Bud Grant's Vikings Owned the Frozen Tundra | NFL Films Presents

in 1967 bud grants first move as the Minnesota Vikings new head coach was to acquire British Columbia quarterback Joe Kaplan the only thing he ever said to me personally a post was three words get a haircut he meant it and bud was even more serious when it came to the national anthem I was indoctrinated to be an American I was proud of that national anthem was very important to me [Applause] the least we can do is give respect to the flag and stand at attention will line up with all sound the same way put our feet in the same direction hold your helmet the same way no chewing gum scratching their behind I put Karl eller Jim Marshall and Mick Dingle off you guys are in charge I used to call it the Viking formation that was good as for his team's identity bud took his cues from the old stadium in which they played which by season's end was a winter wonderland [Music] they got the right name where the Vikings I'll let's be a cold-weather team and we're going to be cold to cover gonna practice in a cold you're gonna get used to the cold and you can catch and kick and hold a football in the cold weather look what the other team is doing I got here is over there where are the players there how did it around those years they're ready watching the game they're trying to get warm as it will alleviate that because we don't wanna have heaters you watch the game you'd be ready to go in you'll be ready to play let them have their heaters [Applause] [Music] [Applause] and then they gotta buy into it they got to buy into the team concept none of that are worth our salt by themselves but together they were great they're 1969 motto was 44 6040 men for 60 minutes but grants kind of team [Applause] [Applause] these selfless cold-weather warriors won their first league championship and a Super Bowl birth validating the methods of the man who molded them he looked at the talent that he had and he built a team around the talent that he had they weren't always pretty but they will remove to the cold and totally committed he knew what it took to win football games he knew what type of a person he wanted for his football teams and we'd love to play for him the 1969 Vikings advanced to football's biggest stage but in Super Bowl for their magical season came crashing down [Music] there was no under estimating our our opponent or anything like that we felt that we could certainly do the things that we needed to do the win and it just didn't happen to a man nobody cried nobody made excuses nobody blamed anybody it was a team right to the end for Bud Grant life went on you've got six children you come from absolute zero your main commitment in life is to take care of your family and to provide them possibly with the things that you didn't have and you get satisfaction I get more satisfaction out of providing for my family than I ever did coaching a football game it was this healthy life perspective that endeared Bud grant to the men who played for him because he didn't sleep in the locker room he didn't watch film endlessly he went out hunting on Saturday before the game he never yelled he never screamed he never berated but he was a great great leader and a great great coach and I was privileged to play for him if you could not play for Bud Grant you could not play from 1973 through 76 Fran Tarkenton quarterbacked grants Vikings to three more Super Bowls on his way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame a trio of players for Minnesota's famed purple people eaters defense also distinguished themselves as future hall-of-famers and no opponent looked forward to a postseason game in Minneapolis Dempsey in the triumph of the field goal this is a chip shot there just have a bit light [Applause] in a four-year span bud grants Vikings 151 games and lost only 14 they won six home playoff games in seven tries I wasn't surprised I thought we could win otherwise I wouldn't have to years I wanted to win and make a career out of it unfortunately for grant Super Bowls were played in warmer neutral sites hey we got there and we played good teams well the third time now in the last four years the Minnesota Vikings have been to the Super Bowl and the legacy of the Minnesota Vikings had been damaged for some reason because we didn't win those Super Bowls football is entertainment it's not life or death one thing in this business you can't look back three wide receivers right forever back back so Bud Grant retooled and kept on winning [Applause] there were three more division titles and the Vikings first-ever playoff win in the Metrodome the four bud retired following the 83 season when the team collapsed under grants successor bud returned defeating bill Walsh's defending Super Bowl champions on opening day of 85 [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] at season's end Bud Grant said goodbye to coaching but the National Football League wasn't finished with Harry Peter Grant one stop remained in his storied career I didn't realize the significance of being in the Hall of Fame I'm very very humble at that time my father was here he would different than I was he's was a very good various guy he's stand up and he'd say that kid made it the Briony made it I'm very gratified to be an off and very proud I'm very proud of that I mean I'm beholden to all these great players I mean I'm living in their shadow all their accomplishments it's you know that's why I'm here

Channel: NFL Films

Views: 484,997

Rating: 4.9025478 out of 5

Keywords: NFL, Football, NFL Films, American Football, nfl films presents, minnesota vikings, minnesota, vikings, bud grant, coach, legend, hall of fame, legendary, north, cold, tundra, fozen, win, purple people eaters, super bowl, dominant, defense, freeze, weather

Id: KPH4Oayq7Ss

Length: 8min 14sec (494 seconds)

Published: Wed Nov 09 2016

Reddit Comments

[u/SoDakZak]

Knew it had to be Bud Grant. Dudes a legend. We had a playoff game a few years back that was below zero and he came out in a T-shirt at like 85 years old to do the coin toss.

Just noticed they have a clip from that about 15 seconds in.

[u/slap_that_fish]

He went hunting before games.

[u/snufalufalgus]

The correct answer is Paul Brown

[u/justdaman182]

If Reid retires without a ring, I think he should be number 1. Though, I'm probably a little biased. Still, plenty of evidence to support my stance.

[u/Kitescreech]

Rich Kotite?

[u/waveduality]

Great Stone Face!