1961 Minnesota Vikings Roster
National Football League (NFL)
Team Record: 3-11
Finishing 7th in the NFL's West Division
Coach: Norm Van Brocklin (3-11)
Location: Bloomington, Minnesota
1961 Minnesota Vikings StatisticsTeam Record: 3-11
Finishing 7th in the NFL's West Division
Coach: Norm Van Brocklin (3-11)
Location: Bloomington, Minnesota
1961 Minnesota Vikings Results
The Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League ended the 1961 season with a record of 3 wins and 11 losses, finishing seventh in the NFL's West Division.
Minnesota chalked up 285 points, while the wobbly defensive unit conceded 407, most in the circuit. Hugh McElhenny carried the ball for a team-best 570 yards for the Vikings.
Fran Tarkenton threw for 1,997 yards. Jerry Reichow snagged 50 passes for 859 yards.
The opportunistic defense pounced on 45 turnovers. Rip Hawkins picked off 5 opponent throws.
Norm Van Brocklin coached the team.
Click on column headings to sort.
| # | Player | Pos. | Birth Date | Height | Weight | College | Hometown | GP | GS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67 | Grady Alderman | LT | December 10, 1938 | 6'2" | 247 | Detroit Mercy | Detroit, MI USA | 14 | 14 |
| 73 | Bill Bishop | DT-T | May 8, 1931 | 6'4" | 248 | North Texas | Borger, TX USA | 10 | 0 |
| 23 | Jamie Caleb | HB-FB | October 29, 1936 | 6'1" | 210 | Grambling St. | Calhoun, LA USA | 10 | 0 |
| 71 | Ed Culpepper | RDT | January 21, 1934 | 6'1" | 255 | Alabama | Bradenton, FL USA | 14 | 14 |
| 62 | Bob Denton | DE-T | July 24, 1934 | 6'3" | 244 | Pacific | Fresno, CA USA | 14 | 0 |
| 25 | Dean Derby | DB | June 11, 1935 | 6'0" | 185 | Washington | Leavenworth, WA USA | 8 | 0 |
| 76 | Paul Dickson | DT-T | February 26, 1937 | 6'5" | 252 | Baylor | Waco, TX USA | 7 | 0 |
| 44 | Billy Gault | HB | December 19, 1936 | 6'1" | 185 | TCU | Monroe, LA USA | 4 | 0 |
| 50 | Dick Grecni | LB | March 27, 1938 | 6'1" | 230 | Ohio | Akron, OH USA | 12 | 0 |
| 28 | Dick Haley | DB-HB-E | October 2, 1937 | 5'10" | 183 | Pittsburgh | Midway, PA USA | 4 | 0 |
| 58 | Rip Hawkins | MLB | April 21, 1939 | 6'3" | 235 | North Carolina | Winchester, TN USA | 14 | 13 |
| 32 | Ray Hayes | FB | May 25, 1935 | 6'3" | 235 | Md-Eastern Shore | Pawhuska, OK USA | 13 | 0 |
| 65 | Jerry Huth | LG | July 23, 1933 | 6'0" | 226 | Wake Forest | Floyds Knobs, IN USA | 14 | 14 |
| 41 | Gene Johnson | DB | September 18, 1935 | 6'0" | 187 | Cincinnati | Clay, WV USA | 4 | 0 |
| 83 | Don Joyce | RDE | October 8, 1929 | 6'3" | 253 | Tulane | Steubenville, OH USA | 14 | 7 |
| 52 | Bill Lapham | C | February 2, 1934 | 6'5" | 238 | Drake | Des Moines, IA USA | 14 | 13 |
| 59 | Jim Leo | DE-LB | June 18, 1937 | 6'1" | 225 | Cincinnati | Niagara Falls, NY USA | 14 | 0 |
| 70 | Jim Marshall | LDE | December 30, 1937 | 6'4" | 248 | Ohio St. | Danville, KY USA | 14 | 14 |
| 20 | Tommy Mason | KR | July 8, 1939 | 6'1" | 196 | Tulane | Lake Charles, LA USA | 13 | 0 |
| 35 | Doug Mayberry | FB | March 23, 1937 | 6'1" | 220 | California | Arbuckle, CA USA | 4 | 0 |
| 39 | Hugh McElhenny | HB | December 31, 1928 | 6'1" | 195 | Washington | Los Angeles, CA USA | 13 | 13 |
| 18 | Mike Mercer | K | November 21, 1935 | 6'0" | 220 | Minnesota | Algona, IA USA | 14 | 0 |
| 84 | Dave Middleton | WR | November 23, 1933 | 6'1" | 194 | Auburn | Birmingham, AL USA | 12 | 11 |
| 40 | Jack Morris | LCB | November 1, 1931 | 6'0" | 189 | Oregon | White City, KS USA | 14 | 14 |
| 24 | Rich Mostardo | LS | July 1, 1938 | 5'11" | 188 | Charleston (WV) | Bryn Mawr, PA USA | 11 | 9 |
| 88 | Fred Murphy | E | February 20, 1938 | 6'3" | 205 | Georgia Tech | Atlanta, GA USA | 13 | 0 |
| 31 | Clancy Osborne | LLB | November 23, 1934 | 6'3" | 218 | Arizona St. | Lubbock, TX USA | 14 | 11 |
| 22 | Dick Pesonen | RCB | June 10, 1938 | 6'0" | 190 | Minnesota | Grand Rapids, MI USA | 11 | 11 |
| 66 | Ken Petersen | G | March 26, 1939 | 6'2" | 235 | Utah | Logan, UT USA | 12 | 0 |
| 79 | Jim Prestel | LDT | June 28, 1937 | 6'5" | 275 | Idaho | Indianapolis, IN USA | 14 | 14 |
| 64 | Mike Rabold | RG | March 12, 1937 | 6'2" | 239 | Indiana | Chicago, IL USA | 14 | 14 |
| 89 | Jerry Reichow | WR | May 19, 1934 | 6'2" | 217 | Iowa | Decorah, IA USA | 14 | 10 |
| 47 | Justin Rowland | DB | May 10, 1937 | 6'2" | 188 | TCU | Hamlin, TX USA | 5 | 0 |
| 54 | Karl Rubke | RLB | December 6, 1935 | 6'4" | 240 | USC | Los Angeles, CA USA | 13 | 13 |
| 85 | Bob Schnelker | E | October 17, 1928 | 6'3" | 214 | Bowling Green | Galion, OH USA | 6 | 0 |
| 45 | Ed Sharockman | DB | November 4, 1939 | 6'0" | 200 | Pittsburgh | St. Clair, PA USA | 1 | 0 |
| 14 | George Shaw | QB | July 25, 1933 | 6'1" | 183 | Oregon | Portland, OR USA | 8 | 4 |
| 43 | Will Sherman | DB | October 20, 1927 | 6'2" | 190 | St. Mary's (CA) | Weed, CA USA | 8 | 0 |
| 77 | Lebron Shields | DE-T | July 23, 1937 | 6'4" | 250 | Tennessee | Walker County, GA USA | 6 | 0 |
| 87 | Gordie Smith | TE | April 9, 1939 | 6'2" | 220 | Arizona St. | Douglas, AZ USA | 9 | 8 |
| 26 | Charlie Sumner | RS | October 19, 1930 | 6'1" | 194 | William & Mary | Radford, VA USA | 13 | 12 |
| 10 | Fran Tarkenton | QB | February 3, 1940 | 6'0" | 190 | Georgia | Richmond, VA USA | 14 | 10 |
| 33 | Mel Triplett | FB | December 24, 1931 | 6'1" | 215 | Toledo | Indianola, MS USA | 14 | 8 |
| 82 | A.D. Williams | E-FL | November 21, 1933 | 6'2" | 210 | Pacific | Little Rock, AR USA | 13 | 0 |
| 72 | Frank Youso | RT | July 5, 1936 | 6'4" | 257 | Minnesota | International Falls, MN USA | 14 | 13 |
