The Purple People Eaters was the nickname of the Minnesota Vikings football team's defensive line of the late 1960s to the late 1970s, when the Vikings played in four Super Bowls.^[1] The name comes from the purple color of the Vikings' uniforms and a song by Sheb Wooley entitled "Purple People Eater". The Purple People Eaters motto was "meet at the quarterback."^[1] The most prominent members of the line were:

• Defensive tackle Alan Page, 9 Pro Bowl Selections (1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976), NFL MVP (1971), Hall of Fame^[2]
• Defensive end Carl Eller, 6 Pro Bowl Selections (1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974), Hall of Fame^[3]
• Defensive end Jim Marshall, 2 Pro Bowl Selections (1968, 1969)^[4]
• Defensive tackle Gary Larsen, 2 Pro Bowl Selections (1969, 1970)^[5]

The Purple People Eaters were a big factor in the post-season success of the Vikings from the late 1960s through the 1970s.^[6] One of the original members of the defensive line, Gary Larsen, was replaced in the mid-1970s by Doug Sutherland.^[7] The Purple People Eaters were one of the most identifable front fours in NFL history, along with the "Fearsome Foursome" of the Los Angeles Rams during the 1960s and early 1970s, the "Steel Curtain" of the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 1970s, and the "New York Sack Exchange" of the New York Jets during the 1980s. Carl Eller and Alan Page were inducted into the Hall of Fame, and some^[who?] argue that Jim Marshall should be in the Hall Of Fame as well.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Minnesota Vikings Website