1961 NFL expansion draft

Last updated

1961 NFL expansion draft
General information
SportAmerican football
Date(s)January 26, 1961
Overview
LeagueNFL
Expansion teams Minnesota Vikings
Expansion season 1961
←  1960
1966  →

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.

Contents

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 Alderman GuardDetroit Detroit Lions
Tom Barnett HalfbackPurdue Pittsburgh Steelers
Byron Beams TackleNotre DamePittsburgh Steelers
Ken Beck Defensive tackleTexas A&M Green Bay Packers
Bill Bishop Defensive tackleNorth Texas State Chicago Bears
Don Boll TackleNebraska New York Giants
Ed Culpepper Defensive tackleAlabama St. Louis Cardinals
Don Ellersick FlankerWashington State Los Angeles Rams
Dick Haley Defensive backPittsburgh Washington Redskins
Gerry Huth GuardWake Forest Philadelphia Eagles
Charlie Janerette GuardPenn StateLos Angeles Rams
Gene Johnson Defensive backCincinnatiPhiladelphia Eagles
Don Joyce Defensive endTulane Baltimore Colts
Bill Kimber EndFlorida StateNew York Giants
Bill Lapham CenterIowaPhiladelphia Eagles
Hugh McElhenny HalfbackWashington San Francisco 49ers
Dave Middleton EndAuburnDetroit Lions
Jack Morris Defensive backOregonPittsburgh Steelers
Rich Mostardi Defensive backKent State Cleveland Browns
Fred Murphy EndGeorgia TechCleveland Browns
Clancy Osborne LinebackerArizona StateSan Francisco 49ers
Dick Pesonen Defensive backMinnesota-DuluthGreen Bay Packers
Mike Rabold GuardIndianaSt. Louis Cardinals
Perry Richards Split endDetroitSt. Louis Cardinals
Bill Roehnelt LinebackerBradleyWashington Redskins
Karl Rubke LinebackerUSCSan Francisco 49ers
Gene Selawski TacklePurdueCleveland Browns
Glenn Shaw FullbackKentuckyChicago Bears
Lebron Shields Defensive tackleTennesseeBaltimore Colts
Zeke Smith LinebackerAuburnBaltimore Colts
Jerry Stalcup LinebackerWisconsinLos Angeles Rams
Louis "Red" Stephens GuardSan FranciscoWashington Redskins
Charlie Sumner Defensive backWilliam & MaryChicago Bears
Dave Whitsell Defensive backIndianaDetroit Lions
Paul Winslow HalfbackNorth Carolina CentralGreen Bay Packers
Frank Youso TackleMinnesotaNew York Giants

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "1961 NFL Draft". Pro Football Hall of Fame. Retrieved September 27, 2008.
  2. 1 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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