All-Time Minnesota Vikings Team From Pac-8/10/12

Waiting for news out of TCO Performance Center. Waiting for free agency. Waiting. Waiting. Waiting. As I wait for any news I’ll pass some time with an All-Time Minnesota Vikings Team. That’s always fun. This All-Time Vikings Team is a little different. This team is made up of “great” Vikings players that played their college ball at schools in what is now the Pac-12. The conference hasn’t always had 12 schools. It was the Pac-8 when I was an itty bitty football fan. It was the Pac-10 when I was a student at Cal. It’s been the Pac-12 since 2010. It feels longer. That’s probably because some of Cal’s seasons over the last decade haven’t been much fun. Twelve games felt like 20. Anyway, during the life of the Vikings, the conference that is now the Pac-12 has come in many forms. Here’s an All-Time Minnesota Vikings Team made up of players from the conference in all of it’s iterations. 

Offense

Quarterback

Joe Kapp, California

In Kapp’s day the conference wasn’t the Pac-8, Pac-10, or Pac-12. It was the Pacific Coast Conference. It was also the last time Cal played in the Rose Bowl. 

Running Back

Darrin Nelson, Stanford

Fullback 

Rick Fenney, Washington

Wide Receivers

Ahmad Rashad, Oregon

Bob Grim, Oregon State

Tight End

Rhett Ellison, USC

Tackles

Gary Zimmerman, Oregon

Ron Yary, USC

Guards

Randall McDaniel, Arizona State

Ed White, California

Center

Brent Boyd, UCLA

Brent Boyd gets the nod by default. For all I know, none of his 27 starts were at guard. Still, he gets the start on this team. Hopefully, being bracketed by Randall McDaniel and Ed White helps. 

Defense

Defensive Ends

Everson Griffen, USC

Doug Martin, Washington

Defensive Tackles

Keith Millard, Washington State

Jason Fisk, Stanford

Linebackers

Anthony Barr, UCLA

Jeff Siemon, Stanford

Eric Kendricks, UCLA

Cornerbacks

Anthony Parker, Arizona State

Jackie Wallace, Arizona 

Jackie Wallace played at Arizona about five years before the school joined the Pac-8 and helped make it the Pac-10. He played only 14 games with the Vikings, starting 10. It’s still 14 more games than any corner contender from the conference. I’m stretching the rules of this exercise. 

Safeties

Joey Browner, USC

John Harris Arizona State

Special Teams

Kicker

Ryan Longwell, California

Punter

Chris Kluwe, UCLA

Returner

Hugh McElhenny, Washington

***

That was fun. Back to the waiting.