... first had its roots in the AFL. The three businessmen's attempts (Boyer, Winter and Skoglund) at bringing back professional football to the area since the Minneapolis Red Jackets were in town started with the trio being awarded a team in the upstart American Football League.

They forfeited that award 5 months later to take membership in the NFL. In turn they gave Ole Haugsrud a 10% share of the franchise to fulfill a promise the NFL made when he sold the Duluth Eskimoes back to the league in the 1920's.

It was this ownership foundation that built the formidable defense "The Purple People Eaters", which included Allen Page, Jim Marshall, and Carl Eller. The Viking's front office rode this defensive line into the late 1970's and app...

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