Welcome to the 25 SKOL’s of Christmas!
In a similar vein to how Freeform has done the 25 days of Christmas, we will look back at different moments in Vikings history to bring a little extra joy to you this holiday season.
It’s that simple. The holidays can be a trying time for some people and we want to put a smile on people’s faces by reminiscing about some truly joyous times in Vikings’ history.
On the seventh SKOL of Christmas, the Vikings gave to me: Bud Grant being the toughest guy in the NFL.
Grant was a legendary head coach for the Vikings. He led the franchise to their only four Super Bowl appearances and amassed a tremendous record of 158-96-5. He was the unanimous 1969 coach of the year and made the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a head coach. Grant is also the only athlete to ever be drafted by both the NBA and NFL.
He is a legend for a lot of reasons, but he kept the Purple People Eaters tough by not allowing any heaters on the sidelines. At the time, it was viewed as a source of intimidation, but now it would be viewed as inhumane to not keep your players safe. Needless to say that times were different back then.
Ever since his retirement in 1985, Grant has done some consulting for the team and hosting his famous garage sale, but on one fateful January afternoon in 2016, Grant lived up to the tough mantra that he instilled into his players back in his coaching days.
January 10th, 2016 was a fateful day in Vikings’ history. It will forever be known as the day that Blair Walsh went wide left, but pregame gave us a moment that was better than we could have anticipated.
The temperatures that morning reached as low as 30 below zero with wind chills even lower at 50 below zero. At kickoff, they were six below zero and it was incredibly cold. Grant was named an honorary captain for the game and he came out in the toughest way possible: rocking slacks and a Vikings polo shirt.
Never forget that time 88 year old Bud Grant walked out for the coin toss in -6 degree weather while wearing a polo.
Happy Birthday Bud! #Skol #Vikings https://t.co/bETeK2Hhh6 pic.twitter.com/nuJeWDpNiN
— The Fantasy Football Schmucks 🎙🏈 🍺 (@FFSchmucks) May 20, 2022
Despite how the game ended, nobody will forget how awesome that moment was or how tough Grant is.
Previous SKOL’s of Christmas:
Drafting Randy Moss
Vikings 1997 Wild Card Comeback
Jarius Wright Walks Off the Jets
Jared Allen traded to Vikings
Adrian Peterson Sets Rushing Record
Brett Favre Revenge Tour
