Favorite Vikings Defensive Tackle Duos

I was recently thinking about the Minnesota Vikings' defensive tackle duo of Kevin and Pat Williams It was those thoughts about a couple of my favorites that got me thinking about my favorite Vikings positional duos. It was the "Williams Wall" that started this series of posts. So, I guess that it's appropriate that my favorite defensive tackles in Vikings franchise history starts with them.

Favorite Defensive Tackle Duos

1. Kevin Williams-Pat Williams
"The Williams Wall." Kevin and Pat Williams simply didn't allow teams to run the ball against the Vikings. It felt like the Vikings led the league in run defense every year that these two were in the middle of the defensive line. They were fun on the field. They were fun off the field. Hall of Fame arguments will be made for Kevin Williams when he's eligible in 2021.

2. Alan Page-Gary Larsen
It's a surprise, even to me, that a duo that includes Alan Page isn't #1. Alan Page is my favorite football player. He was one of the best defensive tackles in league history. At the peak of his greatness he was named the league's MVP in 1971. It was the first time a defensive player had ever won the award. That's significant. Bob Lilly, Merlin Olsen, and Joe Greene never did such a thing. Gary Larsen was always the "other guy" on the Vikings great defensive line. He was much more than "the other guy." He controlled the area of the field that Page, Jim Marshall, and Carl Eller left behind. He was pretty good at it as he earned two trips to the Pro Bowl.

3. Keith Millard-Henry Thomas
This duo could easily be #1. For a 3-4 year period, Keith Millard was as disruptive as any defensive player in the league. He routinely wrecked the intentions of the offense. If injuries hadn't whittled away at his career, he'd be in Canton. Henry Thomas was quietly a great football player. Watching the dismantling of the Vikings defensive line of Millard, Thomas, and Chris Doleman was so damn sad.

4. Alan Page-Doug Sutherland
The Page-Larsen duo was early in my days as a fan. I remember the Alan Page-Doug Sutherland duo better. Page was still great. Sutherland was solid.

5. John Randle-Henry Thomas
Any Vikings fan that experienced at least a part of the 1990s probably has John Randle as one of the favorite football players. He was a riot on and off the field. He was also a nightmare for offensive linemen and quarterbacks. I was in the stands in Oakland for a Sunday night game against the Raiders in the mid-90s. Randle took over the game in the fourth quarter. Thomas was still quietly a great football player.

Other Duos Deserving Mention:
Paul Dickson-Gary Larsen
James White-Doug Sutherland
John Randle-Esera Tuaolo
Tony Williams-Jerry Ball
Chris Hovan-Fred Robbins
Kevin Williams-Chris Hovan
Sharrif Floyd-Linval Joseph
Sheldon Richardson-Linval Joseph

The Sharrif Floyd-Linval Joseph duo should've/could've been one of the best. Instead of that happening, a hacked-up surgery ended Floyd's career just as he was getting started.

The Vikings drafted a load of intriguing football players. Of all the players new to the team this season, the player that I'm most excited to see might be nose tackle Michael Pierce. At 6'0" and a well-rounded 345 lbs he doesn't look much like the player he's replacing. Joseph is built like a mountain. Pierce is built more like a boulder. Both play a similar game. They just look different doing it. The Vikings have a flock of players with a variety of talents contending for the starting spot next to Pierce. I can't wait to see the defensive tackle duo that takes the field for the Vikings this season.