Minnesota Vikings By The Numbers: #67

We’ve move on to the #67 in our Minnesota Vikings By The Numbers series, and there are two players that really stand out above the rest for this one. They’re both offensive linemen (as you’d expect) and they’re both from the old school portion of Vikings history.

The first man to wear the #67 for the purple. . .and probably the one who wore it best. . .was offensive tackle Grady Alderman. Alderman started his career with the Detroit Lions, and played for them for one season before coming to Minnesota as one of the original Vikings. He was truly a fixture at the left tackle position, missing only six starts for the team between 1961 and 1973. He served as a backup in 1974, and the retired from the NFL. Alderman started 175 of 193 games in his Vikings career, and was named to the Pro Bowl six times, as well as being a first-team All-Pro in 1969. Alderman was named as one of the 50 Greatest Vikings of all time, and served as the General Manager of the Denver Broncos in 1981 and 1982.

A couple of years after Alderman left, the number was picked up by center Dennis Swilley. A second-round pick of the Vikings in the 1977 NFL Draft, Swilley served as a backup to Mick Tingelhoff in his first two seasons before taking over the starting role in 1979. He was the primary starter at center for the Vikings through the 1983 season, and in 1984 took a year off to. . .build a house. He came back and started for the Vikings in 1985, and served as a backup for part of the 1986 season before leaving the NFL for good.

Nobody of any real note has worn the number 67 for the Vikings since Swilley hung it up, as you’ll see from the list.

Vikings that have worn the number 67:

• Grady Alderman (1961 - 1974)
• Dennis Swilley (1977 - 1983, 1985 - 1986)
• Ron Sams (1984)
• Mike Teeter (1991)
• Rick Cunningham (1995)
• Melvin Fowler (2005)
• Adrian Awasom (2011)
• Zac Kerin (2015 - present)

On to the number 66 on Monday morning, ladies and gentlemen!