purple People Eaters (sometimes Purple Gang) is a term for the defensive line of the Minnesota Vikings from the late 1960s to the late 1970s.