3 biggest draft busts in Minnesota Vikings history

1. DE Dimitrius Underwood

The Minnesota Vikings have certainly had their share of prominent performers in the defensive trenches. When it comes to this area, there are three members of the Purple Gang in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Defensive tackle Alan Page (the 1971 NFL MVP), defensive end Carl Eller and undrafted defensive lineman John Randle all have busts in Canton, Ohio.

Former Vikings’ first-round draft choice Dimitrius Underwood is also a Hall of Famer. However, it has nothing to do with pro football. Before joining Michigan State University, the defensive end was a standout at E.E. Smith High School in Fayetteville, North Carolina. After his career in the Big Ten with the Spartans, Minnesota made him the 29th overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft.

Following a practice, on August 2, the 6-foot-6, 276-pound prospect was gone. Roughly a week later, the Vikings issued this statement. “Dimitrius told coach (Dennis) Green that he has no desire to play football and has decided not to play for the Vikings.”

Apparently, Underwood did have a slight change of heart. He wound up with the Dallas Cowboys and played in a total of 19 games over two seasons. The first was in 2000 in which he appeared in 15 contests and finished with four sacks. However, he finished with just four tackles in as many games a year later.