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1972 Minnesota Vikings
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Record: 7-7-0, Finished 3rd in NFC Central Division
NFL Season Summary
Scored 301 points (21.5/g), 12th of 26 in the NFL.
Allowed 252 points (18.0/g), 11th.
Differential of 49 points (3.5/g), 10th.
Expected W-L: 8.5-5.5.
Takeaway/Giveaway Differential +8 (0.6/g), 6th.
Coached by Bud Grant (7-7-0)
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1972 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 | 32 | 11 | 14 | 215 for 378, 2,651 yards, 18 td, 13 int, & 27 rushes for 180 yards and 0 td | Minnesota Vikings / 3rd / 29th pick / 1961 |
| RB | Oscar Reed | 28 | 4 | 14 | 151 rushes for 639 yards, 2 td, & 30 catches for 205 yards and 0 td | Minnesota Vikings / 7th / 167th pick / 1968 |
| FB | Ed Marinaro | 22 | Rook | 6 | 66 rushes for 223 yards, 0 td, & 28 catches for 218 yards and 1 td | Minnesota Vikings / 2nd / 50th pick / 1972 |
| WR | John Gilliam* | 27 | 5 | 14 | 47 catches for 1,035 yards, 7 td, & 8 rushes for 14 yards and 0 td | New Orleans Saints / 2nd / 52nd pick / 1967 |
| WR | Gene Washington | 28 | 5 | 11 | 18 catches for 259 yards, 2 td | Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 8th pick / 1967 |
| TE | John Beasley | 27 | 5 | 14 | 28 catches for 232 yards, 1 td | Minnesota Vikings / 8th / 197th pick / 1967 |
| LT | Grady Alderman | 34 | 12 | 14 | Detroit Lions / 10th / 111th pick / 1960 |
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| LG | Ed White | 25 | 3 | 14 | Minnesota Vikings / 2nd / 39th pick / 1969 |
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| C | Mick Tingelhoff | 32 | 10 | 14 | 3 fumbles recovered | |
| RG | Milt Sunde | 30 | 8 | 14 | Minnesota Vikings / 20th / 271st pick / 1964 |
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| RT | Ron Yary*+ | 26 | 4 | 14 | Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 1st pick / 1968 |
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| Defensive Starters | ||||||
| LDE | Carl Eller | 30 | 8 | 14 | 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Buffalo Bills / 1st / 5th pick / 1964 |
| LDT | Gary Larsen | 32 | 8 | 14 | Los Angeles Rams / 10th / 133rd pick / 1964 |
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| RDT | Alan Page* | 27 | 5 | 14 | Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 15th pick / 1967 |
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| RDE | Jim Marshall | 35 | 12 | 14 | 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Cleveland Browns / 4th / 44th pick / 1960 |
| LLB | Roy Winston | 32 | 10 | 13 | 3 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered | San Diego Chargers / 6th / 42nd pick / 1962 |
| MLB | Jeff Siemon | 22 | Rook | 8 | 2 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered | Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 10th pick / 1972 |
| RLB | Wally Hilgenberg | 30 | 8 | 14 | 1 interception, 2 fumbles recovered | Detroit Lions / 4th / 48th pick / 1964 |
| LCB | Charlie West | 26 | 4 | 13 | 3 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered | Minnesota Vikings / 2nd / 33rd pick / 1968 |
| RCB | Bobby Bryant | 28 | 4 | 14 | 4 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered | Minnesota Vikings / 7th / 167th pick / 1967 |
| SS | Karl Kassulke | 31 | 9 | 6 | 2 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered | Detroit Lions / 11th / 152nd pick / 1963 |
| FS | Paul Krause* | 30 | 8 | 14 | 6 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered | Washington Redskins / 2nd / 18th pick / 1964 |
| Special Teams Starters | ||||||
| K | Fred Cox | 34 | 9 | 0 | 21 of 33 field goals & 34 of 34 extra points | Cleveland Browns / 8th / 110th pick / 1961 |
| P | Mike Eischeid | 32 | 6 | 0 | 62 punts for a 42.8 average, 1 blocked | |
| PR | Charlie West | 26 | 4 | 13 | 16 punt returns for a 6.9 average and 0 td | Minnesota Vikings / 2nd / 33rd pick / 1968 |
| KR | John Gilliam* | 27 | 5 | 14 | 14 kick returns for a 26.4 average and 0 td | New Orleans Saints / 2nd / 52nd pick / 1967 |
| Age | Pos | G | GS | Wt | Ht | College/Univ | BirthDate | Yrs | Drafted (tm/rnd/yr) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grady Alderman | 34 | T-G | 14 | 14 | 247 | 6-2 | Detroit Mercy | 12/10/1938 | 12 | Detroit Lions / 10th / 111th pick / 1960 |
| John Beasley | 27 | TE | 14 | 14 | 228 | 6-3 | California | 4/6/1945 | 5 | Minnesota Vikings / 8th / 197th pick / 1967 |
| Bill Brown | 34 | RB | 14 | 0 | 228 | 5-11 | Illinois | 6/29/1938 | 11 | Chicago Bears / 2nd / 20th pick / 1961 |
| Terry Brown | 25 | DB | 8 | 0 | 205 | 6-0 | Oklahoma State | 1/9/1947 | 3 | St. Louis Cardinals / 3rd / 73rd pick / 1969 |
| Bobby Bryant | 28 | DB | 14 | 14 | 170 | 6-1 | South Carolina | 1/24/1944 | 4 | Minnesota Vikings / 7th / 167th pick / 1967 |
| Fred Cox | 34 | K | 14 | 0 | 200 | 5-11 | Pittsburgh | 12/11/1938 | 9 | Cleveland Browns / 8th / 110th pick / 1961 |
| Doug Davis | 28 | T | 5 | 0 | 255 | 6-4 | Kentucky | 7/22/1944 | 6 | Minnesota Vikings / 5th / 72nd pick / 1966 |
| Calvin Demery | 22 | WR | 5 | 0 | 190 | 6-1 | Arizona State | 8/17/1950 | Rook | Minnesota Vikings / 8th / 206th pick / 1972 |
| Mike Eischeid | 32 | K | 14 | 0 | 190 | 6-0 | Upper Iowa | 9/29/1940 | 6 | |
| Carl Eller | 30 | DE | 14 | 14 | 247 | 6-6 | Minnesota | 2/25/1942 | 8 | Buffalo Bills / 1st / 5th pick / 1964 |
| Carl Gersbach | 25 | LB | 14 | 0 | 230 | 6-1 | Duke,West Chester | 1/8/1947 | 2 | |
| John Gilliam* | 27 | WR-FL | 14 | 14 | 195 | 6-1 | South Carolina State | 8/7/1945 | 5 | New Orleans Saints / 2nd / 52nd pick / 1967 |
| John Henderson | 29 | WR-FL | 12 | 0 | 195 | 6-3 | Michigan | 3/21/1943 | 7 | Philadelphia Eagles / 5th / 63rd pick / 1965 |
| Wally Hilgenberg | 30 | LB-G | 14 | 14 | 229 | 6-3 | Iowa | 9/19/1942 | 8 | Detroit Lions / 4th / 48th pick / 1964 |
| Clint Jones | 27 | RB | 7 | 0 | 205 | 6-0 | Michigan State | 5/24/1945 | 5 | Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 2nd pick / 1967 |
| Karl Kassulke | 31 | DB | 8 | 6 | 195 | 6-0 | Drake,Marquette | 3/20/1941 | 9 | Detroit Lions / 11th / 152nd pick / 1963 |
| Paul Krause* | 30 | DB-WR | 14 | 14 | 200 | 6-3 | Iowa | 2/19/1942 | 8 | Washington Redskins / 2nd / 18th pick / 1964 |
| Gary Larsen | 32 | DT | 14 | 14 | 261 | 6-5 | Concordia (IL) | 3/13/1940 | 8 | Los Angeles Rams / 10th / 133rd pick / 1964 |
| Bob Lee | 27 | QB-P | 2 | 0 | 195 | 6-2 | Arizona State,Pacific | 8/7/1945 | 3 | Minnesota Vikings / 17th / 441st pick / 1968 |
| Jim Lindsey | 28 | RB | 13 | 0 | 210 | 6-2 | Arkansas | 11/24/1944 | 6 | Buffalo Bills / 2nd / 17th pick / 1966 |
| Bob Lurtsema | 30 | DT-DE | 14 | 0 | 250 | 6-6 | Michigan Tech,Western Michigan | 3/29/1942 | 5 | |
| Ed Marinaro | 22 | RB | 10 | 6 | 212 | 6-2 | Cornell | 3/31/1950 | Rook | Minnesota Vikings / 2nd / 50th pick / 1972 |
| Jim Marshall | 35 | DE | 14 | 14 | 248 | 6-4 | Ohio State | 12/30/1937 | 12 | Cleveland Browns / 4th / 44th pick / 1960 |
| Amos Martin | 23 | LB | 5 | 0 | 228 | 6-3 | Louisville | 1/30/1949 | Rook | Minnesota Vikings / 6th / 154th pick / 1972 |
| Dave Osborn | 29 | RB | 14 | 0 | 208 | 6-0 | North Dakota | 3/18/1943 | 7 | Minnesota Vikings / 13th / 176th pick / 1965 |
| Alan Page* | 27 | DT | 14 | 14 | 245 | 6-4 | Notre Dame | 8/7/1945 | 5 | Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 15th pick / 1967 |
| Oscar Reed | 28 | RB | 14 | 14 | 222 | 6-0 | Colorado State | 3/24/1944 | 4 | Minnesota Vikings / 7th / 167th pick / 1968 |
| Ed Sharockman | 33 | DB | 7 | 0 | 200 | 6-0 | Pittsburgh | 11/4/1939 | 11 | Minnesota Vikings / 5th / 57th pick / 1961 |
| Jeff Siemon | 22 | LB | 13 | 8 | 235 | 6-2 | Stanford | 6/2/1950 | Rook | Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 10th pick / 1972 |
| Milt Sunde | 30 | G | 14 | 14 | 250 | 6-2 | Minnesota | 2/1/1942 | 8 | Minnesota Vikings / 20th / 271st pick / 1964 |
| Doug Sutherland | 24 | DT-G-DE | 14 | 0 | 250 | 6-3 | Wisconsin-Superior | 8/1/1948 | 2 | New Orleans Saints / 14th / 348th pick / 1970 |
| Fran Tarkenton | 32 | QB | 14 | 14 | 190 | 6-0 | Georgia | 2/3/1940 | 11 | Minnesota Vikings / 3rd / 29th pick / 1961 |
| Mick Tingelhoff | 32 | C | 14 | 14 | 237 | 6-2 | Nebraska | 5/22/1940 | 10 | |
| Stu Voigt | 24 | TE | 14 | 0 | 223 | 6-1 | Wisconsin | 8/12/1948 | 2 | Minnesota Vikings / 10th / 260th pick / 1970 |
| John Ward | 24 | G-DE-C | 14 | 0 | 258 | 6-4 | Oklahoma State | 5/27/1948 | 2 | Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 25th pick / 1970 |
| Lonnie Warwick | 30 | LB | 6 | 0 | 238 | 6-3 | Tennessee,Tennessee Tech | 2/26/1942 | 7 | |
| Gene Washington | 28 | WR | 12 | 11 | 208 | 6-3 | Michigan State | 1/25/1944 | 5 | Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 8th pick / 1967 |
| Charlie West | 26 | DB | 14 | 13 | 197 | 6-1 | Angelo State (TX),Texas-El Paso | 8/31/1946 | 4 | Minnesota Vikings / 2nd / 33rd pick / 1968 |
| Ed White | 25 | G-T | 14 | 14 | 269 | 6-1 | California | 4/4/1947 | 3 | Minnesota Vikings / 2nd / 39th pick / 1969 |
| Roy Winston | 32 | LB | 13 | 13 | 222 | 5-11 | LSU | 9/15/1940 | 10 | San Diego Chargers / 6th / 42nd pick / 1962 |
| Jeff Wright | 23 | DB | 13 | 0 | 190 | 5-11 | Minnesota | 6/13/1949 | 1 | Minnesota Vikings / 15th / 388th pick / 1971 |
| Nate Wright | 26 | DB | 14 | 0 | 180 | 5-11 | San Diego State | 12/21/1946 | 3 | |
| Ron Yary*+ | 26 | T | 14 | 14 | 255 | 6-5 | USC | 8/16/1946 | 4 | Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 1st pick / 1968 |
| Godfrey Zaunbrecher | 26 | C | 7 | 0 | 240 | 6-2 | LSU | 12/17/1946 | 1 | Minnesota Vikings / 11th / 286th pick / 1970 |
| Team Total | 28.1 | 14 | 221.1 | 6-1.8 | 5.5 |