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We've reached the last of our "1 vs 4" match-ups in the Sweet 16 portion of our Greatest Viking Of All Time Tournament, ladies and gentlemen. In this match-up, two Hall of Famers go head-to-head to see who will join three other Hall of Famers in our Elite 8.
Bud Grant
Alma Mater: University of Minnesota
Acquired by Vikings: Became head coach prior to 1967 season
Seasons in Minnesota: 18 (1967-1983, 1985)
Position: Head Coach
How He Got Here: Defeated Ryan Longwell 153-6 in Round 1; Defeated Steve Jordan 177-16 in Round 2
What can you say about Bud Grant, seriously? In his tenure as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, his team went 159-96-5, bringing home the 1969 National Football League Championship and winning the NFC Championship on three other occasions. The Vikings were only below the .500 mark in four of Grant's 18 seasons roaming the Minnesota sidelines, and he personified the Minnesota Vikings of that era. . .incredibly tough, no-nonsense, and always prepared and ready to go. He truly is one of the greatest NFL coaches of his time or any other time.
Chris Doleman
Alma Mater: University of Pittsburgh
Acquired by Vikings: Round 1, 1985 NFL Draft
Seasons in Minnesota: 10 (1985-1993, 1999)
Position: Defensive end
How He Got Here: Defeated Jeff Christy 141-3 in Round 1; Defeated Anthony Carter 162-30 in Round 2
After the Vikings attempted to make Doleman into a linebacker for a couple of seasons, they moved him to his more natural defensive end position, and he took off from there. Doleman is the Vikings' second-leading "official" sack man of all time, accumulating 96.5 in his seasons in purple. His 21 sacks in 1989 stood as the team's single-season record until Jared Allen broke it in 2011. After three consecutive seasons of double-digit sacks in San Francisco, he returned to Minnesota for one more year in 1999 and put up eight at the age of 38. Doleman was a six-time Pro Bowler with the Vikings, a three-time first team All-Pro, and was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2012.
If you need a primer on how the voting for our contest works, we have one for you at this link here. Remember, rec the comments to register your vote. Putting "Vote - Name" in the subject line of a post does not count.
If you want to vote for Bud Grant, rec the comment that says "Vote - Bud Grant"
If you want to vote for Chris Doleman, rec the comment that says "Vote - Chris Doleman"
Voting is open for 24 hours, just like always, folks. Have at it!