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. That selection was provided by the expansion draft, held on January 26, 1961.
In August 1959, a group of Minneapolis businessmen were awarded a franchise in the new American Football League (AFL). 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). 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.
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 Player Position College team Original NFL team Grady Alderman Guard Detroit Detroit Lions Tom Barnett Halfback Purdue Pittsburgh Steelers Byron Beams Tackle Notre Dame Pittsburgh Steelers Ken Beck Defensive tackle Texas A&M Green Bay Packers Bill Bishop Defensive tackle North Texas State Chicago Bears Don Boll Tackle Nebraska New York Giants Ed Culpepper Defensive tackle Alabama St. Louis Cardinals Don Ellersick Flanker Washington State Los Angeles Rams Dick Haley Defensive back Pittsburgh Washington Redskins Gerry Huth Guard Wake Forest Philadelphia Eagles Charlie Janerette Guard Penn State Los Angeles Rams Gene Johnson Defensive back Cincinnati Philadelphia Eagles Don Joyce Defensive end Tulane Baltimore Colts Bill Kimber End Florida State New York Giants Bill Lapham Center Iowa Philadelphia Eagles Hugh McElhenny Halfback Washington San Francisco 49ers Dave Middleton End Auburn Detroit Lions Jack Morris Defensive back Oregon Pittsburgh Steelers Rich Mostardi Defensive back Kent State Cleveland Browns Fred Murphy End Georgia Tech Cleveland Browns Clancy Osborne Linebacker Arizona State San Francisco 49ers Dick Pesonen Defensive back Minnesota-Duluth Green Bay Packers Mike Rabold Guard Indiana St. Louis Cardinals Perry Richards Split end Detroit St. Louis Cardinals Bill Roehnelt Linebacker Bradley Washington Redskins Karl Rubke Linebacker USC San Francisco 49ers Gene Selawski Tackle Purdue Cleveland Browns Glenn Shaw Fullback Kentucky Chicago Bears Lebron Shields Defensive tackle Tennessee Baltimore Colts Zeke Smith Linebacker Auburn Baltimore Colts Jerry Stalcup Linebacker Wisconsin Los Angeles Rams Louis "Red" Stephens Guard San Francisco Washington Redskins Charlie Sumner Defensive back William & Mary Chicago Bears Dave Whitsell Defensive back Indiana Detroit Lions Paul Winslow Halfback North Carolina Central Green Bay Packers Frank Youso Tackle Minnesota New York Giants
See also 1961 American Football League draft
References
External links Pro Football Hall of Fame – 1961 Draft