You Are Here > Pro-Football-Reference.com > Teams > Minnesota Vikings > 1978 Starters, Roster, & Players

1978 Minnesota Vikings

Franchise IndexPrevious Season / Next Season

Record: 8-7-1, Finished 1st in NFC Central Division
NFL Season Summary

Scored 294 points (18.4/g), 12th of 28 in the NFL.
 Allowed 306 points (19.1/g), 20th.
 Differential of -12 points (-0.8/g), 13th.
 Expected W-L: 7.6-8.4.

 Takeaway/Giveaway Differential -8 (-0.5/g), 24th.

Coached by Bud Grant (8-7-1)

1978 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 38 17 16 345 for 572, 3,468 yards, 25 td, 32 int, & 24 rushes for -6 yards and 1 td

Minnesota Vikings / 3rd / 29th pick / 1961
Boston Patriots / 5th / 34th pick / 1961

RB Rickey Young 25 3 16 134 rushes for 417 yards, 1 td, & 88 catches for 704 yards and 5 td

San Diego Chargers / 7th / 164th pick / 1975

FB Chuck Foreman 28 5 14 237 rushes for 749 yards, 5 td, & 61 catches for 396 yards and 2 td

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 12th pick / 1973

WR Ahmad Rashad* 29 6 16 66 catches for 769 yards, 8 td

St. Louis Cardinals / 1st / 4th pick / 1972

WR Sammy White 24 2 16 53 catches for 741 yards, 9 td, & 5 rushes for 30 yards and 0 td

Minnesota Vikings / 2nd / 54th pick / 1976

TE Bob Tucker 33 8 16 47 catches for 540 yards, 0 td
LT Frank Myers 22 Rook 11

Baltimore Colts / 5th / 117th pick / 1978

LT Steve Riley 26 4 5

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 25th pick / 1974

LG Charles Goodrum 28 5 16 1 fumble recovered

Minnesota Vikings / 9th / 232nd pick / 1972

C Mick Tingelhoff 38 16 16
RG Wes Hamilton 25 2 15

Minnesota Vikings / 3rd / 85th pick / 1976

RT Ron Yary 32 10 16

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 1st pick / 1968

 Defensive Starters
LDE Mark Mullaney 25 3 9 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 25th pick / 1975

LDE Carl Eller 36 14 7 0 interceptions, 3 fumbles recovered

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

LDT Doug Sutherland 30 8 16

New Orleans Saints / 14th / 348th pick / 1970

RDT James White 25 2 10 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 25th pick / 1976

RDT Alan Page 33 11 6

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 15th pick / 1967

RDE Jim Marshall 41 18 16 0 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered

Cleveland Browns / 4th / 44th pick / 1960

LLB Matt Blair* 28 4 16 3 interceptions, 3 fumbles recovered

Minnesota Vikings / 2nd / 51st pick / 1974

MLB Jeff Siemon 28 6 16

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 10th pick / 1972

RLB Fred McNeill 26 4 15 2 interceptions, 6 fumbles recovered

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 17th pick / 1974

LCB Nate Wright 32 9 16 5 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered
RCB Bobby Bryant 34 10 16 7 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered

Minnesota Vikings / 7th / 167th pick / 1967

SS Phil Wise 29 7 16 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered

New York Jets / 6th / 136th pick / 1971

FS Tom Hannon 23 1 14 2 interceptions, 3 fumbles recovered

Minnesota Vikings / 3rd / 83rd pick / 1977

 Special Teams Starters
K Rick Danmeier 26 1 0 12 of 19 field goals & 36 of 37 extra points
P Greg Coleman 24 1 0 51 punts for a 39.0 average, 1 blocked

Cincinnati Bengals / 14th / 398th pick / 1976

PR Kevin Miller 23 Rook 0 48 punt returns for a 5.0 average and 0 td
KR Kevin Miller 23 Rook 0 40 kick returns for a 21.4 average and 0 td

Roster

Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE
Age Pos G GS Wt Ht College/Univ BirthDate Yrs Drafted (tm/rnd/yr)
Nate Allen 30 DB 16 0 170 5-10 Texas Southern 5/13/1948 7

Kansas City Chiefs / 11th / 276th pick / 1971

Matt Blair* 28 LB 16 16 232 6-5 Iowa State 9/20/1950 4

Minnesota Vikings / 2nd / 51st pick / 1974

Bobby Bryant 34 DB 16 16 170 6-1 South Carolina 1/24/1944 10

Minnesota Vikings / 7th / 167th pick / 1967

Greg Coleman 24 P 9 0 185 6-0 Florida A&M 9/9/1954 1

Cincinnati Bengals / 14th / 398th pick / 1976

Steve Craig 27 TE 16 0 231 6-3 Northwestern 3/13/1951 4

Minnesota Vikings / 3rd / 64th pick / 1974

Rick Danmeier 26 K 16 0 194 6-0 Sioux Falls 4/8/1952 1
Carl Eller 36 DE 14 7 247 6-6 Minnesota 2/25/1942 14

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

Chuck Foreman 28 RB 14 14 210 6-2 Miami (FL) 10/26/1950 5

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 12th pick / 1973

Charles Goodrum 28 G-T 16 16 256 6-3 Florida A&M 1/11/1950 5

Minnesota Vikings / 9th / 232nd pick / 1972

Wes Hamilton 25 G 16 15 261 6-3 Tulsa 4/24/1953 2

Minnesota Vikings / 3rd / 85th pick / 1976

Tom Hannon 23 DB 16 14 193 5-11 Michigan State 3/5/1955 1

Minnesota Vikings / 3rd / 83rd pick / 1977

Paul Harris 24 LB 1 0 220 6-3 Alabama 12/19/1954 1

Pittsburgh Steelers / 6th / 159th pick / 1977

Wally Hilgenberg 36 LB-G 15 1 229 6-3 Iowa 9/19/1942 14

Detroit Lions / 4th / 48th pick / 1964
Denver Broncos / 8th / 57th pick / 1964

Randy Holloway 23 DE 16 0 250 6-5 Pittsburgh 8/26/1955 Rook

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 21st pick / 1978

Jim Hough 22 G-C 15 1 267 6-2 Utah State 8/4/1956 Rook

Minnesota Vikings / 4th / 100th pick / 1978

Sammy Johnson 26 RB 3 0 223 6-0 North Carolina 9/22/1952 4

San Francisco 49ers / 4th / 90th pick / 1974

Mark Kellar 26 RB 16 0 225 6-0 Northern Illinois 7/17/1952 2

Minnesota Vikings / 6th / 155th pick / 1974

Tommy Kramer 23 QB 4 0 200 6-2 Rice 3/7/1955 1

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 27th pick / 1977

Paul Krause 36 DB-WR 16 2 200 6-3 Iowa 2/19/1942 14

Washington Redskins / 2nd / 18th pick / 1964
Denver Broncos / 12th / 89th pick / 1964

Bob Lee 33 QB-P 3 0 195 6-2 Arizona State,Pacific 8/7/1945 9

Minnesota Vikings / 17th / 441st pick / 1968

Bob Lingenfelter 24 T-G 5 0 277 6-7 Nebraska 9/1/1954 1

Cleveland Browns / 7th / 188th pick / 1977

Jim Marshall 41 DE 16 16 248 6-4 Ohio State 12/30/1937 18

Cleveland Browns / 4th / 44th pick / 1960

Brent McClanahan 27 RB 13 0 202 5-10 Arizona State 9/21/1951 5

Minnesota Vikings / 5th / 118th pick / 1973

Fred McNeill 26 LB 16 15 229 6-2 UCLA 5/6/1952 4

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 17th pick / 1974

Kevin Miller 23 WR 16 0 180 5-10 Louisville 3/21/1955 Rook
Robert Miller 25 RB 15 2 204 5-11 Kansas 1/9/1953 3

Minnesota Vikings / 5th / 129th pick / 1975

Mark Mullaney 25 DE 15 9 242 6-6 Colorado State 4/30/1953 3

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 25th pick / 1975

Frank Myers 22 T 12 11 255 6-5 Texas A&M 1/4/1956 Rook

Baltimore Colts / 5th / 117th pick / 1978

Alan Page 33 DT 6 6 245 6-4 Notre Dame 8/7/1945 11

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 15th pick / 1967

Ahmad Rashad* 29 WR 16 16 205 6-2 Oregon 11/19/1949 6

St. Louis Cardinals / 1st / 4th pick / 1972

Steve Riley 26 T 5 5 258 6-5 USC 11/23/1952 4

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 25th pick / 1974

Jeff Siemon 28 LB 16 16 235 6-2 Stanford 6/2/1950 6

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 10th pick / 1972

Lyman Smith 22 DT 11 0 250 6-5 Duke 9/24/1956 Rook

Miami Dolphins / 3rd / 64th pick / 1978

Scott Studwell 24 LB 13 0 228 6-2 Illinois 8/27/1954 1

Minnesota Vikings / 9th / 250th pick / 1977

Doug Sutherland 30 DT-G-DE 16 16 250 6-3 Wisconsin-Superior 8/1/1948 8

New Orleans Saints / 14th / 348th pick / 1970

Dennis Swilley 23 C-G-T 14 0 253 6-3 North Texas,Texas A&M 6/28/1955 1

Minnesota Vikings / 2nd / 55th pick / 1977

Fran Tarkenton 38 QB 16 16 190 6-0 Georgia 2/3/1940 17

Minnesota Vikings / 3rd / 29th pick / 1961
Boston Patriots / 5th / 34th pick / 1961

Mick Tingelhoff 38 C 16 16 237 6-2 Nebraska 5/22/1940 16
Bob Tucker 33 TE 16 16 230 6-3 Bloomsburg 6/8/1945 8
John Turner 22 DB 14 0 197 6-0 Miami (FL) 2/22/1956 Rook

Minnesota Vikings / 2nd / 48th pick / 1978

Stu Voigt 30 TE 15 0 223 6-1 Wisconsin 8/12/1948 8

Minnesota Vikings / 10th / 260th pick / 1970

Harry Washington 22 WR 10 0 180 6-0 Colorado State 7/30/1956 Rook
James White 25 DT-NT 16 10 265 6-3 Oklahoma State 10/26/1953 2

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 25th pick / 1976

Sammy White 24 WR 16 16 190 5-11 Grambling State 3/16/1954 2

Minnesota Vikings / 2nd / 54th pick / 1976

Phil Wise 29 DB 16 16 190 6-0 Nebraska-Omaha,South Dakota 4/25/1949 7

New York Jets / 6th / 136th pick / 1971

Mike Wood 24 K 7 0 199 5-11 Southeast Missouri State 9/3/1954 Rook

Minnesota Vikings / 8th / 204th pick / 1978

Nate Wright 32 DB 16 16 180 5-11 San Diego State 12/21/1946 9
Ron Yary 32 T 16 16 255 6-5 USC 8/16/1946 10

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 1st pick / 1968

Rickey Young 25 RB 16 16 196 6-2 Jackson State 12/7/1953 3

San Diego Chargers / 7th / 164th pick / 1975

Team Total 27.8 16 221.4 6-2.0 5.1