GARY LARSEN - Official
Site of NFL Vikings #77
Joined the Vikings in 1965
a
Legendary NFL Vikings
Defensive Tackle
of THE PURPLE PEOPLE EATERS Fearsome Foursome
Video Bio: http://www.vikings.com/media-vault/videos/Gary-Larsen-Bio-Video/
2013 Article: http://deadspin.com/ex-viking-gary-larsen-i-forget-things-but-thats-part-1475705093
The Purple People Eaters
Fearsome NFL Viking Warriors Dominated the
1970's
Jim Marshall (#70) ... Alan Page (#88) ... Gary Larsen (#77) ... Carl Eller (#81)
For nearly a decade in the 1970's ... The Purple People Eaters
were as dominant as ANY defense in NFL history!
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NFL Vikings » The
Purple People-Eaters (left to right): Carl Eller, Gary Larsen, Alan Page, Jim Marshall |
Gary Larsen, Roy Winston, Carl Eller
Gary Larsen
You
could have fooled running backs and quarterbacks because to them: Page,
Carl Eller, Gary Larsen #77 (joined Vikings in 1965)
and Jim Marshall most certainly were purple, and they most certainly ate people,
at least on Sunday afternoons. "The Purple People-Eaters" they were called, and for nearly a decade, they were as dominant as any defense in NFL history, their records overlooked somewhat, however, because they lost 4 times in the Super Bowl during that period. In 1969, the brawling, charismatic Kapp led a free-wheeling Viking offense that posted an NFL-high 379 points and 3 times scored more than 50 points in a game. While the Minnesota defense of Jim Marshall, Alan Page, Carl Eller, and Gary Larsen gained recognition as the "Purple People Eaters." |
Gary Larsen, Alan Page, Jim
Marshall, Carl Eller
At right DE was Jim Marshall and he played the
position for so long that he could probably do it in his sleep. By the end
of the 1979 season, Marshall had played in 282 consecutive games in a row, more
than any other player in NFL history. Though small for his position,
Marshall had breakneck speed and was keen for getting into the backfield. His
passion for speed often carried over off the field as well. Bill Brown relayed a story to me at the Draft Party in 1997. The subject of training camp had come up and Bill said that the ride down to Mankato could be an exceptionally exciting one if you happened to find yourself sitting shotgun with Jim Marshall. Seems Marshall had a penchant for driving fast and his car had a dashboard full of every radar detector known to mankind. Brown remembered one such drive, speeding along at 85 mph himself when he spied a fast moving car quickly approaching him from behind. It was Marshall, going about 130 mph according to Brown. Marshall always took back roads because Bud Grant would have had a fit if Marshall would have been caught. Another player, according to Brown, had purchased a Jaguar just to outrun Marshall. The player was picked up one night returning to the Twin Cities, the Jag alongside the road, both rear tires blown out, trying to keep up with Marshall, the unnamed player muttering to himself. He loved everything about the game itself. Marshall's sheer joy in working with people and playing his favorite game rubbed off on his teammates. Players, coaches, and even the team owners marveled at how good it felt just to be around him. From 1968 and well into the 1970s, The Purple People Eaters humbled the best offenses in pro football. After completing only 8 of 22 passes in a game, quarterback Johnny Unitas of the then Baltimore Colts called the Vikings the best pass rushers he had ever seen. In a 1969 game, quarterback Bart Starr found himself again in serious trouble. During the game, Starr was upended eight times and the longest play of the day was only 13 yards. The Purple People Eaters so rattled the Detroit Lions one-day that the Lions committed 11 fumbles. In the famous playoff game against the Rams in 1969, the Vikings' Carl Eller bowled over an all-pro blocker to tackle the Rams' quarterback for a game-critical safety. Nothing can match the Vikings' 1971 season however. That year, Eller won the Most Valuable Defensive Player award and Alan Page was voted the Most Valuable Player in the League, making him the first defensive player to have ever earned the honor. A series of plays in a game against Detroit showed what kind of game Page had that year. Incensed at himself for making two mistakes in a row, Page simply took charge of the game. On first down, he sacked the quarterback for huge loss. On second down, he dove over a blocker and caught the runner for another loss. On third down, he sacked the quarterback again for another loss despite the man blocking him being flagged for holding. On fourth down, he blocked the punt. The Purple People Eaters earned a record 4 trips to the Super Bowl with Eller, Page, and Marshall starting in every one of them. But The Purple People Eaters didn't just participate in football, they had other interests as well. Page pursued a career in law and eventually became a Minnesota Supreme Court Justice. Eller turned to dramatic acting and performed in a film called the Black Six. Marshall enjoyed practically anything, whether it was reading poetry, parachuting, scuba diving, mountain climbing, skiing, or managing a rock group. Others have had the fortune of winning Super Bowls, but none have done what the Purple People Eaters have done. For more than ten years, since 1967, they played defense together as well as it could be played. They won their division title every year they were together except for one. Long after other players of their age had retired, been injured and replaced, the Purple People Eaters were still pulling down runners and having team meetings at the quarterback. In 1969, the brawling, charismatic Kapp led a free-wheeling Viking offense that posted an NFL-high 379 points and three times scored more than 50 points in a game. While the Minnesota defense of Jim Marshall, Alan Page, Carl Eller, and Gary Larsen gained infamous recognition as the "Purple People Eaters," it was "Injun" Joe who remained the fiery ring-leader of the Purple Gang. |
Purple People Eaters Autographed Football
(Eller, Page, Gary Larsen #77, Marshall)
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