When Adrian Peterson and the rest of the Vikings took the field for their 2016 playoff game against the Seahawks, Bud Grant walked out with them. Grant, then 88 years old, immediately went viral as he took to the pitch in a short-sleeved shirt despite the minus 6 degree temperature.
Grant’s mental toughness was shared by many of his Vikings teams, especially those that reached the Super Bowl four times from 1969 to 1977. During his 18 years on the sidelines, Grant led the Vikings to 168 wins, a .621 regular season winning percentage, three NFC titles and an NFL title in 1969. Grant’s success in Minnesota led to him being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In 1994.
Here are five facts about Grant, who celebrated his 95th birthday on Friday, May 20.
Minneapolis Laker and star NFL wide receiver
Grant was a three-sport, nine-time Wisconsin man while playing football, basketball, and baseball. His success in football and basketball led to him being selected in the NFL and NBA drafts. Grant was selected by the Eagles with the 14th overall pick in the 1950 NFL Draft and was won by the Lakers with the 42nd overall pick in that year’s NBA Draft. The Lakers being a home team, coupled with the fact that his friend, Sid Hartman, was the team’s general manager played a role in Grant’s choice to play for Minneapolis.
Grant played two years with the Lakers and made the franchise’s first championship team in 1950, but after those two seasons in the NBA as a backup, he decided to move to the NFL. After leading the Eagles in sacks in 1951, Grant went on the attack in 1952 and was second in the NFL that season with 997 receiving yards. Grant caught 11 passes for 203 yards and two scores in a season-ending win over the Dallas Texans.
Canadian Football League star
Grant joined the Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the CFL following a contract dispute with the Eagles after the 1952 season. A three-time all-star, Grant led his respective conference in three-time receptions and receiving yards twice. Grant also intercepted a CFL playoff record five interceptions in a playoff game.
Blue Bombers Coach
At age 29, Grant became the youngest head coach in CFL history when the Blue Bombers hired him before the start of the 1957 season. During his decade as Blue Bombers coach, Grant led the team to six Gray Cup appearances and four championships. Grant, who also served as the team’s general manager for three seasons, compiled a 122-66-3 record during his run as Blue Bombers coach.
Minnesota History
Grant was originally tapped to coach the Vikings in 1961 when the team was preparing for its inaugural season. Grant then declined the offer, but he accepted an offer to coach the Vikings before the 1967 season.
Grant was part of a historic trade early in his tenure with the Vikings. He helped orchestrate a rare trade between two separate leagues: the NFL and the CFL. In the trade, the Vikings acquired quarterback Joe Kapp – then from the BC Lions – in exchange for running back/receiver Jim Young, a Canadian-born player. Young ended up enjoying a successful 13-year run with the Lions, while Kapp guided the Vikings to the franchise’s first NFL title in 1969. Minnesota, however, couldn’t win that year’s Super Bowl. there, as the Vikings fell short against the Chiefs in the last game played before the AFL-NFL merger.
The Vikings continued to be a league powerhouse into the 1970s. Minnesota reached the Super Bowl three more times during the decade, as Grant became the second coach (Don Shula being the first) to lead his team to four Super Bowls. Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton was the team’s starter in Minnesota’s Super Bowl appearances in 1973, 1974 and 1976. The Vikings were also led by a commanding defense that earned the nickname ” The Purple People Eaters”. The unit was led by Hall of Famers Alan Page, Carl Eller, Paul Krause as well as defensive end Jim Marshall, who spent 20 years with the Vikings.
Grant has been inducted into the Professional Football Hall of Fame as well as the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. In a combined 28 years as a head coach, Grant has won two Coach of the Year awards while leading his teams to 10 league games. He had a combined coaching record of 260-152-7 in the regular season and 23-16 in the playoffs.
Famous garage sales
Grant has held at least a dozen well-attended garage sales in recent years. Autographed figurines, memorabilia from his coaching career, hunting artifacts and other non-football related items have been sold as his garage sales over the years.
“If you don’t want to buy it, the guy behind you will,” Grant said at his garage sale in 2017.