Let’s say you’re the coach of the Minnesota Vikings, deciding which players should start in a Super Bowl matchup against the toughest team in the AFC. But instead of choosing from the current roster, you have every player in the team’s 60-year history in your locker room. Who starts at quarterback: scrambling Fran Tarkenton, gunslinger Daunte Culpepper, or deadly accurate Kirk Cousins? At defensive end, do you play fearsome Carl Eller, fan favorite Jared Allen, sack specialist Chris Doleman, or stalwart Jim Marshall? Combining career stats, common sense, and a host of intangibles, veteran sportswriter Chris Tomasson imagines an embarrassment of riches and sets the all-time All-Star Vikings lineup for the ages.

From the legends of the game to today’s superstars, get to know the players who have made the Minnesota Vikings one of the NFL's top teams through the years. This book includes a table of contents, a timeline, team facts, additional resources links, a glossary, and an index. This Press Box Books title is aligned to a reading level of grade 3 and an interest level of grades 2–4.

Let’s say you’re the head coach of the Denver Broncos, deciding which players should start in a Super Bowl matchup against the toughest team in the NFC. But instead of choosing from the current roster, you have every player in the team’s nearly sixty-year history in your locker room. Who starts at quarterback: John Elway, Peyton Manning, Craig Morton, or Frank Tripuka? At inside linebacker, do you play Bill Rowmanowski, Karl Mecklenburg, Tom Jackson, Randy or Gradishar? Which player is your featured running back: Floyd Little, Otis Armstrong, or Terrell Davis? Combining career stats, common sense, and a host of intangibles, veteran Broncos beat reporter Mike Klis imagines an embarrassment of riches and sets the all-time All-Star Broncos lineup for the ages.

Out of the hundreds of players that have toiled at Metropolitan Stadium and the Metrodome, this collection celebrates only the 50 greatest—the Minnesota Vikings who stood head and shoulders above their peers. Interviews with superstars such as Ron Yary, Paul Krause, Fran Tarkenton, Randy Moss, Adrian Peterson, and more are featured along with authentic accounts from their teammates and coaches. The book explores each competitor’s beginnings as well as his greatest moments on the gridiron, concluding with what he has been doing since his playing days ended. Featuring a compilation of action photographs in addition to personal images, this reflection reveals the never-before-told stories of these elite heroes, making it the perfect companion for devoted Vikings fans of all ages.

Let’s say you’re the coach of the Green Bay Packers, deciding which players should start in a Super Bowl matchup against the toughest team in the AFC. But instead of choosing from the current roster, you have every player in the team’s 100-year history in your locker room. Who starts at quarterback: the steady field general Bart Starr, gunslinger Brett Favre, or cannon-armed Aaron Rodgers? At outside linebacker, do you play Hall of Famer Dave Robinson, Lombardi-favorite Dan Currie, current All Pro Clay Matthews, or another player from the team’s deep roster? Which players get the start at wide receiver? Donald Driver, James Lofton, Sterling Sharpe, Max McGee, Jordy Nelson, or Antonio Freeman? Combining career stats, common sense, and a host of intangibles, veteran sportswriter Chuck Carlson imagines an embarrassment of riches and sets the all-time All-Pro Packer lineup for the ages.

A team history of the Minnesota Vikings as reported by the Star Tribune and its predecessor newspapers.

Who were the greatest Minnesota Vikings to have the played for the team? There are certainly many excellent players to choose from, from Fran Tarkenton to Randy Moss and Adrian Peterson on offense to defensive stalwarts like Alan Page and John Randle. Even the offensive linemen who quietly get the job done deserve ranking among the top 50—think Gary Zimmerman and Ron Yary. The possibilities are endless: players such as Ahmad Rashad, Carl Eller, Chuck Foreman, Daunte Culpepper and many more. In this book Robert Cohen takes on the daunting challenge of ranking the greatest Minnesota Vikings ever from 1-50, with a number of honorable mentions