R.I.P. Floyd Peters, 1936 - 2008

Floyd Peters, the architect of the great Viking defenses of the late 80s and early 90s, has passed away from complications relating to Alzheimer's Disease.  He was 72 years old.

Born and raised in Iowa, Peters played his college football for San Francisco State.  A defensive tackle, he was drafted by the Baltimore Colts in the eighth round of the 1958 draft, but wound up getting cut before the season began.  He then bounced around some semi-pro leagues for a bit before getting signed by the Cleveland Browns in 1959.  He played four seasons in Cleveland before getting traded to the Detroit Lions.  After he played there for a year, the Lions traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Peters spent the most successful six-year stretch of his playing career in Philadelphia, getting named to the Pro Bowl three times during that period.  He was even named the most outstanding lineman at the 1967 Pro Bowl.  His journey through the league as a player ended after the 1970 season, a year that he spent with the Washington Redskins.

He also spent 13 years in the league as a defensive coordinator, most notably with the Minnesota Vikings.  He was tabbed by Jerry Burns to be the Vikings' defensive coordinator when Burns was hired for the job in 1986, and held the position until 1991.  He played the role of defensive coordinator for a few other teams NFL teams, most notably the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the (then) Los Angeles Raiders.

Peters is survived by Nancy, his wife of 51 years, their four children, and their six grandchildren.