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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)

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
Boston Patriots / 5th / 34th 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

LG Ed White 25 3 14

Minnesota Vikings / 2nd / 39th pick / 1969

C Mick Tingelhoff 32 10 14 3 fumbles recovered
RG Milt Sunde 30 8 14

Minnesota Vikings / 20th / 271st pick / 1964

RT Ron Yary*+ 26 4 14

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 1st pick / 1968

 Defensive Starters
LDE Carl Eller 30 8 14 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered

Buffalo Bills / 1st / 5th pick / 1964
Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 6th pick / 1964

LDT Gary Larsen 32 8 14

Los Angeles Rams / 10th / 133rd pick / 1964

RDT Alan Page* 27 5 14

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 15th pick / 1967

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
Minnesota Vikings / 4th / 45th 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
Denver Broncos / 8th / 57th 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
Denver Broncos / 12th / 89th 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
New York Titans / 28th / 221st 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

Roster

Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE
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
New York Titans / 6th / 45th 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
New York Titans / 28th / 221st 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
Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 6th 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
Buffalo Bills / 17th / 136th pick / 1965

Wally Hilgenberg 30 LB-G 14 14 229 6-3 Iowa 9/19/1942 8

Detroit Lions / 4th / 48th pick / 1964
Denver Broncos / 8th / 57th 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
Denver Broncos / 12th / 89th 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
Minnesota Vikings / 2nd / 27th 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
Dallas Texans / 22nd / 174th 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
Boston Patriots / 5th / 34th 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
Minnesota Vikings / 4th / 45th 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