1978 Minnesota Vikings Roster
National Football League (NFL)
Team Record: 8-7-1
Finishing 1st in the NFL's Central Division of the National Football Conference
Postseason: 0-1 Lost Division Playoff
Coach: Bud Grant (8-7-1)
Location: Bloomington, Minnesota
1978 Minnesota Vikings StatisticsTeam Record: 8-7-1
Finishing 1st in the NFL's Central Division of the National Football Conference
Postseason: 0-1 Lost Division Playoff
Coach: Bud Grant (8-7-1)
Location: Bloomington, Minnesota
1978 Minnesota Vikings Results
The Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League ended the 1978 season with a record of 8 wins and 7 losses and 1 ties, finishing first in the NFL's Central Division of the National Football Conference. The team compiled a postseason mark of 0-1.
Minnesota chalked up 294 points, while the defensive squad yielded 306. Fran Tarkenton led the charge, passing for 3,468 yards. Rickey Young paced all receivers, snagging 88 passes, while Ahmad Rashad accumulated 769 receiving yards. Sammy White was targeted regularly, too.
Chuck Foreman carried the ball for a team-best 749 yards for the Vikings.
Bobby Bryant picked off 7 opponent throws.
Bud Grant coached the team. The 1978 Minnesota Vikings lost in the Division Playoff.
Click on column headings to sort.
| # | Player | Pos. | Birth Date | Height | Weight | College | Hometown | GP | GS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | Nate Allen | DB | May 13, 1948 | 5'10" | 170 | Texas Southern | Georgetown, SC USA | 16 | 0 |
| 59 | Matt Blair | LLB | September 20, 1950 | 6'5" | 232 | Iowa St. | Hilo, HI USA | 16 | 16 |
| 20 | Bobby Bryant | RCB | January 24, 1944 | 6'1" | 170 | South Carolina | Macon, GA USA | 16 | 16 |
| 8 | Greg Coleman | P | September 9, 1954 | 6'0" | 185 | Florida A&M | Jacksonville, FL USA | 9 | 0 |
| 84 | Steve Craig | TE | March 13, 1951 | 6'3" | 231 | Northwestern | Akron, OH USA | 16 | 0 |
| 7 | Rick Danmeier | K | April 8, 1952 | 6'0" | 194 | Sioux Falls | St. Paul, MN USA | 16 | 0 |
| 81 | Carl Eller | LDE | February 25, 1942 | 6'6" | 247 | Minnesota | Winston-Salem, NC USA | 14 | 7 |
| 44 | Chuck Foreman | FB | October 26, 1950 | 6'2" | 210 | Miami (FL) | Frederick, MD USA | 14 | 14 |
| 68 | Charles Goodrum | LG | January 11, 1950 | 6'3" | 256 | Florida A&M | Miami, FL USA | 16 | 16 |
| 61 | Wes Hamilton | RG | April 24, 1953 | 6'3" | 261 | Tulsa | Texas City, TX USA | 16 | 15 |
| 45 | Tom Hannon | FS | March 5, 1955 | 5'11" | 193 | Michigan St. | Massillon, OH USA | 16 | 14 |
| 57 | Paul Harris | LB | December 19, 1954 | 6'3" | 220 | Alabama | Mobile, AL USA | 1 | 0 |
| 58 | Wally Hilgenberg | LB | September 19, 1942 | 6'3" | 229 | Iowa | Marshalltown, IA USA | 15 | 1 |
| 75 | Randy Holloway | DE | August 26, 1955 | 6'5" | 250 | Pittsburgh | Sharon, PA USA | 16 | 0 |
| 51 | Jim Hough | G | August 4, 1956 | 6'2" | 267 | Utah St. | Lynwood, CA USA | 15 | 1 |
| 48 | Sammy Johnson | RB | September 22, 1952 | 6'0" | 223 | North Carolina | Burlington, NC USA | 3 | 0 |
| 39 | Mark Kellar | RB | July 17, 1952 | 6'0" | 225 | Northern Illinois | Chicago, IL USA | 16 | 0 |
| 9 | Tommy Kramer | QB | March 7, 1955 | 6'2" | 200 | Rice | San Antonio, TX USA | 4 | 0 |
| 22 | Paul Krause | DB | February 19, 1942 | 6'3" | 200 | Iowa | Flint, MI USA | 16 | 2 |
| 19 | Bob Lee | QB-P | August 7, 1945 | 6'2" | 195 | Arizona St. | Columbus, OH USA | 3 | 0 |
| 76 | Bob Lingenfelter | T-G | September 1, 1954 | 6'7" | 277 | Nebraska | Norfolk, NE USA | 5 | 0 |
| 70 | Jim Marshall | RDE | December 30, 1937 | 6'4" | 248 | Ohio St. | Danville, KY USA | 16 | 16 |
| 33 | Brent McClanahan | RB | September 21, 1951 | 5'10" | 202 | Arizona St. | Bakersfield, CA USA | 13 | 0 |
| 54 | Fred McNeill | RLB | May 6, 1952 | 6'2" | 229 | UCLA | Durham, NC USA | 16 | 15 |
| 87 | Kevin Miller | KR | March 21, 1955 | 5'10" | 180 | Louisville | Weirton, WV USA | 16 | 0 |
| 35 | Robert Miller | RB | January 9, 1953 | 5'11" | 204 | Kansas | Houston, TX USA | 15 | 2 |
| 77 | Mark Mullaney | LDE | April 30, 1953 | 6'6" | 242 | Colorado St. | Denver, CO USA | 15 | 9 |
| 74 | Frank Myers | LT | January 4, 1956 | 6'5" | 255 | Texas A&M | San Bernardino, CA USA | 12 | 11 |
| 88 | Alan Page | RDT | August 7, 1945 | 6'4" | 245 | Notre Dame | Canton, OH USA | 6 | 6 |
| 28 | Ahmad Rashad | WR | November 19, 1949 | 6'2" | 205 | Oregon | Portland, OR USA | 16 | 16 |
| 78 | Steve Riley | LT | November 23, 1952 | 6'5" | 258 | USC | Chula Vista, CA USA | 5 | 5 |
| 50 | Jeff Siemon | MLB | June 2, 1950 | 6'2" | 235 | Stanford | Rochester, MN USA | 16 | 16 |
| 79 | Lyman Smith | DT | September 24, 1956 | 6'5" | 250 | Duke | Portland, OR USA | 11 | 0 |
| 55 | Scott Studwell | LB | August 27, 1954 | 6'2" | 228 | Illinois | Evansville, IN USA | 13 | 0 |
| 69 | Doug Sutherland | LDT | August 1, 1948 | 6'3" | 250 | Wisc-Superior | Superior, WI USA | 16 | 16 |
| 67 | Dennis Swilley | C-G-T | June 28, 1955 | 6'3" | 253 | Texas A&M | Bossier City, LA USA | 14 | 0 |
| 10 | Fran Tarkenton | QB | February 3, 1940 | 6'0" | 190 | Georgia | Richmond, VA USA | 16 | 16 |
| 53 | Mick Tingelhoff | C | May 22, 1940 | 6'2" | 237 | Nebraska | Lexington, NE USA | 16 | 16 |
| 38 | Bob Tucker | TE | June 8, 1945 | 6'3" | 230 | Bloomsburg | Hazleton, PA USA | 16 | 16 |
| 27 | John Turner | DB | February 22, 1956 | 6'0" | 197 | Miami (FL) | Miami, FL USA | 14 | 0 |
| 83 | Stu Voigt | TE | August 12, 1948 | 6'1" | 223 | Wisconsin | Madison, WI USA | 15 | 0 |
| 80 | Harry Washington | WR | July 30, 1956 | 6'0" | 180 | Colorado St. | Tacoma, WA USA | 10 | 0 |
| 72 | James White | RDT | October 26, 1953 | 6'3" | 265 | Oklahoma St. | Hot Springs, AR USA | 16 | 10 |
| 85 | Sammy White | WR | March 16, 1954 | 5'11" | 190 | Grambling St. | Winnsboro, LA USA | 16 | 16 |
| 29 | Phil Wise | SS | April 25, 1949 | 6'0" | 190 | South Dakota | Omaha, NE USA | 16 | 16 |
| 5 | Mike Wood | K | September 3, 1954 | 5'11" | 199 | SE Missouri St. | Kirkwood, MO USA | 7 | 0 |
| 43 | Nate Wright | LCB | December 21, 1946 | 5'11" | 180 | San Diego St. | Madison, FL USA | 16 | 16 |
| 73 | Ron Yary | RT | August 16, 1946 | 6'5" | 255 | USC | Chicago, IL USA | 16 | 16 |
| 34 | Rickey Young | RB | December 7, 1953 | 6'2" | 196 | Jackson St. | Mobile, AL USA | 16 | 16 |
