#55

 

ALAN PAGE

There was a certain fear associated with playing against the Minnesota Vikings during the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The Vikings had a marauding, tough, and nasty team that played in the winter elements at the dear, departed Metropolitan Stadium in Bloomington, located directly between the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

While the Vikings had a hard-nosed offense led by Fran Tarkenton and running back Bill Brown, it was the defense that gave the team its identity. The Vikings attacked with power and speed, and while that defense played well as a whole, it was the defensive line that caused nightmares around the NFL.

That defensive line was known as the Purple People Eaters, and the best player in that stellar group was defensive tackle Alan Page.

Page and his partners Carl Eller, Jim Marshall, and Gary Larsen never were fans of their colorful nickname because it was not their style to promote themselves. That foursome was a business-minded group that simply wanted to win games and meet at the quarterback.

The Vikings of the late 1960s became the team to beat in the NFL once Vince Lombardi retired from the Green Bay Packers. Lombardi was never afraid of an opponent, but perhaps he knew exactly what head coach Bud Grant was building in Minnesota with the Vikings.

The defense was capable of taking over any game and dominating for long stretches. They simply did not let opponents catch their breath once they started to attack. One of the primary keys to the defense was the ability of Page to be able to knife through the interior blocking of the offensive line and menace the quarterback.

Page was a consensus All-America player when he was drafted with the 15th pick in the first round by the Vikings. He won his starting job by the fourth game of the season, and he was firmly entrenched in the starting lineup before the end of his rookie season.

Page was basically unstoppable from his rookie year of 1967 though the 1976 season. He started to slow down a bit in 1977 and was released, but the Bears picked him up in 1978. He would remain in Chicago through 1981, when he would retire from the game. He was an incredibly durable player who never missed a game due to injury. He played in all 218 games he was eligible to put on a uniform.

Page was small by today’s standards, as he played at 6-4 and 245 pounds. However, he had decent size for his era, and he was shockingly fast. If Page was able to get opposing offensive linemen off balance with a jab step, a hand punch, or any kind of move, he had won the battle. He would be by his man in an instant and on top of the quarterback.

Page was so good that he earned the NFL’s MVP award and defensive player of the year in 1971. He is the only Vikings defensive player to win the league-wide MVP award.

He was a first-team All-Pro player six times and a nine-time Pro Bowler based on his consistent excellence.

Sacks were not an official stat throughout Page’s career, but film review shows that he had 108.5 sacks while playing for the Vikings, and he went on to add 40 more during his run with the Bears. He had a career-best 18 sacks during the 1976 season, and he had six seasons win which he recorded double-digit sacks.

The remarkably quick Page recovered 22 fumbles in his career and he returned two of them for touchdowns. He also scored another touchdown on an interception return. Page was also a demon on special teams, as he blocked 28 kicks.

As much of a force as Page was as a pass rusher, he was just as good against the run. He understood blocking angles and leverage better than nearly every other defensive tackle, and he excelled at bringing down the ball carrier even when he was not in perfect position to deliver the big hit.

Page and his linemates, along with the Viking linebackers, made life miserable for opposing offenses. In addition to their game-altering speed, they often set up quarterbacks with stunts that often resulted in turnovers and sacks.

“When you play together like we have, you gain a lot of confidence in each other,” Marshall told Sports Illustrated in 1969. “I know what Page is going to do and we react instinctively.”

That’s why the Vikings were so effective when they pulled their stunts. Page might give Eller or Marshall a look or a gesture just to let them know what he was seeing. That’s when they would pull off stunts or fakes that would allow the Vikings to make game-changing plays.

Page has gone on to a stellar career in law in Minnesota since his playing days came to an end. He is an associate justice on the Minnesota Supreme Court, and he has been an advocate for equal education for all youngsters through his Page Education Foundation.

While he is doing great things on the bench, his consistency in the NFL landed him a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton. He is one of the most deserving players in that shrine.