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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.
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. Larsen (nicknamed the “Norse Nightmare”) was stated as a key ...
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 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 leg in week 9 and missed the rest of the season.
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 ...
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".
During the late 1960s, the Vikings built a powerful defense known as the Purple People Eaters, led by Alan Page, Carl Eller, Gary Larsen, and Jim Marshall. [25] In 1968, that stingy defense earned the Vikings their first Central Division title and their first playoff berth. [22] In 1969, the Vikings secured a 12–2 record. [1]