Minnesota Vikings 1960s All-Decade Team
The 1960s was an interesting decade for the Minnesota Vikings. The decade started with arguably the greatest debut in NFL history, a stunning 37-13 win over the Chicago Bears. The decade ended with the team’s first Super Bowl appearance. In between, there were a lot of losses. They were an expansion team. There was also a lot of fun. The offense, guided by Fran Tarkenton, was often wildly entertaining. Norm Van Brocklin and Bud Grant were the head coaches. The two could not be more different as individuals or coaches, on and off the field. The Vikings of the 1960s were loaded with outrageous personalities. I highly recommend Karl Kassulke’s biography for an up-close look at the teams and individuals. Here’s a look at some of the best players of the Minnesota Vikings’ first decade.
Minnesota Vikings 1960s All-Decade Team
Offense
Quarterback
Fran Tarkenton
This is an easy one. I envy every fan that was in the Metropolitan Stadium stands on September 17, 1961. In the franchise’s first game, Fran Tarkenton came off the bench to lead the Vikings to a win over the Chicago Bears. His scrambling ways was thrilling for everyone but his head coach. I suppose if Tarkenton and Van Brocklin had gotten along, the Vikings never would’ve turned to Bud Grant in 1967.
Halfback
Tommy Mason
When I visited the Minnesota Vikings Museum in 2019 I was thrilled to find a Tommy Mason exhibit. I’ve always felt that his Vikings career had been lost to history, that he was only a footnote as the team’s first draft pick. Hopefully, that exhibit will introduce Mason to today’s fans. He was probably the Vikings’ first star. He made the first of his three Pro Bowls in his second season. He was All-Pro in his third season. Just when he was hitting his stride, injuries started whittling away at his great talent. It’s tough to leave Dave Osborn off of this team but Mason’s three great seasons get him the halfback spot on this team.
Fullback
Bill Brown
Bill Brown was the picture of a 1960s NFL fullback. This was an era when a fullback was often a team’s top running threat. This was an era of Jim Brown, Jim Taylor, Rick Casares, and Alex Webster. Bill Brown was one of the league’s best. The Bears traded Brown to the Vikings. George Halas lived the rest of his life regretting it.
Wide Receivers
Paul Flatley
Gene Washington
Paul Flatley is the first of four (should be five) Vikings receivers to be named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. He made one Pro Bowl in his five years with the team. He probably should’ve made three. Flatley is an easy choice for one of the receiver spots. The other spot isn’t so easy. Jerry Reichow was a strong contributor at the start of the decade. Gene Washington was a big play threat at the end of the decade. I’m going with the big play threat.
Tight End
John Beasley
One of the biggest offensive changes in the NFL from the 1960s to today is the evolution of the tight end. Tight ends of the 1960s were really more extra lineman than receiver. Mike Ditka, John Mackey, and Jerry Smith were impact pass-catching tight ends but they were exceptions. Tight ends of the 1960s more often resembled Jim Kleinsasser. Blocking or catching, the Vikings of the 1960s had modest tight ends, at best. Gordie Smith and John Beasley were the most productive. In a very difficult decision, I’m going with Beasley.
Offensive Tackles
Grady Alderman
Doug Davis
Two Vikings played the entirety of the 1960s. Everyone knows about Jim Marshall. Everyone should know about Grady Alderman. He should be in the Ring of Honor. He’s been waiting way too long for the recognition that his career deserves. He was the Vikings left tackle from 1961-73. He missed one game. He went to six Pro Bowls and was named 2nd Team All-Pro twice. Alderman was a great offensive tackle. It feels like the right tackle spot should go to Ron Yary. He was drafted in 1968 but didn’t take over the right tackle job until 1969. His six starts that season might be enough to be the right tackle on this All-Decade Team. He was that good. Instead, I’ll go with the player that Yary put on the bench. Doug Davis.
Offensive Guards
Milt Sunde
Larry Bowie
Milt Sunde benefitted from playing between Grady Alderman and Mick Tingelhoff and is an easy pick at left guard. Sunde made the Pro Bowl in 1966. Larry Bowie was the Vikings starting right guard for most of the 1960s.
Center
Mick Tingelhoff
This is an easy one. Mick Tingelhoff was arguably the NFL’s best center in the 1960s.
Defense
Defensive Ends
Jim Marshall
Carl Eller
Anyone picking a defensive end other than Jim Marshall and Carl Eller should be booted to the Packers. Idiots will not be tolerated in this fan base.
Defensive Tackles
Alan Page
Gary Larsen
Bud Grant was notoriously reluctant to play rookies. He couldn’t keep Alan Page on the bench very long. I didn’t see Page play until the 1970s. He was incredible during those years. I’ve never seen a defensive lineman take over a game like he could. I wish that I had seen him play in his early years. I met Page in Canton at Cris Carter’s Hall of Fame induction. It was a truly great moment.
It’s between Paul Dickson and Gary Larsen for the other defensive tackle spot. While I believe that Dickson is an underrated player in Vikings history and Larsen benefitted greatly from the attention paid to Page, Larsen’s best years were better than Dickson’s best years.
Linebackers
Rip Hawkins
Lonnie Warwick
Roy Winston
I probably should go with the terrific linebacker trio that closed the decade. Wally Hilgenberg, Lonnie Warwick, and Roy Winston. However, Hilgenberg didn’t enter the starting lineup until the second half of the 1968 season. In putting together a team like this, I try to keep the players in the positions that they played on the field. For the Vikings best linebackers of the 1960s, I can’t help but pick the three best linebackers. Rip Hawkins was one of the team’s best linebackers. He’s the only one that earned an invitation to the Pro Bowl during the decade. Like Warwick, he played in the middle. For this team, Hawkins is on the outside. I think that he could do it.
Cornerbacks
Earsell Mackbee
Ed Sharockman
Bobby Bryant was the Vikings best cornerback that played during the 1960s. He only started 10 games during the decade. Earsell Mackbee and Ed Sharockman were the starting cornerbacks during most of the 1960s. They were good. At times, they were pretty good.
Safeties
Paul Krause
Karl Kassulke
I really liked this safety duo. Paul Krause and Karl Kassulke were so different as players. Krause was the rover. Kassulke was the hammer. Kassulke was nearing the end of his career in 1972 but he still had some solid football left. His lone Pro Bowl was in 1970. His career ended when a motorcycle accident while on the way to training camp left him paralyzed.
Special Teams
Kicker
Fred Cox
This is another easy one. 1961 and 1962 were the only years that Fred Cox wasn’t the Vikings kicker. Plus, he’s the inventor of the nerf football.
Punter
Bobby Walden
Bobby Walden might be best remembered for his long career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. His best years were his first four years with the Vikings.
Returners
Charlie West
Hugh McElhenny
Charlie West was the Vikings top returner in 1968 and 1969. He was very good at returning both kicks and punts. His highlight was a 98-yard punt return score in 1968.
I had to include Hugh McElhenny on this All-Decade Team. He was the big name from the 1961 Expansion Draft. He was at the end of his brilliant career but the “old man” still had some football in him. He made the Pro Bowl in 1961. Like Barry Sanders, every McElhenny run was an adventure. There was always a chance the adventure might end in the end zone. In 1961, he returned a punt 94 yards for a score and led the league with 1731 all-purpose yards. He may have been a shell of the player that he once was but he brought a lot of football fun to Minnesota that first season.
Minnesota Vikings 1960s All-Decade Team
Offense
Quarterback
Fran Tarkenton
This is an easy one. I envy every fan that was in the Metropolitan Stadium stands on September 17, 1961. In the franchise’s first game, Fran Tarkenton came off the bench to lead the Vikings to a win over the Chicago Bears. His scrambling ways was thrilling for everyone but his head coach. I suppose if Tarkenton and Van Brocklin had gotten along, the Vikings never would’ve turned to Bud Grant in 1967.
Halfback
Tommy Mason
When I visited the Minnesota Vikings Museum in 2019 I was thrilled to find a Tommy Mason exhibit. I’ve always felt that his Vikings career had been lost to history, that he was only a footnote as the team’s first draft pick. Hopefully, that exhibit will introduce Mason to today’s fans. He was probably the Vikings’ first star. He made the first of his three Pro Bowls in his second season. He was All-Pro in his third season. Just when he was hitting his stride, injuries started whittling away at his great talent. It’s tough to leave Dave Osborn off of this team but Mason’s three great seasons get him the halfback spot on this team.
Fullback
Bill Brown
Bill Brown was the picture of a 1960s NFL fullback. This was an era when a fullback was often a team’s top running threat. This was an era of Jim Brown, Jim Taylor, Rick Casares, and Alex Webster. Bill Brown was one of the league’s best. The Bears traded Brown to the Vikings. George Halas lived the rest of his life regretting it.
Wide Receivers
Paul Flatley
Gene Washington
Paul Flatley is the first of four (should be five) Vikings receivers to be named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. He made one Pro Bowl in his five years with the team. He probably should’ve made three. Flatley is an easy choice for one of the receiver spots. The other spot isn’t so easy. Jerry Reichow was a strong contributor at the start of the decade. Gene Washington was a big play threat at the end of the decade. I’m going with the big play threat.
Tight End
John Beasley
One of the biggest offensive changes in the NFL from the 1960s to today is the evolution of the tight end. Tight ends of the 1960s were really more extra lineman than receiver. Mike Ditka, John Mackey, and Jerry Smith were impact pass-catching tight ends but they were exceptions. Tight ends of the 1960s more often resembled Jim Kleinsasser. Blocking or catching, the Vikings of the 1960s had modest tight ends, at best. Gordie Smith and John Beasley were the most productive. In a very difficult decision, I’m going with Beasley.
Offensive Tackles
Grady Alderman
Doug Davis
Two Vikings played the entirety of the 1960s. Everyone knows about Jim Marshall. Everyone should know about Grady Alderman. He should be in the Ring of Honor. He’s been waiting way too long for the recognition that his career deserves. He was the Vikings left tackle from 1961-73. He missed one game. He went to six Pro Bowls and was named 2nd Team All-Pro twice. Alderman was a great offensive tackle. It feels like the right tackle spot should go to Ron Yary. He was drafted in 1968 but didn’t take over the right tackle job until 1969. His six starts that season might be enough to be the right tackle on this All-Decade Team. He was that good. Instead, I’ll go with the player that Yary put on the bench. Doug Davis.
Offensive Guards
Milt Sunde
Larry Bowie
Milt Sunde benefitted from playing between Grady Alderman and Mick Tingelhoff and is an easy pick at left guard. Sunde made the Pro Bowl in 1966. Larry Bowie was the Vikings starting right guard for most of the 1960s.
Center
Mick Tingelhoff
This is an easy one. Mick Tingelhoff was arguably the NFL’s best center in the 1960s.
Defense
Defensive Ends
Jim Marshall
Carl Eller
Anyone picking a defensive end other than Jim Marshall and Carl Eller should be booted to the Packers. Idiots will not be tolerated in this fan base.
Defensive Tackles
Alan Page
Gary Larsen
Bud Grant was notoriously reluctant to play rookies. He couldn’t keep Alan Page on the bench very long. I didn’t see Page play until the 1970s. He was incredible during those years. I’ve never seen a defensive lineman take over a game like he could. I wish that I had seen him play in his early years. I met Page in Canton at Cris Carter’s Hall of Fame induction. It was a truly great moment.
It’s between Paul Dickson and Gary Larsen for the other defensive tackle spot. While I believe that Dickson is an underrated player in Vikings history and Larsen benefitted greatly from the attention paid to Page, Larsen’s best years were better than Dickson’s best years.
Linebackers
Rip Hawkins
Lonnie Warwick
Roy Winston
I probably should go with the terrific linebacker trio that closed the decade. Wally Hilgenberg, Lonnie Warwick, and Roy Winston. However, Hilgenberg didn’t enter the starting lineup until the second half of the 1968 season. In putting together a team like this, I try to keep the players in the positions that they played on the field. For the Vikings best linebackers of the 1960s, I can’t help but pick the three best linebackers. Rip Hawkins was one of the team’s best linebackers. He’s the only one that earned an invitation to the Pro Bowl during the decade. Like Warwick, he played in the middle. For this team, Hawkins is on the outside. I think that he could do it.
Cornerbacks
Earsell Mackbee
Ed Sharockman
Bobby Bryant was the Vikings best cornerback that played during the 1960s. He only started 10 games during the decade. Earsell Mackbee and Ed Sharockman were the starting cornerbacks during most of the 1960s. They were good. At times, they were pretty good.
Safeties
Paul Krause
Karl Kassulke
I really liked this safety duo. Paul Krause and Karl Kassulke were so different as players. Krause was the rover. Kassulke was the hammer. Kassulke was nearing the end of his career in 1972 but he still had some solid football left. His lone Pro Bowl was in 1970. His career ended when a motorcycle accident while on the way to training camp left him paralyzed.
Special Teams
Kicker
Fred Cox
This is another easy one. 1961 and 1962 were the only years that Fred Cox wasn’t the Vikings kicker. Plus, he’s the inventor of the nerf football.
Punter
Bobby Walden
Bobby Walden might be best remembered for his long career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. His best years were his first four years with the Vikings.
Returners
Charlie West
Hugh McElhenny
Charlie West was the Vikings top returner in 1968 and 1969. He was very good at returning both kicks and punts. His highlight was a 98-yard punt return score in 1968.
I had to include Hugh McElhenny on this All-Decade Team. He was the big name from the 1961 Expansion Draft. He was at the end of his brilliant career but the “old man” still had some football in him. He made the Pro Bowl in 1961. Like Barry Sanders, every McElhenny run was an adventure. There was always a chance the adventure might end in the end zone. In 1961, he returned a punt 94 yards for a score and led the league with 1731 all-purpose yards. He may have been a shell of the player that he once was but he brought a lot of football fun to Minnesota that first season.
