Throwback Corner by Vince Wright – Randall McDaniel
Vincewright
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Throwback Corner with Vince Wright – Randall McDaniel
Strong, Smart, steady as they come. Randall McDaniel personified everything you love as a Minnesota Viking. The Vikings had an idea they drafted a good player when they took the Arizona State offensive lineman in 1988 with the 19th pick. But I’m sure they didn’t expect what they got, an all-time great NFL lineman.
What I recalled and admired most about Randall was his quickness for an offensive lineman. Able to pull out to block with the best of them, Randall became a dominant force for Minnesota for most of the 1990’s. He could overpower you with his brute strength, he could outrun most defensive players as evidenced by him leading the way downfield on many Vikings runs. And nobody was smarter on the field, McDaniel was selected as first team All-Pro for nine straight years.
While he was becoming, in my opinion, the best offensive lineman in football, Randall was also planning his life beyond the field. Randall had an interest in education, and he began volunteering with elementary school kids and found his calling for his second career. And that is what made him one of the most popular Vikings ever, respected in the locker room and by his NFL peers, nobody played the position better than Randall in my opinion. He also was one of the more charitable players and gave his time to many community organizations.
On the field he was a legend, look at his career stats and there is no argument, I just wish he could have finished his career here in Minnesota instead of his last two years playing for Tampa Bay. The good guys get lost in the crowd, but Vikings fans should never forget number 64, A legendary player, and a better man.
Randall’s Hall of Fame stats:
Played in 222 games and started 220 of those.
12× Pro Bowl (1989–2000)
9× First-team All-Pro (1990–1998)
10× First-team All-NFC (1989–1998)
Second-team All-NFC (1988)
NFL 1990s All-Decade Team
NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team
Minnesota Vikings Ring of Honor Soucres:
Wikipedia, NFL.com, Vikings.com, Pro Football Reference.com, ASU Athletics Website.