Carl Eller

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Carl Eller was a consensus All-America with the University of Minnesota. He was a first-round draft pick of both the National Football League’s Minnesota Vikings and the Buffalo Bills of the then-rival American Football League in 1964.

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A 6-6, 247-pound defensive stalwart, Eller opted to stay in a familiar environment and signed with the Vikings. For the next 15 years through 1978, he was a fixture in one of pro footballs most effective defensive alignments.

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Known as “The Purple People Eaters,” Eller was the left end of a line that included Jim Marshall at the opposite end and Hall of Famer Alan Page and Gary Larsen at the tackles.

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Extremely quick and mobile for his size, Carl was an excellent defender against the run and superb as a pass rusher.

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He also was effective in blocking kicks and, during his career he recovered 23 opponents’ fumbles, the third best mark in NFL annals at the time of his retirement.

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It was Eller who caused the fumble that led to teammate Jim Marshall’s infamous wrong-way run for a safety in 1964 in a game against the San Francisco 49ers.

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Eller was named first- or second-team All-Pro every year from 1967 through 1973. He was All-NFL or All-NFC 1968 through 1973 and then All-NFC again in 1975. He retired following the 1979 season after playing one year with Seattle.

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After 20 years of eligibility, Eller received the call from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Here he is after the announcement in Houston on Jan. 31, 2004.

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Eller (second from left) poses with fellow Hall of Famers (l-r) John Elway, Don Shula, Marv Levy, and Bob Brown following a press conference in Hawaii before the 2004 Pro Bowl.

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Eller, along with fellow classmates Bob Brown and John Elway, is honored at the 2004 Pro Bowl.