There Will Be Another Viking in the Ring of Honor
2024 will be the 64th season for the Minnesota Vikings, and those years have produced many outstanding personalities. The best of them enter the Ring of Honor; 27 players have already been inducted, and more will follow. As the team announced on Tuesday, longtime cornerback Bobby Bryant will be included in 2024.
There Will Be Another Viking in the Ring of Honor
Mandatory Credit: Tony Tomsic-USA TODAY Sports
Bryant only played for one NFL team: The Minnesota Vikings. Prior to his first NFL game, however, he had a one-year stint with the Des Moines Warriors because a knee injury in training camp prevented him from making the team as a seventh-round rookie. Following that 1967 season in the Professional Football League of America, he returned to the Vikings, where he would star for 13 years.
“Bobby Bryant found his way to the football and the end zone,” the Vikings write on their website. “Now, he’s making his way to the Vikings Ring of Honor.”
The ceremony is scheduled for halftime in Week 3 when the Houston Texans come to U.S. Bank Stadium. It will also be a reunion with Danielle Hunter, Stefon Diggs, and Case Keenum.
Bryant played in 161 regular season and 14 postseason contests and caught 57 interceptions (including playoffs), which is the most in team history. He went to two Pro Bowls in 1975 and 1976 and was named second-team All-Pro in 1969.
The cornerback played on some fabulous defenses in the late 60s and 70s. Some of his former teammates and the owners, Mark and Zygi Wilf, announced the induction on a video call the team shared on social media.
“We are proud to recognize Bobby in the Vikings Ring of Honor,” Mark Wilf expressed. “Bobby overcame the odds as a seventh-round draft pick, going on to play at a high level and with great durability over his career. Off the field he was unwavering in his faith and his commitment to the community. He deserves to be honored as one of the all-time Vikings greats.”
Zygi Wilf added: “He was a natural leader that teammates gravitated to, and his knack for making the big play in the biggest games was a driving force in so many Vikings wins over that time. He is worthy of this recognition.”
Indeed, making the big plays in big moments made Bryant great. In a playoff contest in 1976 versus the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Championship Game, Bryant came down with two interceptions, and he returned a blocked kick for a touchdown. He was a crucial part of all of Minnesota’s trips to the Super Bowl, but that game was a Bryant special.
Fran Tarkenton remembers that return: “You got the ball and ran 90 yards, maybe 120, for a touchdown, and it turned that game around,” Tarkenton recollected. “It wasn’t unusual for you. Of all the players I’ve played with, you’re the unsung hero because you made more great plays than anybody I’ve ever played with.”
Another notable big play came in the NFC Championship game in 1973 when he intercepted a pass from Cowboys legend Roger Staubach and returned it for a touchdown.
The 80-year-old responded humbly when the owners told him about the honor: “It’s an honor to be there. I never would have imagined I was good enough to be in that because that’s an elite group.”
He then continued his humble speech by praising his teammates: “It was pretty easy being a defensive back for the Minnesota Vikings with Alan [Page] and Jim Marshall and Carl Eller and Gary Larsen and Doug Sutherland rushing the quarterback because as defensive backs, we knew if we could cover a receiver for four seconds, that’s all we needed to do. On the other side of the ball, having a quarterback that is one of the GOATs of the game, greatest of all-time, Fran Tarkenton, we knew our offense was going to, in most cases, score enough points to win the game. I was very fortunate.”
His 51 regular season interceptions rank him 32nd since 1940.
Hall of Famer Alan Page remembers Bryant for his returns after blocked kicks: “He’s one of those players that just got the work done and in spectacular fashion. The plays that I remember the most are the occasional blocked kick, and the next thing you know, Bobby’s in the end zone with a touchdown. That can only happen if you’re really connected to the game, being in the right place at the right time and being aware of what the possibilities are.”
Bryant will be the first player to be inducted since Jared Allen in 2022 and the first cornerback in the Ring of Honor.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt