100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players: 60-51

The Flea Flicker countdown of the 100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players continues with players ranked 60-51. 

100 Greatest Minnesota Vikings Players: 60-51

  60. Jeff Christy, C

  59. Ed McDaniel, LB

  58. Tim Irwin, OT

  57. EJ Henderson, LB

  56. John Gilliam, WR

  55. Gary Larsen, DT

  54. Anthony Barr, LB

  53. Sammy White, WR

  52. Matt Birk, C

  51. Stefon Diggs, WR

Jeff Christy ranks behind the great Mick Tingelhoff and Matt Birk in the Vikings long, strong center tradition. 

Ed McDaniel was always a favorite of mine. The Vikings defense wasn’t great in the late 1990s but they were strong up the middle with John Randle, McDaniel, and Robert Griffith. 

Tim Irwin=steady and dependable. He received zero league-wide accolades during his long starting run in Minnesota. Still, he was named one of the 50 Greatest Vikings. 

John Gilliam carried the Vikings great receiver tradition in the early 1970s. His specialty was the big play. During his four years in Minnesota, Gilliam averaged 20 yards per catch. Over his first three years with the Vikings, he averaged a ridiculous 22, 21.6, and 22.2 yards per catch. His departure after the 1975 season was my introduction to a player’s often fleeting time with a team. 

Anthony Barr was the epitome of Mike Zimmer’s team defense. If he’d been drafted by a team that simply sent him after the quarterback on every snap, he’d probably have a much more recognizable career and sizable stat sheet. He was a very good, often great, football player but he rarely got the attention or recognition that he deserved. 

The receiver position has always been my favorite. It’s the position I played. It’s the position I’m drawn to the most. The Vikings have a terrific receiver tradition. Sammy White was one of my first favorite receivers. His pairing with Ahmad Rashad was a great one. Until the Carters, White and Rashad was my favorite Vikings receiving duo. 

The days that Stefon Diggs, Percy Harvin, and Randy Moss were traded were three of the saddest days of my Vikings life. I loved watching Diggs play the receiver position. His route-running. His pass-catching. His energy. His passion. He was a blast. The fact that Justin Jefferson is now in Minnesota makes it easier to see Diggs in Buffalo.