Tag: Matt Birk

Vikings drafted Randy Moss 26 years ago

Twenty-six years ago today, the Minnesota Vikings changed the path of their franchise and the NFL as a whole when they drafted Randy Moss.

Twenty-six years ago, the Minnesota Vikings changed the path of their franchise and the NFL as a whole. The 1998 NFL draft is often remembered as an example of why going quarterback isn’t always a sure thing at the top of the draft. The top pick, Peyton Manning, went on to become one of the greatest QBs of all time. The next selection, Ryan Leaf, went on to be one of the biggest busts of all time.

Also taken in that first round was one of the greatest wide receivers of all time, Randy Moss, who fell all the way to the No. 21 selection.

After finishing his college career at Marshall, Moss would move from his home state of West Virginia to the Land of 10,000 Lakes. The country boy at heart would quickly feel at home both on and off the field. His impact would be felt on the team and throughout the league in a wide variety of ways.

From his Thanksgiving Day breakout performance to making history years later by setting the single-season receiving touchdown record, success followed Moss.

It would follow him all the way to Canton, Ohio, where he is forever enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

78 days until Vikings season opener: Every player to wear No. 78

As we look ahead towards the Minnesota Vikings season opener, we take a look at every player to wear No. 78 for the Vikings.

It’s the final countdown…

Well, sort of.

The Minnesota Vikings will kick off their 2023 regular season in 79 days at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 10.

From now until then, we will take a trip down memory lane and count each day by revisiting the players that have worn that specific jersey number.

Dakota Dozier and Michael Pierce are the two most recent players to wear No. 78 for the Vikings, but the number will likely be remembered for Matt Birk.

With 78 days until kickoff, here’s a look at every player to wear No. 78 with the Vikings (via Pro Football Reference):

5 former Vikings nominated for the Hall of Fame

5 former Vikings are eligible for the Hall of Fame

The Minnesota Vikings have a storied history. Having been founded in 1961, they have sent 22 players to the Hall of Fame during their history.

From Carl Eller and Alan Page to Randy Moss and Cris Carter, the lineage that these players have woven into history is incredibly impressive on both sides of the football.

On Monday, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the 129 modern-era candidates for Hall of Fame class of 2023 and five former Vikings were included on that list.

  • Quarterback Randall Cunningham
  • Center Matt Birk
  • Defensive End Jared Allen
  • Defensive Tackle Kevin Williams
  • Kicker Gary Anderson

While none of these players spent their entire careers with the Vikings, all but Cunningham made their names as a Viking.

The list of 129 candidates will be narrowed down to 25 in November and 15 in early January before announcing the 2023 class at the NFL awards ceremony the weekend of the Super Bowl.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbyjpbajmjvnqmj player_id=none image=https://vikingswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Former Vikings center Matt Birk works for React LLC, which created a mobile game for sports fans

“I know as a parent of kids, I’d rather have them watching sports than, say, ‘Ozark’ on Netflix.”

Matt Birk, a former Vikings center, is helping work on a mobile sports game.

Matt Birk, a former Vikings center who helped block for the likes of Adrian Peterson and Brett Favre, is now working on a different part of sports.

According to the Star Tribune, Birk has been named Commissioner of Sports for React LLC. The company created a mobile game for sports fans, that will keep them engaged through televised contests amid the coronavirus pandemic.

“I think it’s a super, super smart idea,” Birk told the Star Tribune. “I know as a parent of kids, I’d rather have them watching sports than, say, ‘Ozark’ on Netflix.”

“Super Squares” is an app created by the company. It quizzes fans on a game or a commercial, and also has a version that is a semblance of the boxed numbers game that many people play during the Super Bowl.

Birk also said this to the Star Tribune:

“I think the demise of the NFL was exaggerated, but the numbers are going down, particularly with the younger demographics.”