September 20, 2024 • 22 mins
Welcome to Skol Stories presented by 3M - The official science partner of the Minnesota Vikings. Tonight's guest is the 2024 Vikings Ring Of Honor inductee Bobby Bryant. Bobby joins Mark Rosen and Pete Bercich to talk about his journey and successes with the Minnesota Vikings, his memorable draft phone call, why he chose the NFL over the MLB, his longtime friendship with Alan Page, his most memorable games, and the influence of Bud Grant on learning to play in the cold. All of this and more is in this edition of Skol Stories presented by 3M - The official science partner of the Minnesota Vikings.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hey, Vikings fans, been over here. I'm so excited to
be a new Lifetime member, and so are my kids.
They love the tennis, the pickaball, the basketball, and of
course the yummy cafe. Check them out at Lifetime dot
life to find a club nearest you.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Welcome to School Stories, presented by three M, the official
science partner of the Minnesota Vikings. Tonight, we're reconnecting with
this weekend's Ring of Honor inductee Bobby Bryant.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Welcome Back to School Stories, presented by three M along
with Mark Rosen. I'm Pete Persich, and it's only fitting
that tonight's guest joins the show on the kickoff of
his Ring of Honor weekend. He was a defensive Ballhawk
who played his entire NFL career in Purple. I know
you're going to enjoy tonight's conversation with Ring of Honor
and ductee Bobby Bryant.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Very excited to talk to Bobby Bryant. Bobby, you're going
in the Vikings Ring of Honor this weekend. Tell us
about what that phone call was like when you first
found out, and just your feeling about getting in that
Ring of Honor this weekend.
Speaker 4 (01:02):
Well, they didn't really go to any extreme to let
me know that I was being induccident at the Ring
of Honor. So they only had a couple of the
guys that you know, most people don't know, Alan Page
and Fran tarkinon. They had them call me up and
tell me that. So that was a great honor, I bet.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
So what are your feelings about, uh uh, the moment
and just you know, being with you know, you just
mentioned two of them, so many of your former teammates
celebrating this weekend and understanding your your place in Viking history.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
Yes, well never entered my mind that I would be
chosen to be in the Viking Ring of Honor. But
I still don't know if that's where I really belonged.
But but I'm certain you do. Somebody thinks I do.
But it was just just a great thrill, you know,
to have Alan and Fran call me and tell me
(01:55):
that I had will be into the Ring of Honor,
is it?
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Is it kind of humbling for you to be with
like Fran and Alan Page And what about those guys.
Obviously you guys are a great team, but what about
those guys made this Vikings team of the seventies, what
they were.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
Well, I don't feel humbled around. I feel like, you know,
we were part of the great Viking teams, and I
think even maybe the person with the least right to
be humbled, it's just great being able to fit and
talk with Allen and Fran and many of the other
guys that I played with.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Well, let's let's face facts. You're being very humble yourself.
Bobby Troll bowler fifty seven total interceptions, number one really
with the Vikings history. Also taking a consideration of your
postseason fourteen fumble recoveries, four touchdowns. You played the seventy
three NFC Championship Game, the seventy six NFC Championship Game,
one hundred and seventy four games. Played just a stalwart
(02:54):
back there in the defensive backfield. But I want to
go back in time. You were a seventh round draft
pick by the Viking in nineteen sixty seven, the first
AFL NFL combined draft. Now there's a legend. You can
figure this, Help us figure this out. Jim Fakes, the
general manager, was apparently stuck in the hospital after having
surgery and was drafting from his hospital bed with Stubby Easton,
(03:16):
the longtime equipment manager. As you remember on the other
end of the phone, what do you remember about being
drafted by the Vikings under those circumstances in particular.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
Well, I enjoy telling people that the Vikings thought so
much of me as a draft choice that they had
the equipment manager called me to tell me that I
was drafted by the Viking. But you know that during
the draft, I think every available hand on in the
Viking organization had some job that they were doing with
the draft. So so it was. But Stebby was a
(03:47):
great guy anyway, And you know we always used to
kid Stubby with with his pig leg Oh yeah, but
you know, it was great to have Stebby call me.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
But that's funny, he said.
Speaker 4 (03:59):
The fact that he would call me was not any
indication of how I imported my draft was. But it
was just like everybody in the organization involved in the
draft and calling and letting guys know that they had
been drafted.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
So, Bobby, you were drafted by the New York Yankees
and the Boston Red Sox, and then the copment manager
from the Vikings calls you and you say yes to football.
Why you know why football over baseball.
Speaker 4 (04:24):
Well, I knew, and I find a contractor with one
of the major league baseball teams, that I would start
out in the minor leagues. I didn't think I was
such a great pitcher that I would go right to
the major league team, but I knew I'd be in
the minor leagues, or could have been a couple of years.
It could have been longer than that, but I knew,
and if I signed with the Vikings, I would go
(04:45):
to training camp and I would either make the team
or not. And if I had got released by the Vikings,
I think then I would have tried to baseball route,
but it worked out with the Vikings.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Well that's sixty seven draft. My goodness. I remember well
Clint J Jean Washington from Michigan State, guy named Alan Page,
as you mentioned, Bob Grimm, yourself, and a lot more.
My goodness, you and Alan in particular hit it off
and led to a lifetime friendship that still exists today.
And I remember you guys being heavily involved in the
(05:18):
union and trying to form a union, all the stuff
that was going on because you guys didn't have free
agency at that time. What do you remember about meeting
Allen for the first time, and how you cemented this friendship,
because I believe you guys were roommates as well.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
We were. Alan and I both played on the East
team in the East West Shrine Game, which was an
all star game and for college players who were graduating,
and so we were both on that team. So we
spent a week together out in California getting prices and
getting ready for the Shrine Bowl, and so we became
(05:50):
really good friends there. So then when we were both
drafted by the Vikings, we had the training camp, we said, well,
why don't we room together, you know, and so we
did and that was that was how we became roommates.
And that lasted until Allen wasn't considered good enough to
stay with the Vikings, so they released him, didn't try
to sign him. But I think part of that was
(06:11):
the reason was there was some animosity because of Allen,
and for a while there I was was his assistant
player representative, and so there weren't real good feelings between
a lot of the lot of the players in the
NFL and the teams that they were playing for, just
because of some of the restrictions about being able to
(06:31):
change teams or improve ourselves, you know, with the team
that we were with.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
I don't know why I had this visual still of
you guys holding pickets signs up at the top of
the hill at Minnesota State Makto or of course training
camp was held forever and ever. I just remember that
one building. I remember seeing you guys holding up picket signs.
Do I have this right? I mean, was that was
there a moment where you guys were doing that?
Speaker 4 (06:52):
Yes, we did. We had they what do they call
those placards? Those things, yeah, hobo stand on the corner. Well,
oh yeah, do something for food, right, you know, But
but we did, we did have those little signs on.
You know, we did picket, We did stand in ticket lines,
and we remember we grower up our pants legs and
(07:13):
we had some kind of apron on or something like that.
But I was Allen's his assistant as the representatives of
the Vikings. So there was some ill feelings that came
with that, but it did finally pass over, you know,
we got got over it.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
And when you when you arrived with the Vikings, not
only with with all those players and those names that
Alan page of the world, and you also were greeted
by a fresh new head coach for the Minnesota Vikings
and Bud Grant. So just what about Bud Grant and
watching him grow, I guess as a head coach, what
do you remember about Bud and what was he like
(07:50):
to play for?
Speaker 4 (07:51):
Well, Bud came from the Canadian League. He had coached
Winnipeg for years up there and had done really well,
had won several or whatever they call the super Bowl
equivalent in the Canadian League, and so he was he
was new with the Vikings also, So I was very
happy to be drafted by anyone. But as it turned out,
(08:14):
I was very fortunate to be drafted by Bud Grant
because Bud was a coach that was, you know, very
low key. He demanded that players be disciplined and if
you were, no matter how good a player you were,
if you if you made a lot of mistakes or
it was or was not a disciplined player, you couldn't
play for Bud. So I grew up in a very
disciplined family. I was one of eleven kids, and so
(08:37):
we had the total line. And uh, I was very
very disciplined as a player, and uh, I think Bud
like that and uh, and I happened to be starting
with at the same time with as you said, Alan Page,
Alan and I had met in the East West Ryan Game.
We played on the East team in that game, and
so we got drafted by the Vikings. We decided to
(08:57):
room together, which was on you as well. I think
there were several black and white players on NFL change
at room together before us, but it wasn't a real
common occurrence. But we had we had become friends in
the East West Running game, and so we got to Minnesota,
we decided to room together and we did for as
(09:18):
for as long as we played well.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
Again, we're talking to Bobby Bryant, former defensive back, perennial
All Star, peranial Pro Bowl player going into the Vikings
Ring of Honor coming up this weekend, and you mentioned
you and Allen part of the Vikings for Super Bowl teams.
Unfortunately you didn't have free agency, but you did have consistency,
and you guys were coming back with a really great,
(09:40):
amazing group of individuals that became as consistent as any
team in the history of the NFL. Being back in
the Big game multiple times. What made you guys click
When you think of you know, the Jim Marshall's and
the Carl Ellers and Wally Hilgenberg's and especially on defense,
Paul Krause, it was, you know, a year and year
out the fans related to the work ethic that you
(10:02):
guys put out every every game.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
Well, when you look at those teams and just some
of the names you just mentioned Tarkenton and Bill Brown
and mad Rashad on the offensive side, and defensive players
like Alan Page and Jim Marshall and Carl Eller and
Doug Sutherland and uh Jeff Seaman. So many great players
Paul Krauss, and then throw a little skinny guy from
(10:26):
South Carolina in there. Some great players on those teams.
And so that that was the reason we were so successful.
And uh we had you know, we were so good
that we got to the last important game four times,
but unfortunately we never did win it. There was kind
of a stigma on the Vikings by well they were
(10:47):
they were pretty good, but they couldn't win the big one.
So we can't put them on the up there with
the best teams ever. But I think if you look
at our defensives, our team back then, especially the defensive team,
we were as good as any team that ever played so,
but it was anyway that was the reason for our
success was starting with the foundation of the front four,
(11:09):
Alan Page, Jim Marshall, Carl ell Or, Gary Laws and
then Doug Selgun came in with it later, but that
was the foundation for the Vikings be on one of
the best teams I've ever played.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
And Bobby, when you when you think back, what games
pop out in your head when you think back on
your career with all these guys, Are there any particular
games that you'll never forget?
Speaker 4 (11:32):
Well, I remember telling my wife Ted when I had
forty nine interceptions, I said, if I got one morey interception, no,
I'm going to throw you a kiss from the field.
So we were playing and I got my fiftieth interception,
and I was true to my word. I gave the
ball to the official and turned to the stands and
(11:53):
threw a kiss from our beautiful wife, Stephanie, who was
way up in the second day. She didn't even see
me do it. She didn't have a chance to see it.
Later on, it was on I think we sew it
on instant replay on TV or something. She saw it,
but that was one of the highlights of my career
is of being able to do that.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
So stick around for more from Ring of Honor inductee
Bobby Bryant right here on school Stories presented by three M,
the official science partner in the Minnesota Vikings. We'll be
right back after the break, but first Unreal is back
with their Limit edition Vikings. Drop headt u NRL dot
com for more details.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
Welcome back to tonight's edition of school Stories presented by
three M, the official science partner of the Minnesota Vikings.
From the field to the roof and everywhere in between.
Three M, the official science partner of the Minnesota Vikings,
is here. Visit Vikings dot com slash school Science to
learn more. Now let's get back to our conversation with
(12:55):
Vikings Ring of Honor inductee defensive back Bobby Bryant. I
was a young reporter. I'll never forget the nineteen seventy
three NFC Championship game in Dallas. You had a couple
of interceptions sixty three yarder off of Roger Staubach and
may have been I've taught argue that they have been
one of the greatest games. The Vikings as a franchise
has ever played under those circumstances because Dallas was favored.
(13:18):
They had they were loaded with the future Hall of famers,
and the Vikings beat them and beat them soundly in
Dallas that day.
Speaker 4 (13:26):
Yes, that was one of my better games. I had
a couple of interceptions in that game and did return
one for the I think sixty three yards for a touchdown.
But you know, our defensive front forward and linebackers when
they blitched, they didn't get quarterbacks very much time to
throw the ball, So the quarterbacks knew they couldn't hold it,
so a lot of time they would throw the ball
(13:47):
right to our secondary guys, and so it was easy
to get interceptions when the Vikings had their great pass
rush on. So I attributed my success with interceptions to
be mostly because of the great pass rush that we
got from our front four.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
Bobby, a lot of fans listening right now who are
not born, we're not around from the Mets stadium days.
If you could relate what it was like to play there,
not in September, but in December, Buds. You know, order
about no heaters, no gloves, cold's a state of mind,
all that other stuff For a guy who grew up
(14:22):
in South Carolina. What was that like to play at
Mets Stadium against the Rams and other teams when the
temperature hovered around you know, five above or temblow windshield, Well,
it was.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
It was cold. I'll tell you boy from South Carolina
who played at South Carolina and who played a couple
of games at the end of the season in pretty
cold weather. But nothing compared to the winners in Minnesota.
But you know, we practiced every day and no matter
how cold it was, but had a rule that we
would go out inside and practice at least for an
(14:56):
hour outside before we would go into one of the
So we had to go to one of the local
high schools to practice in their gyms, right, just for
an hour outside. We would then go inside. So we
got used to it. But we knew, we knew that
we were going to be more acclimated than the teams
that especially to the teams from the South, that we
(15:16):
would be playing in Minnesota and that kind of weather.
So we were just sadistic enough to think that, you know,
that was really a neat, neat thing to know that
we could go out there. We knew we weren't gon't freeze,
so we knew that we were going to have an
advantage on the team that we were playing because you know,
we were net used to it and we had the
practice in it every day. So that was the way
(15:37):
we looked at it.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
Bobby, what was what's the last Vikings game that you've attended.
Have you had a chance to see the new stadium
and just take a look around and think about how
much things have changed since since you were here when
you played.
Speaker 4 (15:51):
Yes, the new stadium. You know, it's really funny. They
opened the first Dome two years after I retired, So
I think nineteen eighty it was my last year, and
I think it could have been a year. It might
have been two years to kind of remember two years
when that new dome or that first dome opened where
they moved inside. We always thought that was pretty ironic
(16:13):
because you know, we played outside all those years, and
all of a sudden, you know, the year we some
of us we retired, that was when they the next
year they opened the dome, the first dome, and so
but it, you know, it changed the game a little bit.
There was a certain mistake about how we could go
out there and play as well as we did in
freezing weather. But it was because we got used to it.
(16:35):
But I'd say, we're going to learn how to play
in co weather, and we did unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
I mean, I think about again, going back to the
Viking defense talking to Bobby Brian going in the Vikings
Ring of Honor this weekend, you and Paul Krauss were
quite the combination at the back end of that Viking
defense that Paul had what fifty three interceptions with the
Vikings only you had your fifty one and fourteen seasons.
How did you guys feed off each other and communicate
(17:01):
in those games and make you such a lethal pair
for the Minnesota Vikings.
Speaker 4 (17:05):
Well, Paul did steal a couple of interceptions from it,
so I should have.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
Of course he did.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
But he was Paul was a great safety and a
great interceptor and uh was he played free safety, so
he had free reign back in the secondary, and but
he he played the position better than anybody else that
ever played it.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
Hey, Bobby, did you ever have to cover someone like
Justin Jefferson back in the day or who was his
equivalent back in the day when you were playing.
Speaker 4 (17:33):
Yeah, we had, well, we had a few guys. There
was there was one guy, he was semi fast. His
name was Bob Hayes. He was a world champion in
a hundred meters. You might you might remember that. Yeah,
but uh, there were a few guys that were pretty
fast like Bob Hayes. But Harold Jackson from from the
l A. Rams was was was a real fast receiver.
(17:54):
And you know, we played against a lot of guys
that were fast. Most of the receivers had pretty good speed.
But uh, as I said before, with our front four,
the rush that they put on passers, quarterbacks didn't have
time to sit back there and just wait for guy
to get opened. They had sometimes they had to throw
them before they wanted to, and some of those cases
they threw it right to plus the defensive backs back there.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Well, it's gonna be a great weekend, and it's got
to be humbling, to say the least. As we started
our discussion, we can end it with this as well.
But seeing your name up there forever and ever, up
there with the likes of Frank Tarkenton and Jim Marshall
and Allen Page and the rest of the game that
made the Vikings who they are today, the legends that
the Will family is.
Speaker 4 (18:36):
I was just thinking about being in that stadium and
seeing that around the stadium, the names of the players
who are who are in the Ring of Honor, and
so yeah, that's that's an elite group and I am
humbled to be a part of it, but very grateful.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Well well deserved, Bobby, and we're very excited for you.
Enjoy the weekend, every every moment of it, and it
was great catching up with you. We'll see again and
soon this weekend.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
You're welcome.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
Thanks again to Bobby Bryan for joining the show tonight.
I look forward to seeing all of the legends down
at US Bank Stadium all weekend long for the festivities,
and it definitely will be festive here on Sunday, Well, fans,
the Vikings kept the home win streak against the forty
nine Ers alive with that twenty three to seventeen win
on Sunday. This felt like the team was being opportunistic
(19:25):
and capitalizing on manufacturing mistakes that the Vikings defense was
generating against brock Purty and that very tough forty nine
Ers offense. What's impressed you most or what surprised you
most through these first two games, Pete, And then we
can turn the page to start looking forward to playing
another really good team, the Houston Texans.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
I think I think the defense has surprised me a
little bit. You bring up Van Ginkel, who just seems
to be in the right places at the right time. Cashman,
you know, Mattelis. Those guys are just in the right
places at the right time. And then you know Patrick Jones.
We heard about him on preseason how well he's doing
and it's really showing up. We didn't see much of
him on the field, but we heard from the coaches
(20:05):
how how much he's you know, he's progressed. But like
Jonathan Grenard, you know he's he's just he does so much.
I mean, he has one sack I think so far,
but there's so many other things that he does to
get to get the guys where they need to be. Right.
He's making an impact, even though it may not be
(20:25):
huge in the stat line. You know, having Garnard out
there is a big deal. Like guys like Jihad Ward
right right, who we brought in from New York is
a two hundred and eighty five pound outside linebacker, but
he's really an interior rush guy in third down. He's
very specialized and I think the versatility of the of
the players that we brought in is really starting to show.
(20:46):
And Flores loves.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
That another entertaining team coming to town. You talk about
Houston Texans, Danial Hunter, Stefan Diggs and company. It's gonna
be a homecoming of sorts. But it should be a
lot of fun matching wits with the Texans.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
It should be in you know, their defense, very physical,
looks good.
Speaker 4 (21:03):
C J.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
Stroud is the guy that you have to start down
and we have this defense has fared well against younger quarterbacks.
Although from what I understand, CJ. Stroud is a is
a bookworm. He loves watching film. He's gonna he's a
very smart player, so they're gonna have their work cutoff
for him. And he does a lot of damage when
you blitz or try to pressure him, and he can
(21:24):
extend to play with his legs and his athleticism. The receivers,
He and the receivers are all on the same page.
So there it's more reminiscent of what we saw with
Rogers years ago. And you get him on the run
and the next thing you know, you boom. You know,
he beat you for thirty It's it's it's in that respect,
that's what I think they have to look out for.
But very yeah, very talented, very talented team who's on
(21:45):
a roll playoff team. Maybe they have high expectations. Right,
they're not the Texans of old, so to speak. So
this is gonna be a good football game. And I
don't think if you heat up the dome and let
it get hot, it's gonna matter to these guys from Texas, right,
They're used to it well.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
The two and zero Vikings leading the NFC North back
at home once again on Sunday and is a noon
Central Time kickoff from US Bank Stadium. The TV broadcast
will be live on your local CBS affiliate. You can,
of course, also catch Paul Allen, Ben Lieber, Pete Versus
right here all across the Vikings radio network. The Vikings
Football Sunday pregame show starts at ten am on Kfan,
(22:23):
so check your local listings for details. Pete's always a
pleasure to catch up, especially when you're winning. Nothing wrong
with that puts everybody in a great keep the ball rolling.
Thanks again to Bobby Bryant for joining the show, and
thank you fans for tuning into another edition of Skull
Stories presented by three M, the official science partner of
the Minnesota Vikings. We'll see you all again next week.
Hey, Vikings fans, been over here. I'm so excited to
be a new Lifetime member, and so are my kids.
They love the tennis, the pickaball, the basketball, and of
course the yummy cafe. Check them out at Lifetime dot
life to find a club nearest you.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Welcome to School Stories, presented by three M, the official
science partner of the Minnesota Vikings. Tonight, we're reconnecting with
this weekend's Ring of Honor inductee Bobby Bryant.
Speaker 3 (00:28):
Welcome Back to School Stories, presented by three M along
with Mark Rosen. I'm Pete Persich, and it's only fitting
that tonight's guest joins the show on the kickoff of
his Ring of Honor weekend. He was a defensive Ballhawk
who played his entire NFL career in Purple. I know
you're going to enjoy tonight's conversation with Ring of Honor
and ductee Bobby Bryant.
Speaker 2 (00:49):
Very excited to talk to Bobby Bryant. Bobby, you're going
in the Vikings Ring of Honor this weekend. Tell us
about what that phone call was like when you first
found out, and just your feeling about getting in that
Ring of Honor this weekend.
Speaker 4 (01:02):
Well, they didn't really go to any extreme to let
me know that I was being induccident at the Ring
of Honor. So they only had a couple of the
guys that you know, most people don't know, Alan Page
and Fran tarkinon. They had them call me up and
tell me that. So that was a great honor, I bet.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
So what are your feelings about, uh uh, the moment
and just you know, being with you know, you just
mentioned two of them, so many of your former teammates
celebrating this weekend and understanding your your place in Viking history.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
Yes, well never entered my mind that I would be
chosen to be in the Viking Ring of Honor. But
I still don't know if that's where I really belonged.
But but I'm certain you do. Somebody thinks I do.
But it was just just a great thrill, you know,
to have Alan and Fran call me and tell me
(01:55):
that I had will be into the Ring of Honor,
is it?
Speaker 3 (01:59):
Is it kind of humbling for you to be with
like Fran and Alan Page And what about those guys.
Obviously you guys are a great team, but what about
those guys made this Vikings team of the seventies, what
they were.
Speaker 4 (02:12):
Well, I don't feel humbled around. I feel like, you know,
we were part of the great Viking teams, and I
think even maybe the person with the least right to
be humbled, it's just great being able to fit and
talk with Allen and Fran and many of the other
guys that I played with.
Speaker 2 (02:32):
Well, let's let's face facts. You're being very humble yourself.
Bobby Troll bowler fifty seven total interceptions, number one really
with the Vikings history. Also taking a consideration of your
postseason fourteen fumble recoveries, four touchdowns. You played the seventy
three NFC Championship Game, the seventy six NFC Championship Game,
one hundred and seventy four games. Played just a stalwart
(02:54):
back there in the defensive backfield. But I want to
go back in time. You were a seventh round draft
pick by the Viking in nineteen sixty seven, the first
AFL NFL combined draft. Now there's a legend. You can
figure this, Help us figure this out. Jim Fakes, the
general manager, was apparently stuck in the hospital after having
surgery and was drafting from his hospital bed with Stubby Easton,
(03:16):
the longtime equipment manager. As you remember on the other
end of the phone, what do you remember about being
drafted by the Vikings under those circumstances in particular.
Speaker 4 (03:25):
Well, I enjoy telling people that the Vikings thought so
much of me as a draft choice that they had
the equipment manager called me to tell me that I
was drafted by the Viking. But you know that during
the draft, I think every available hand on in the
Viking organization had some job that they were doing with
the draft. So so it was. But Stebby was a
(03:47):
great guy anyway, And you know we always used to
kid Stubby with with his pig leg Oh yeah, but
you know, it was great to have Stebby call me.
Speaker 2 (03:57):
But that's funny, he said.
Speaker 4 (03:59):
The fact that he would call me was not any
indication of how I imported my draft was. But it
was just like everybody in the organization involved in the
draft and calling and letting guys know that they had
been drafted.
Speaker 3 (04:12):
So, Bobby, you were drafted by the New York Yankees
and the Boston Red Sox, and then the copment manager
from the Vikings calls you and you say yes to football.
Why you know why football over baseball.
Speaker 4 (04:24):
Well, I knew, and I find a contractor with one
of the major league baseball teams, that I would start
out in the minor leagues. I didn't think I was
such a great pitcher that I would go right to
the major league team, but I knew I'd be in
the minor leagues, or could have been a couple of years.
It could have been longer than that, but I knew,
and if I signed with the Vikings, I would go
(04:45):
to training camp and I would either make the team
or not. And if I had got released by the Vikings,
I think then I would have tried to baseball route,
but it worked out with the Vikings.
Speaker 2 (04:55):
Well that's sixty seven draft. My goodness. I remember well
Clint J Jean Washington from Michigan State, guy named Alan Page,
as you mentioned, Bob Grimm, yourself, and a lot more.
My goodness, you and Alan in particular hit it off
and led to a lifetime friendship that still exists today.
And I remember you guys being heavily involved in the
(05:18):
union and trying to form a union, all the stuff
that was going on because you guys didn't have free
agency at that time. What do you remember about meeting
Allen for the first time, and how you cemented this friendship,
because I believe you guys were roommates as well.
Speaker 4 (05:30):
We were. Alan and I both played on the East
team in the East West Shrine Game, which was an
all star game and for college players who were graduating,
and so we were both on that team. So we
spent a week together out in California getting prices and
getting ready for the Shrine Bowl, and so we became
(05:50):
really good friends there. So then when we were both
drafted by the Vikings, we had the training camp, we said, well,
why don't we room together, you know, and so we
did and that was that was how we became roommates.
And that lasted until Allen wasn't considered good enough to
stay with the Vikings, so they released him, didn't try
to sign him. But I think part of that was
(06:11):
the reason was there was some animosity because of Allen,
and for a while there I was was his assistant
player representative, and so there weren't real good feelings between
a lot of the lot of the players in the
NFL and the teams that they were playing for, just
because of some of the restrictions about being able to
(06:31):
change teams or improve ourselves, you know, with the team
that we were with.
Speaker 2 (06:36):
I don't know why I had this visual still of
you guys holding pickets signs up at the top of
the hill at Minnesota State Makto or of course training
camp was held forever and ever. I just remember that
one building. I remember seeing you guys holding up picket signs.
Do I have this right? I mean, was that was
there a moment where you guys were doing that?
Speaker 4 (06:52):
Yes, we did. We had they what do they call
those placards? Those things, yeah, hobo stand on the corner. Well,
oh yeah, do something for food, right, you know, But
but we did, we did have those little signs on.
You know, we did picket, We did stand in ticket lines,
and we remember we grower up our pants legs and
(07:13):
we had some kind of apron on or something like that.
But I was Allen's his assistant as the representatives of
the Vikings. So there was some ill feelings that came
with that, but it did finally pass over, you know,
we got got over it.
Speaker 3 (07:29):
And when you when you arrived with the Vikings, not
only with with all those players and those names that
Alan page of the world, and you also were greeted
by a fresh new head coach for the Minnesota Vikings
and Bud Grant. So just what about Bud Grant and
watching him grow, I guess as a head coach, what
do you remember about Bud and what was he like
(07:50):
to play for?
Speaker 4 (07:51):
Well, Bud came from the Canadian League. He had coached
Winnipeg for years up there and had done really well,
had won several or whatever they call the super Bowl
equivalent in the Canadian League, and so he was he
was new with the Vikings also, So I was very
happy to be drafted by anyone. But as it turned out,
(08:14):
I was very fortunate to be drafted by Bud Grant
because Bud was a coach that was, you know, very
low key. He demanded that players be disciplined and if
you were, no matter how good a player you were,
if you if you made a lot of mistakes or
it was or was not a disciplined player, you couldn't
play for Bud. So I grew up in a very
disciplined family. I was one of eleven kids, and so
(08:37):
we had the total line. And uh, I was very
very disciplined as a player, and uh, I think Bud
like that and uh, and I happened to be starting
with at the same time with as you said, Alan Page,
Alan and I had met in the East West Ryan Game.
We played on the East team in that game, and
so we got drafted by the Vikings. We decided to
(08:57):
room together, which was on you as well. I think
there were several black and white players on NFL change
at room together before us, but it wasn't a real
common occurrence. But we had we had become friends in
the East West Running game, and so we got to Minnesota,
we decided to room together and we did for as
(09:18):
for as long as we played well.
Speaker 2 (09:19):
Again, we're talking to Bobby Bryant, former defensive back, perennial
All Star, peranial Pro Bowl player going into the Vikings
Ring of Honor coming up this weekend, and you mentioned
you and Allen part of the Vikings for Super Bowl teams.
Unfortunately you didn't have free agency, but you did have consistency,
and you guys were coming back with a really great,
(09:40):
amazing group of individuals that became as consistent as any
team in the history of the NFL. Being back in
the Big game multiple times. What made you guys click
When you think of you know, the Jim Marshall's and
the Carl Ellers and Wally Hilgenberg's and especially on defense,
Paul Krause, it was, you know, a year and year
out the fans related to the work ethic that you
(10:02):
guys put out every every game.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
Well, when you look at those teams and just some
of the names you just mentioned Tarkenton and Bill Brown
and mad Rashad on the offensive side, and defensive players
like Alan Page and Jim Marshall and Carl Eller and
Doug Sutherland and uh Jeff Seaman. So many great players
Paul Krauss, and then throw a little skinny guy from
(10:26):
South Carolina in there. Some great players on those teams.
And so that that was the reason we were so successful.
And uh we had you know, we were so good
that we got to the last important game four times,
but unfortunately we never did win it. There was kind
of a stigma on the Vikings by well they were
(10:47):
they were pretty good, but they couldn't win the big one.
So we can't put them on the up there with
the best teams ever. But I think if you look
at our defensives, our team back then, especially the defensive team,
we were as good as any team that ever played so,
but it was anyway that was the reason for our
success was starting with the foundation of the front four,
(11:09):
Alan Page, Jim Marshall, Carl ell Or, Gary Laws and
then Doug Selgun came in with it later, but that
was the foundation for the Vikings be on one of
the best teams I've ever played.
Speaker 3 (11:20):
And Bobby, when you when you think back, what games
pop out in your head when you think back on
your career with all these guys, Are there any particular
games that you'll never forget?
Speaker 4 (11:32):
Well, I remember telling my wife Ted when I had
forty nine interceptions, I said, if I got one morey interception, no,
I'm going to throw you a kiss from the field.
So we were playing and I got my fiftieth interception,
and I was true to my word. I gave the
ball to the official and turned to the stands and
(11:53):
threw a kiss from our beautiful wife, Stephanie, who was
way up in the second day. She didn't even see
me do it. She didn't have a chance to see it.
Later on, it was on I think we sew it
on instant replay on TV or something. She saw it,
but that was one of the highlights of my career
is of being able to do that.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
So stick around for more from Ring of Honor inductee
Bobby Bryant right here on school Stories presented by three M,
the official science partner in the Minnesota Vikings. We'll be
right back after the break, but first Unreal is back
with their Limit edition Vikings. Drop headt u NRL dot
com for more details.
Speaker 2 (12:35):
Welcome back to tonight's edition of school Stories presented by
three M, the official science partner of the Minnesota Vikings.
From the field to the roof and everywhere in between.
Three M, the official science partner of the Minnesota Vikings,
is here. Visit Vikings dot com slash school Science to
learn more. Now let's get back to our conversation with
(12:55):
Vikings Ring of Honor inductee defensive back Bobby Bryant. I
was a young reporter. I'll never forget the nineteen seventy
three NFC Championship game in Dallas. You had a couple
of interceptions sixty three yarder off of Roger Staubach and
may have been I've taught argue that they have been
one of the greatest games. The Vikings as a franchise
has ever played under those circumstances because Dallas was favored.
(13:18):
They had they were loaded with the future Hall of famers,
and the Vikings beat them and beat them soundly in
Dallas that day.
Speaker 4 (13:26):
Yes, that was one of my better games. I had
a couple of interceptions in that game and did return
one for the I think sixty three yards for a touchdown.
But you know, our defensive front forward and linebackers when
they blitched, they didn't get quarterbacks very much time to
throw the ball, So the quarterbacks knew they couldn't hold it,
so a lot of time they would throw the ball
(13:47):
right to our secondary guys, and so it was easy
to get interceptions when the Vikings had their great pass
rush on. So I attributed my success with interceptions to
be mostly because of the great pass rush that we
got from our front four.
Speaker 2 (14:02):
Bobby, a lot of fans listening right now who are
not born, we're not around from the Mets stadium days.
If you could relate what it was like to play there,
not in September, but in December, Buds. You know, order
about no heaters, no gloves, cold's a state of mind,
all that other stuff For a guy who grew up
(14:22):
in South Carolina. What was that like to play at
Mets Stadium against the Rams and other teams when the
temperature hovered around you know, five above or temblow windshield, Well,
it was.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
It was cold. I'll tell you boy from South Carolina
who played at South Carolina and who played a couple
of games at the end of the season in pretty
cold weather. But nothing compared to the winners in Minnesota.
But you know, we practiced every day and no matter
how cold it was, but had a rule that we
would go out inside and practice at least for an
(14:56):
hour outside before we would go into one of the
So we had to go to one of the local
high schools to practice in their gyms, right, just for
an hour outside. We would then go inside. So we
got used to it. But we knew, we knew that
we were going to be more acclimated than the teams
that especially to the teams from the South, that we
(15:16):
would be playing in Minnesota and that kind of weather.
So we were just sadistic enough to think that, you know,
that was really a neat, neat thing to know that
we could go out there. We knew we weren't gon't freeze,
so we knew that we were going to have an
advantage on the team that we were playing because you know,
we were net used to it and we had the
practice in it every day. So that was the way
(15:37):
we looked at it.
Speaker 3 (15:38):
Bobby, what was what's the last Vikings game that you've attended.
Have you had a chance to see the new stadium
and just take a look around and think about how
much things have changed since since you were here when
you played.
Speaker 4 (15:51):
Yes, the new stadium. You know, it's really funny. They
opened the first Dome two years after I retired, So
I think nineteen eighty it was my last year, and
I think it could have been a year. It might
have been two years to kind of remember two years
when that new dome or that first dome opened where
they moved inside. We always thought that was pretty ironic
(16:13):
because you know, we played outside all those years, and
all of a sudden, you know, the year we some
of us we retired, that was when they the next
year they opened the dome, the first dome, and so
but it, you know, it changed the game a little bit.
There was a certain mistake about how we could go
out there and play as well as we did in
freezing weather. But it was because we got used to it.
(16:35):
But I'd say, we're going to learn how to play
in co weather, and we did unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (16:39):
I mean, I think about again, going back to the
Viking defense talking to Bobby Brian going in the Vikings
Ring of Honor this weekend, you and Paul Krauss were
quite the combination at the back end of that Viking
defense that Paul had what fifty three interceptions with the
Vikings only you had your fifty one and fourteen seasons.
How did you guys feed off each other and communicate
(17:01):
in those games and make you such a lethal pair
for the Minnesota Vikings.
Speaker 4 (17:05):
Well, Paul did steal a couple of interceptions from it,
so I should have.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
Of course he did.
Speaker 4 (17:12):
But he was Paul was a great safety and a
great interceptor and uh was he played free safety, so
he had free reign back in the secondary, and but
he he played the position better than anybody else that
ever played it.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
Hey, Bobby, did you ever have to cover someone like
Justin Jefferson back in the day or who was his
equivalent back in the day when you were playing.
Speaker 4 (17:33):
Yeah, we had, well, we had a few guys. There
was there was one guy, he was semi fast. His
name was Bob Hayes. He was a world champion in
a hundred meters. You might you might remember that. Yeah,
but uh, there were a few guys that were pretty
fast like Bob Hayes. But Harold Jackson from from the
l A. Rams was was was a real fast receiver.
(17:54):
And you know, we played against a lot of guys
that were fast. Most of the receivers had pretty good speed.
But uh, as I said before, with our front four,
the rush that they put on passers, quarterbacks didn't have
time to sit back there and just wait for guy
to get opened. They had sometimes they had to throw
them before they wanted to, and some of those cases
they threw it right to plus the defensive backs back there.
Speaker 2 (18:16):
Well, it's gonna be a great weekend, and it's got
to be humbling, to say the least. As we started
our discussion, we can end it with this as well.
But seeing your name up there forever and ever, up
there with the likes of Frank Tarkenton and Jim Marshall
and Allen Page and the rest of the game that
made the Vikings who they are today, the legends that
the Will family is.
Speaker 4 (18:36):
I was just thinking about being in that stadium and
seeing that around the stadium, the names of the players
who are who are in the Ring of Honor, and
so yeah, that's that's an elite group and I am
humbled to be a part of it, but very grateful.
Speaker 2 (18:52):
Well well deserved, Bobby, and we're very excited for you.
Enjoy the weekend, every every moment of it, and it
was great catching up with you. We'll see again and
soon this weekend.
Speaker 4 (19:01):
You're welcome.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
Thanks again to Bobby Bryan for joining the show tonight.
I look forward to seeing all of the legends down
at US Bank Stadium all weekend long for the festivities,
and it definitely will be festive here on Sunday, Well, fans,
the Vikings kept the home win streak against the forty
nine Ers alive with that twenty three to seventeen win
on Sunday. This felt like the team was being opportunistic
(19:25):
and capitalizing on manufacturing mistakes that the Vikings defense was
generating against brock Purty and that very tough forty nine
Ers offense. What's impressed you most or what surprised you
most through these first two games, Pete, And then we
can turn the page to start looking forward to playing
another really good team, the Houston Texans.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
I think I think the defense has surprised me a
little bit. You bring up Van Ginkel, who just seems
to be in the right places at the right time. Cashman,
you know, Mattelis. Those guys are just in the right
places at the right time. And then you know Patrick Jones.
We heard about him on preseason how well he's doing
and it's really showing up. We didn't see much of
him on the field, but we heard from the coaches
(20:05):
how how much he's you know, he's progressed. But like
Jonathan Grenard, you know he's he's just he does so much.
I mean, he has one sack I think so far,
but there's so many other things that he does to
get to get the guys where they need to be. Right.
He's making an impact, even though it may not be
(20:25):
huge in the stat line. You know, having Garnard out
there is a big deal. Like guys like Jihad Ward
right right, who we brought in from New York is
a two hundred and eighty five pound outside linebacker, but
he's really an interior rush guy in third down. He's
very specialized and I think the versatility of the of
the players that we brought in is really starting to show.
(20:46):
And Flores loves.
Speaker 2 (20:48):
That another entertaining team coming to town. You talk about
Houston Texans, Danial Hunter, Stefan Diggs and company. It's gonna
be a homecoming of sorts. But it should be a
lot of fun matching wits with the Texans.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
It should be in you know, their defense, very physical,
looks good.
Speaker 4 (21:03):
C J.
Speaker 3 (21:04):
Stroud is the guy that you have to start down
and we have this defense has fared well against younger quarterbacks.
Although from what I understand, CJ. Stroud is a is
a bookworm. He loves watching film. He's gonna he's a
very smart player, so they're gonna have their work cutoff
for him. And he does a lot of damage when
you blitz or try to pressure him, and he can
(21:24):
extend to play with his legs and his athleticism. The receivers,
He and the receivers are all on the same page.
So there it's more reminiscent of what we saw with
Rogers years ago. And you get him on the run
and the next thing you know, you boom. You know,
he beat you for thirty It's it's it's in that respect,
that's what I think they have to look out for.
But very yeah, very talented, very talented team who's on
(21:45):
a roll playoff team. Maybe they have high expectations. Right,
they're not the Texans of old, so to speak. So
this is gonna be a good football game. And I
don't think if you heat up the dome and let
it get hot, it's gonna matter to these guys from Texas, right,
They're used to it well.
Speaker 2 (22:02):
The two and zero Vikings leading the NFC North back
at home once again on Sunday and is a noon
Central Time kickoff from US Bank Stadium. The TV broadcast
will be live on your local CBS affiliate. You can,
of course, also catch Paul Allen, Ben Lieber, Pete Versus
right here all across the Vikings radio network. The Vikings
Football Sunday pregame show starts at ten am on Kfan,
(22:23):
so check your local listings for details. Pete's always a
pleasure to catch up, especially when you're winning. Nothing wrong
with that puts everybody in a great keep the ball rolling.
Thanks again to Bobby Bryant for joining the show, and
thank you fans for tuning into another edition of Skull
Stories presented by three M, the official science partner of
the Minnesota Vikings. We'll see you all again next week.
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