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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.
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.
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 ...
At the time, the Vikings had defensive end Carl Eller (a fellow second-year player) and Jim Marshall on the roster. [ 3 ] 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.
One of the players on that late 1960s-early 1970s Minnesota Vikings team, defensive tackle Doug Sutherland, died last week at the age of 73. Ironically, I don't ...
The Vikings' famed Purple People Eaters defensive line stopping a Rams rushing play in the 1977 NFC Divisional Playoff game. The 1977 season was the Minnesota Vikings' 17th in the National Football League. After starting the season 5–3, the team's starting quarterback Fran Tarkenton broke his
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]