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The Purple People Eaters was the nickname given to the defensive line of the Minnesota Vikings from 1967 to 1977, consisting mainly of Alan Page, Carl Eller, Jim Marshall, and Gary Larsen. The term is a reference to a popular song from 1958 , the efficiency of the defense, and the color of their uniforms.
The defense allowed only 133 points (9½ per game) during the regular season and their four defensive linemen were known as the "Purple People Eaters." Cleveland was 10–3–1 during the regular season and had upset the Dallas Cowboys 38–14 at the Cotton Bowl for the Eastern Conference title .
Alan Page, drafted to play defensive tackle in 1967, was the final piece of what became known as the "Purple People Eaters" with Eller, Marshall, and Larsen. Larsen (nicknamed the “Norse Nightmare”) was stated as a key piece of the unit's success because of the freedom that the unit had to go where the football was located because "he had ...
Of the 27 members in the Vikings Ring of Honor, seven are defensive linemen, more than any other position. The most famous position group in Vikings history, the Purple People Eaters, includes two ...
The team continued to shine in 1970 and 1971 as their "Purple People Eater" defense led them back to the playoffs. In 1971, the defense was so impressive that Alan Page became the first-ever defensive player to win the NFL Most Valuable Player Award (MVP). The first post-merger game was a rematch with Kansas City, which the Vikings won 27–10.
He was a member of the Vikings' famous "Purple People Eaters" (which consisted of Marshall (DE), Alan Page (DT), Gary Larsen (DT), and Carl Eller (DE)), and was the final player from Minnesota's initial expansion team of 1961 to retire. Marshall had 127 career quarterback sacks as a Viking, second-most in team history behind Eller. [6]
In 1964, Eller was selected in the first round of the NFL draft by the Minnesota Vikings. He was also selected in the first round of the American Football League draft by the Buffalo Bills, who could not sign him. As the left defensive end in the Vikings front four, he was a major factor in the unit known as the "Purple People Eaters".
Boy, 8, Saves Choking Friend With Heimlich Maneuver: See The Video. Mass General Brigham, a health care system in Boston, Massachusetts, shared on its website step-by-step guidance on how to ...