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1961 Minnesota Vikings
Record: 3-11-0, Finished 7th in NFL West Division
NFL Season Summary
Scored 285 points (20.4/g), 9th of 14 in the NFL.
Allowed 407 points (29.1/g), 14th.
Differential of -122 points (-8.7/g), 12th.
Expected W-L: 4.2-9.8.
Takeaway/Giveaway Differential +1 (0.1/g), 6th.
Coached by Norm Van Brocklin (3-11-0)
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1961 Statistics / Starters & Roster / Games & Schedule / Team Draftees
Starters
Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE · Hide Non-primary Starters| Pos | Age | Yrs | GS | Summary of Player Stats | Drafted (tm/rnd/yr) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Offensive Starters | Complete Team Stats | |||||
| QB | Fran Tarkenton | 21 | Rook | 10 | 157 for 280, 1,997 yards, 18 td, 17 int, & 56 rushes for 308 yards and 5 td | Minnesota Vikings / 3rd / 29th pick / 1961 |
| HB | Hugh McElhenny* | 33 | 9 | 13 | 120 rushes for 570 yards, 3 td, & 37 catches for 283 yards and 3 td | San Francisco 49ers / 1st / 9th pick / 1952 |
| FB | Mel Triplett | 30 | 6 | 8 | 80 rushes for 407 yards, 1 td, & 10 catches for 41 yards and 0 td | New York Giants / 5th / 56th pick / 1955 |
| WR | Dave Middleton | 28 | 6 | 11 | 30 catches for 444 yards, 2 td | Detroit Lions / 1st / 12th pick / 1955 |
| WR | Jerry Reichow* | 27 | 5 | 10 | 50 catches for 859 yards, 11 td, & 3 rushes for 9 yards and 0 td | Detroit Lions / 4th / 38th pick / 1956 |
| TE | Gordie Smith | 22 | Rook | 8 | 12 catches for 320 yards, 4 td | |
| LT | Grady Alderman | 23 | 1 | 14 | 3 fumbles recovered | Detroit Lions / 10th / 111th pick / 1960 |
| LG | Jerry Huth | 28 | 5 | 14 | 1 fumble recovered | New York Giants / 24th / 285th pick / 1956 |
| C | Bill Lapham | 27 | 1 | 13 | Philadelphia Eagles / 14th / 160th pick / 1958 |
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| RG | Mike Rabold | 24 | 2 | 14 | Detroit Lions / 2nd / 19th pick / 1959 |
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| RT | Frank Youso | 25 | 3 | 13 | New York Giants / 2nd / 23rd pick / 1958 |
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| Defensive Starters | ||||||
| LDE | Jim Marshall | 24 | 1 | 14 | 0 interceptions, 4 fumbles recovered | Cleveland Browns / 4th / 44th pick / 1960 |
| LDT | Jim Prestel | 24 | 1 | 14 | 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Cleveland Browns / 6th / 70th pick / 1959 |
| RDT | Ed Culpepper | 27 | 3 | 14 | 0 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered | Green Bay Packers / 9th / 101st pick / 1955 |
| RDE | Don Joyce | 32 | 10 | 7 | Chicago Cardinals / 2nd / 18th pick / 1951 |
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| LLB | Clancy Osborne | 27 | 2 | 11 | 4 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered | Los Angeles Rams / 27th / 315th pick / 1957 |
| MLB | Rip Hawkins | 22 | Rook | 13 | 5 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered | Boston Patriots / 2nd / 10th pick / 1961 |
| RLB | Karl Rubke | 26 | 4 | 13 | 1 interception, 0 fumbles recovered | San Francisco 49ers / 5th / 56th pick / 1957 |
| LCB | Jack Morris | 30 | 3 | 14 | 2 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered | Los Angeles Rams / 7th / 84th pick / 1956 |
| RCB | Dick Pesonen | 23 | 1 | 11 | 1 interception, 0 fumbles recovered | |
| LS | Rich Mostardo | 23 | 1 | 9 | 2 interceptions, 3 fumbles recovered | Cleveland Browns / 12th / 141st pick / 1960 |
| RS | Charlie Sumner | 31 | 6 | 12 | 2 interceptions, 3 fumbles recovered | Chicago Bears / 22nd / 258th pick / 1954 |
| Special Teams Starters | ||||||
| K | Mike Mercer | 26 | Rook | 0 | 9 of 21 field goals & 36 of 37 extra points | Minnesota Vikings / 15th / 197th pick / 1961 |
| P | Mike Mercer | 26 | Rook | 0 | 63 punts for a 39.0 average, 2 blocked | Minnesota Vikings / 15th / 197th pick / 1961 |
| PR | Tommy Mason | 22 | Rook | 0 | 14 punt returns for a 10.4 average and 0 td | Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 1st pick / 1961 |
| KR | Tommy Mason | 22 | Rook | 0 | 25 kick returns for a 24.1 average and 0 td | Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 1st pick / 1961 |
| Age | Pos | G | GS | Wt | Ht | College/Univ | BirthDate | Yrs | Drafted (tm/rnd/yr) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grady Alderman | 23 | T-G | 14 | 14 | 247 | 6-2 | Detroit Mercy | 12/10/1938 | 1 | Detroit Lions / 10th / 111th pick / 1960 |
| Bill Bishop | 30 | DT-T | 10 | 0 | 248 | 6-4 | North Texas | 5/8/1931 | 9 | Chicago Bears / 8th / 90th pick / 1952 |
| Jamie Caleb | 25 | HB-FB | 10 | 0 | 210 | 6-1 | Grambling State | 10/29/1936 | 1 | Cleveland Browns / 16th / 191st pick / 1959 |
| Ed Culpepper | 27 | DT | 14 | 14 | 255 | 6-1 | Alabama | 1/21/1934 | 3 | Green Bay Packers / 9th / 101st pick / 1955 |
| Bob Denton | 27 | DE-T | 14 | 0 | 244 | 6-3 | Pacific | 7/24/1934 | 1 | Cleveland Browns / 6th / 71st pick / 1959 |
| Dean Derby | 26 | DB | 8 | 0 | 185 | 6-0 | Washington | 6/11/1935 | 4 | Los Angeles Rams / 5th / 51st pick / 1957 |
| Paul Dickson | 24 | DT-T | 7 | 0 | 252 | 6-5 | Baylor | 2/26/1937 | 2 | Los Angeles Rams / 1st / 9th pick / 1959 |
| Billy Gault | 25 | HB | 4 | 0 | 185 | 6-1 | TCU | 12/19/1936 | Rook | Cleveland Browns / 11th / 153rd pick / 1961 |
| Dick Grecni | 23 | LB | 12 | 0 | 230 | 6-1 | Ohio | 3/27/1938 | Rook | Cleveland Browns / 13th / 152nd pick / 1960 |
| Dick Haley | 24 | DB-HB-E | 4 | 0 | 183 | 5-10 | Pittsburgh | 10/2/1937 | 2 | Washington Redskins / 9th / 100th pick / 1959 |
| Rip Hawkins | 22 | LB | 14 | 13 | 235 | 6-3 | North Carolina | 4/21/1939 | Rook | Boston Patriots / 2nd / 10th pick / 1961 |
| Ray Hayes | 26 | FB | 13 | 0 | 235 | 6-3 | Central Oklahoma,Md-Eastern Shore | 5/25/1935 | Rook | Minnesota Vikings / 13th / 169th pick / 1961 |
| Jerry Huth | 28 | G | 14 | 14 | 226 | 6-0 | Wake Forest | 7/23/1933 | 5 | New York Giants / 24th / 285th pick / 1956 |
| Gene Johnson | 26 | DB | 4 | 0 | 187 | 6-0 | Cincinnati | 9/18/1935 | 2 | Philadelphia Eagles / 9th / 99th pick / 1959 |
| Don Joyce | 32 | DE-DT | 14 | 7 | 253 | 6-3 | Tulane | 10/8/1929 | 10 | Chicago Cardinals / 2nd / 18th pick / 1951 |
| Bill Lapham | 27 | C | 14 | 13 | 238 | 6-5 | Drake,Iowa | 2/2/1934 | 1 | Philadelphia Eagles / 14th / 160th pick / 1958 |
| Jim Leo | 24 | DE-LB | 14 | 0 | 225 | 6-1 | Cincinnati | 6/18/1937 | 1 | New York Giants / 3rd / 36th pick / 1960 |
| Jim Marshall | 24 | DE | 14 | 14 | 248 | 6-4 | Ohio State | 12/30/1937 | 1 | Cleveland Browns / 4th / 44th pick / 1960 |
| Tommy Mason | 22 | RB | 13 | 0 | 196 | 6-1 | Tulane | 7/8/1939 | Rook | Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 1st pick / 1961 |
| Doug Mayberry | 24 | FB | 4 | 0 | 220 | 6-1 | California,Utah State | 3/23/1937 | Rook | Minnesota Vikings / 10th / 127th pick / 1961 |
| Hugh McElhenny* | 33 | HB | 13 | 13 | 195 | 6-1 | Washington | 12/31/1928 | 9 | San Francisco 49ers / 1st / 9th pick / 1952 |
| Mike Mercer | 26 | K | 14 | 0 | 220 | 6-0 | Arizona State,Florida State,Hardin-Simmons,Minnesota | 11/21/1935 | Rook | Minnesota Vikings / 15th / 197th pick / 1961 |
| Dave Middleton | 28 | E-HB-FL | 12 | 11 | 194 | 6-1 | Auburn | 11/23/1933 | 6 | Detroit Lions / 1st / 12th pick / 1955 |
| Jack Morris | 30 | DB | 14 | 14 | 189 | 6-0 | Oregon | 11/1/1931 | 3 | Los Angeles Rams / 7th / 84th pick / 1956 |
| Rich Mostardo | 23 | DB | 11 | 9 | 188 | 5-11 | Charleston (WV),Kent State | 7/1/1938 | 1 | Cleveland Browns / 12th / 141st pick / 1960 |
| Fred Murphy | 23 | E | 13 | 0 | 205 | 6-3 | Georgia Tech | 2/20/1938 | 1 | |
| Clancy Osborne | 27 | LB | 14 | 11 | 218 | 6-3 | Arizona State | 11/23/1934 | 2 | Los Angeles Rams / 27th / 315th pick / 1957 |
| Dick Pesonen | 23 | DB | 11 | 11 | 190 | 6-0 | Minnesota,Minnesota-Duluth | 6/10/1938 | 1 | |
| Ken Petersen | 22 | G | 12 | 0 | 235 | 6-2 | Utah | 3/26/1939 | Rook | Minnesota Vikings / 14th / 183rd pick / 1961 |
| Jim Prestel | 24 | DT | 14 | 14 | 275 | 6-5 | Idaho | 6/28/1937 | 1 | Cleveland Browns / 6th / 70th pick / 1959 |
| Mike Rabold | 24 | G | 14 | 14 | 239 | 6-2 | Indiana | 3/12/1937 | 2 | Detroit Lions / 2nd / 19th pick / 1959 |
| Jerry Reichow* | 27 | E-QB | 14 | 10 | 217 | 6-2 | Iowa | 5/19/1934 | 5 | Detroit Lions / 4th / 38th pick / 1956 |
| Justin Rowland | 24 | DB | 5 | 0 | 188 | 6-2 | TCU | 5/10/1937 | 1 | Chicago Bears / 12th / 140th pick / 1959 |
| Karl Rubke | 26 | LB-C-DT-DE | 13 | 13 | 240 | 6-4 | USC | 12/6/1935 | 4 | San Francisco 49ers / 5th / 56th pick / 1957 |
| Bob Schnelker | 33 | E | 6 | 0 | 214 | 6-3 | Bowling Green | 10/17/1928 | 8 | Cleveland Browns / 29th / 377th pick / 1950 |
| Ed Sharockman | 22 | DB | 1 | 0 | 200 | 6-0 | Pittsburgh | 11/4/1939 | Rook | Minnesota Vikings / 5th / 57th pick / 1961 |
| George Shaw | 28 | QB | 8 | 4 | 183 | 6-1 | Oregon | 7/25/1933 | 6 | Baltimore Colts / 1st / 1st pick / 1955 |
| Will Sherman | 34 | DB | 8 | 0 | 190 | 6-2 | St. Mary's (CA) | 10/20/1927 | 9 | New York Yanks / 26th / 311th pick / 1951 |
| Lebron Shields | 24 | DE-T | 6 | 0 | 250 | 6-4 | Tennessee | 7/23/1937 | 1 | Detroit Lions / 22nd / 256th pick / 1959 |
| Gordie Smith | 22 | TE | 9 | 8 | 220 | 6-2 | Arizona State,Missouri | 4/9/1939 | Rook | |
| Charlie Sumner | 31 | DB | 13 | 12 | 194 | 6-1 | William & Mary | 10/19/1930 | 6 | Chicago Bears / 22nd / 258th pick / 1954 |
| Fran Tarkenton | 21 | QB | 14 | 10 | 190 | 6-0 | Georgia | 2/3/1940 | Rook | Minnesota Vikings / 3rd / 29th pick / 1961 |
| Mel Triplett | 30 | FB | 14 | 8 | 215 | 6-1 | Toledo | 12/24/1931 | 6 | New York Giants / 5th / 56th pick / 1955 |
| A.D. Williams | 28 | E-FL | 13 | 0 | 210 | 6-2 | Pacific | 11/21/1933 | 2 | Los Angeles Rams / 3rd / 32nd pick / 1956 |
| Frank Youso | 25 | T-DT | 14 | 13 | 257 | 6-4 | Minnesota | 7/5/1936 | 3 | New York Giants / 2nd / 23rd pick / 1958 |
| Team Total | 25.9 | 14 | 218.2 | 6-1.8 | 2.7 |