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1981 Minnesota Vikings

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Record: 7-9-0, Finished 4th in NFC Central Division
NFL Season Summary

Scored 325 points (20.3/g), 13th of 28 in the NFL.
 Allowed 369 points (23.1/g), 21st.
 Differential of -44 points (-2.8/g), 18th.
 Expected W-L: 6.8-9.2.

 Takeaway/Giveaway Differential -15 (-0.9/g), 25th.

Coached by Bud Grant (7-9-0)

1981 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 Tommy Kramer 26 4 14 322 for 593, 3,912 yards, 26 td, 24 int, & 10 rushes for 13 yards and 0 td

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 27th pick / 1977

RB Rickey Young 28 6 13 47 rushes for 129 yards, 0 td, & 43 catches for 296 yards and 2 td

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

FB Ted Brown 24 2 16 274 rushes for 1,063 yards, 6 td, & 83 catches for 694 yards and 2 td

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 16th pick / 1979

WR Ahmad Rashad* 32 9 15 58 catches for 884 yards, 7 td

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

WR Sammy White 27 5 16 66 catches for 1,001 yards, 3 td, & 2 rushes for -1 yards and 0 td

Minnesota Vikings / 2nd / 54th pick / 1976

TE Joe Senser* 25 1 16 79 catches for 1,004 yards, 8 td, & 1 rush for 2 yards and 0 td

Minnesota Vikings / 6th / 152nd pick / 1979

LT Steve Riley 29 7 16

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 25th pick / 1974

LG Jim Hough 25 3 13

Minnesota Vikings / 4th / 100th pick / 1978

C Dennis Swilley 26 4 15

Minnesota Vikings / 2nd / 55th pick / 1977

RG Wes Hamilton 28 5 16

Minnesota Vikings / 3rd / 85th pick / 1976

RT Ron Yary 35 13 16

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 1st pick / 1968

 Defensive Starters
LDE Mark Mullaney 28 6 15 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 25th pick / 1975

NT James White 28 5 16 0 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 25th pick / 1976

RDE Doug Martin 24 1 9 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 9th pick / 1980

RDE Randy Holloway 26 3 8 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 21st pick / 1978

LOLB Matt Blair* 31 7 16 1 interception, 2 fumbles recovered

Minnesota Vikings / 2nd / 51st pick / 1974

LILB Jeff Siemon 31 9 15 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 10th pick / 1972

RILB Scott Studwell 27 4 16 0 interceptions, 3 fumbles recovered

Minnesota Vikings / 9th / 250th pick / 1977

ROLB Fred McNeill 29 7 16 2 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 17th pick / 1974

LCB John Turner 25 3 10

Minnesota Vikings / 2nd / 48th pick / 1978

LCB Walt Williams 27 4 5

Detroit Lions / 2nd / 42nd pick / 1977

RCB Willie Teal 24 1 16 4 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered

Minnesota Vikings / 2nd / 30th pick / 1980

SS Tom Hannon 26 4 16 4 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered

Minnesota Vikings / 3rd / 83rd pick / 1977

FS Kurt Knoff 27 4 16 3 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered

Denver Broncos / 2nd / 43rd pick / 1976

 Special Teams Starters
K Rick Danmeier 29 4 0 21 of 25 field goals & 34 of 37 extra points
P Greg Coleman 27 4 0 88 punts for a 41.4 average, 0 blocked

Cincinnati Bengals / 14th / 398th pick / 1976

PR Eddie Payton 30 4 0 38 punt returns for a 8.0 average and 0 td
KR Eddie Payton 30 4 0 39 kick returns for a 23.0 average and 1 td

Roster

Glossary · ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+), · CSV · PRE
Age Pos G GS Wt Ht College/Univ BirthDate Yrs Drafted (tm/rnd/yr)
Matt Blair* 31 LB 16 16 232 6-5 Iowa State 9/20/1950 7

Minnesota Vikings / 2nd / 51st pick / 1974

Brent Boyd 24 G 3 3 268 6-3 UCLA 3/23/1957 1

Minnesota Vikings / 3rd / 68th pick / 1980

Ted Brown 24 RB 16 16 206 5-10 North Carolina State 2/15/1957 2

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 16th pick / 1979

Bob Bruer 28 TE 15 0 235 6-5 Mankato State 5/22/1953 2

Houston Oilers / 9th / 221st pick / 1975

Greg Coleman 27 P 15 0 185 6-0 Florida A&M 9/9/1954 4

Cincinnati Bengals / 14th / 398th pick / 1976

Rick Danmeier 29 K 16 0 194 6-0 Sioux Falls 4/8/1952 4
Steve Dils 26 QB 2 2 190 6-1 Stanford 12/8/1955 2

Minnesota Vikings / 4th / 97th pick / 1979

Neil Elshire 23 DE 4 0 260 6-6 Oregon 3/8/1958 Rook
Tony Galbreath 27 RB 14 1 228 6-0 Missouri 1/29/1954 5

New Orleans Saints / 2nd / 32nd pick / 1976

Wes Hamilton 28 G 16 16 261 6-3 Tulsa 4/24/1953 5

Minnesota Vikings / 3rd / 85th pick / 1976

Tom Hannon 26 DB 16 16 193 5-11 Michigan State 3/5/1955 4

Minnesota Vikings / 3rd / 83rd pick / 1977

Sam Harrell 24 RB 4 0 217 6-2 East Carolina 2/7/1957 Rook

Minnesota Vikings / 11th / 288th pick / 1980

Randy Holloway 26 DE 16 8 250 6-5 Pittsburgh 8/26/1955 3

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 21st pick / 1978

Jim Hough 25 G-C 16 13 267 6-2 Utah State 8/4/1956 3

Minnesota Vikings / 4th / 100th pick / 1978

Dave Huffman 24 G-C 13 0 280 6-6 Notre Dame 4/4/1957 2

Minnesota Vikings / 2nd / 43rd pick / 1979

Tim Irwin 23 T 7 0 300 6-7 Tennessee 12/13/1958 Rook

Minnesota Vikings / 3rd / 74th pick / 1981

Dennis Johnson 23 LB-DE 16 1 234 6-3 USC 6/19/1958 1

Minnesota Vikings / 4th / 92nd pick / 1980

Henry Johnson 23 LB 16 0 235 6-1 Georgia Tech 3/20/1958 1

Minnesota Vikings / 7th / 174th pick / 1980

Kurt Knoff 27 DB 16 16 191 6-2 Kansas 4/6/1954 4

Denver Broncos / 2nd / 43rd pick / 1976

Tommy Kramer 26 QB 14 14 200 6-2 Rice 3/7/1955 4

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 27th pick / 1977

Jim Langer 33 C-G 9 1 250 6-2 South Dakota State 5/16/1948 11
Terry LeCount 25 WR 16 2 178 5-10 Florida 7/9/1956 3

San Francisco 49ers / 4th / 91st pick / 1978

Leo Lewis 25 WR 4 1 170 5-8 Missouri 9/17/1956 Rook
Doug Martin 24 DE-NT 16 9 260 6-3 Washington 5/22/1957 1

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 9th pick / 1980

Mardye McDole 22 WR 9 0 198 5-11 Mississippi State 5/1/1959 Rook

Minnesota Vikings / 2nd / 39th pick / 1981

Fred McNeill 29 LB 16 16 229 6-2 UCLA 5/6/1952 7

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 17th pick / 1974

Mark Mullaney 28 DE 15 15 242 6-6 Colorado State 4/30/1953 6

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 25th pick / 1975

Keith Nord 24 DB 16 0 197 6-0 St. Cloud State 3/3/1957 2
Eddie Payton 30 RB 16 0 175 5-8 Jackson State 8/3/1951 4
Ahmad Rashad* 32 WR 16 15 205 6-2 Oregon 11/19/1949 9

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

Jarvis Redwine 24 RB 3 0 203 5-10 Nebraska,Oregon State 5/16/1957 Rook

Minnesota Vikings / 2nd / 52nd pick / 1981

Steve Riley 29 T 16 16 258 6-5 USC 11/23/1952 7

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 25th pick / 1974

Ken Sanders 31 DE 9 0 240 6-5 Howard Payne 8/22/1950 9

Detroit Lions / 3rd / 65th pick / 1972

Robin Sendlein 23 LB 16 0 225 6-3 Texas 12/1/1958 Rook

Minnesota Vikings / 2nd / 45th pick / 1981

Joe Senser* 25 TE 16 16 235 6-4 West Chester 8/18/1956 1

Minnesota Vikings / 6th / 152nd pick / 1979

Jeff Siemon 31 LB 16 15 235 6-2 Stanford 6/2/1950 9

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 10th pick / 1972

Scott Studwell 27 LB 16 16 228 6-2 Illinois 8/27/1954 4

Minnesota Vikings / 9th / 250th pick / 1977

John Swain 22 DB 12 1 195 6-1 Miami (FL) 9/4/1959 Rook

Minnesota Vikings / 4th / 101st pick / 1981

Dennis Swilley 26 C-G-T 16 15 253 6-3 North Texas,Texas A&M 6/28/1955 4

Minnesota Vikings / 2nd / 55th pick / 1977

Willie Teal 24 DB 16 16 195 5-10 LSU 12/20/1957 1

Minnesota Vikings / 2nd / 30th pick / 1980

John Turner 25 DB 13 10 197 6-0 Miami (FL) 2/22/1956 3

Minnesota Vikings / 2nd / 48th pick / 1978

James White 28 DT-NT 16 16 265 6-3 Oklahoma State 10/26/1953 5

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 25th pick / 1976

Sammy White 27 WR 16 16 190 5-11 Grambling State 3/16/1954 5

Minnesota Vikings / 2nd / 54th pick / 1976

Walt Williams 27 DB 16 5 185 6-1 Ashland,New Mexico State 7/10/1954 4

Detroit Lions / 2nd / 42nd pick / 1977

Wade Wilson 22 QB 3 0 210 6-3 Texas A&M-Commerce 2/1/1959 Rook

Minnesota Vikings / 8th / 210th pick / 1981

Ray Yakavonis 24 NT 15 0 250 6-4 East Stroudsburg 1/20/1957 Rook

Minnesota Vikings / 6th / 148th pick / 1980

Ron Yary 35 T 16 16 255 6-5 USC 8/16/1946 13

Minnesota Vikings / 1st / 1st pick / 1968

Rickey Young 28 RB 16 13 196 6-2 Jackson State 12/7/1953 6

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

Team Total 26.3 16 223.9 6-1.9 3.5