1961 NFL expansion draft

The 1961 NFL expansion draft was a National Football League (NFL) draft in which a new expansion team, named the Minnesota Vikings, selected its first players.[1] That selection was provided by the expansion draft, held on January 26, 1961.

1961 NFL expansion draft
General information
SportAmerican football
Date(s)January 26, 1961
Overview
LeagueNFL
Expansion teamsMinnesota Vikings
Expansion season1961

In August 1959, a group of Minneapolis businessmen were awarded a franchise in the new American Football League (AFL).[2] In January 1960, they forfeited their AFL membership and were awarded a 90% stake in the 14th franchise of the NFL (the other 10%, under a decades-old agreement, went to former Duluth Kelleys/Eskimos owner Ole Haugsrud).[2] Though the ownership group had participated in the 1960 American Football League draft before jumping leagues to the NFL, they did not take any of the players they selected in that draft with them. As such, they entered the 1961 draft with an empty roster. So that the Vikings could become competitive with existing teams, the league awarded the Vikings the first pick in the 1961 NFL draft and gave them the opportunity to select current players from existing teams. In the expansion draft, the existing franchises listed players from which the Vikings could select to switch to the new team.[3]

Rules of the draft

Every existing NFL team except the Dallas Cowboys listed eight of its 38 players, and the Vikings selected three players on the list from each team.

Player selections
PlayerPositionCollege TeamOriginal NFL Team
Grady AldermanGuardDetroitDetroit Lions
Tom BarnettHalfbackPurduePittsburgh Steelers
Byron BeamsTackleNotre DamePittsburgh Steelers
Ken BeckDefensive tackleTexas A&MGreen Bay Packers
Bill BishopDefensive tackleNorth Texas StateChicago Bears
Don BollTackleNebraskaNew York Giants
Ed CulpepperDefensive tackleAlabamaSt. Louis Cardinals
Don EllersickFlankerWashington StateLos Angeles Rams
Dick HaleyDefensive backPittsburghWashington Redskins
Gerry HuthGuardWake ForestPhiladelphia Eagles
Charlie JaneretteGuardPenn StateLos Angeles Rams
Gene JohnsonDefensive backCincinnatiPhiladelphia Eagles
Don JoyceDefensive endTulaneBaltimore Colts
Bill KimberEndFlorida StateNew York Giants
Bill LaphamCenterIowaPhiladelphia Eagles
Hugh McElhennyHalfbackWashingtonSan Francisco 49ers
Dave MiddletonEndAuburnDetroit Lions
Jack MorrisDefensive backOregonPittsburgh Steelers
Rich MostardiDefensive backKent StateCleveland Browns
Fred MurphyEndGeorgia TechCleveland Browns
Clancy OsborneLinebackerArizona StateSan Francisco 49ers
Dick PesonenDefensive backMinnesota-DuluthGreen Bay Packers
Mike RaboldGuardIndianaSt. Louis Cardinals
Perry RichardsSplit endDetroitSt. Louis Cardinals
Bill RoehneltLinebackerBradleyWashington Redskins
Karl RubkeLinebackerUSCSan Francisco 49ers
Gene SelawskiTacklePurdueCleveland Browns
Glenn ShawFullbackKentuckyChicago Bears
Lebron ShieldsDefensive tackleTennesseeBaltimore Colts
Zeke SmithLinebackerAuburnBaltimore Colts
Jerry StalcupLinebackerWisconsinLos Angeles Rams
Louis "Red" StephensGuardSan FranciscoWashington Redskins
Charlie SumnerDefensive backWilliam & MaryChicago Bears
Dave WhitsellDefensive backIndianaDetroit Lions
Paul WinslowHalfbackNorth Carolina CentralGreen Bay Packers
Frank YousoTackleMinnesotaNew York Giants

See also

References
  1. "1961 NFL Draft". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved September 27, 2008.
  2. "Minnesota Vikings". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on April 16, 2007. Retrieved April 24, 2007.
  3. "History: 1961 Draft". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved September 27, 2008.
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