Fan voting ended last week to determine the 50 greatest Vikings in franchise history as the organization observes its 50th season. The names will be announced at a gala on Sunday, December 19 starting at 7 p.m. in the Minneapolis Convention Center.
Names like Chuck Foreman, Cris Carter, Carl Eller, Paul Krause, Jim Marshall, Randall McDaniel, Adrian Peterson, John Randle and Ron Yary are no-brainers. The Vikings will pay tribute to those players and 41 more but they won’t label one individual as the best.
To say one player is the best is subjective but Sports Headliners believes that because of his skills, the position he played and what he accomplished, Fran Tarkenton is the most important player in Vikings history.
No position in pro football is more vital to team success than quarterback. At the time of his retirement following the 1978 season, Tarkenton was the NFL career leader in passing attempts, completions, yards and touchdown passes. Scramblin’ Fran drove defenses crazy with his running, too. He was the quarterback on three of the franchise’s four Super Bowl teams. He was also the first person ever included in the Ring of Honor recognizing the best of the franchise’s players, coaches and executives.
Deserving of mention in the same breath when discussing the most important player in Vikings’ history is defensive tackle Alan Page. “It’s hard to top either one,” said Dave Mona.
Mona has been the press box announcer for Vikings game dating back to the team’s last years at Met Stadium. The longtime radio host has followed the franchise since its inception in 1961.
“I think you could make a good argument for Page, but I think the quarterback position is so much more important than any defensive lineman,” Mona said. “I guess I would agree with you that Tarkenton probably is the single most important and arguably the best Viking player over the years.”
A defense can’t be great without extraordinary pass rushing and Page was so fast and mobile he was a nightmare for quarterbacks. In 1971 he became the first NFL defensive lineman to be named the Associated Press’ league MVP. He was a four-time NFC Defensive Player of the Year and nine times was all-pro. He and Tarkenton, more than any other players, made it possible for the Vikings to play in those three Super Bowls in the 1970s. Page was the second player inducted into the Ring of Honor.