Minnesota Vikings are a professional football team that plays in the National Football League (NFL). The team competes in the North Division of the National Football Conference. The Vikings play their home games at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
Minnesota began playing in the NFL in 1961 as an expansion team. The Vikings had little success during their early years but became an NFL power under Bud Grant, the head coach of the team from 1967 to 1983 and in 1985.
Under Grant, Minnesota appeared in Super Bowl IV (played in 1970), Super Bowl VIII (played in 1974), Super Bowl IX (played in 1975), and Super Bowl XI (played in 1977). The Vikings lost all four Super Bowls. Defensive stars of the 1960’s and 1970’s included linemen Jim Marshall (1961-1979), Alan Page (1967-1978), Gary Larsen (1965-1974), and Carl Eller (1964-1978). Those four players became known as the Purple People Eaters, because purple was the Vikings’ team color. That name is now sometimes applied to the entire Vikings team.
Other Minnesota Vikings legends have included wide receiver Cris Carter (1990-2001), guard Randall McDaniel (1988-1999), wide receiver Randy Moss (1998-2004 and 2010), defensive lineman John Randle (1990-2000), quarterback Fran Tarkenton (1961-1966 and 1972-1978), and defensive tackle Kevin Williams (2003-2013). Recent stars have included running back Dalvin Cook, quarterback Kirk Cousins, wide receiver Justin Jefferson, and running back Adrian Peterson.
