10 greatest Minnesota Vikings of all time

CINCINNATI, OH - DECEMBER 2: Defensive tackle Alan Page #88 and defensive end Carl Eller #81 of the Minnesota Vikings watch from the sideline during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Riverfront Stadium on December 2, 1973 in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Bengals defeated the Vikings 27-0. (Photo by Clifton Boutelle/Getty Images) /

3 of 10

Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinee and Minnestoa Vikings defensive end Carl Eller (81) in the Vikings 19-10 victory over the Washington Redskins on 11/8/1970 at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C. (Photo by Nate Fine/Getty Images) /

8. Carl Eller, DE

He may have been the fiercest member of the fabled “Purple People Eaters.” Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive end Carl Eller got after opposing quarterbacks on a consistent basis.

Along with Jim Marshall, fellow Hall of Famer Alan Page, as well as fellow defensive tackles Gary Larsen and eventually Doug Sutherland, they were part of a defense that would help the Minnesota Vikings make four Super Bowl appearances in eight seasons.

Only five players were selected ahead of Eller in the 1964 NFL Draft. The former University of Minnesota standout spent 15 seasons in the Twin Cities and missed only three games with the club.

The six-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro played at a time when individual sacks were not yet an official statistic. In 16 NFL seasons, including a one-year stint with the Seattle Seahawks in 1979 (via the Pro Football Hall of Fame), Eller was credited with 133 quarterback traps and 23 fumble recoveries. That includes an incredible 44 sacks in 42 regular-season contests from 1975-77 with the Vikings.

Despite his excellent play, it took the 16-year pro quite a few years to earn a place in Canton, Ohio. He was enshrined in 2004 nearly 20 years after his first year of eligibility in 1985.

Home/Minnesota Vikings