Bud Grant Still Viable

Bud Grant excellence should never escape our thinking.  For his exploits are important lessons for all of us that extend way beyond the gridiron. 

v  Henry Peter “Bud” Grant - Born May 20, 1927

         Grew up in Superior Wisconsin

v  Attended the University of Minnesota

v  Played Three Sports

   Football, Basketball and Baseball

v  Played Basketball in the NBA for the Minneapolis Lakers

v  Played Football for the NFL Philadelphia Eagles and the CFL Winnipeg Blue bombers

v  Coached Winnipeg Blue Bombers for 10 Years Winning Four Grey Cups

v  Coached the Minnesota Vikings for 18 Years (1967 – 1983)

v  Won 11 Divisional Titles

v  Made 4 Super Bowls Appearances Between 1969 to 1976

v  Three during a four-year period (1970, 1974, 1975 and 1977)

v  This period is commonly accepted and acknowledged as the Vikings Golden age. 

v  The Vikings have never returned to the Super Bowl.

v  Total of 283 Professional Football Coaching Victories

v  Only Don Shula and George Halas have won more games

v  One of only two Coaches to Guide Teams to Both the Grey Bowl and the Super Bowl

v  Inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1983

v  Inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame in 1994

Grant’s major focus in  coaching was to instill toughness and discipline in his teams.  He believed that football was an exercise in control and thus controlled emotion.  He required his teams to always practice outdoors in the snow and cold to become accustomed to the conditions.  He did not allow heaters anywhere near the practice field or on the sidelines during a game.

  The team practiced standing in a perfectly straight, uniformed line for the playing of the national anthem.  Every player was to be clean shaven and with haircuts that conformed to team standards – only the New York Yankees have such a policy today.  He refused to allow any public displays of celebration (not even spiking the ball) after the team scored.  His instilled the philosophy of never acting like they have never been in the end zone before but to treat it like it is was a customary and common occurrence.

 Grant demanded that players do what is asked of them.  One of his “etched in stone” rules was that you NEVER field a punt around the five-yard line.  Charlie West once received a punt at the five and took it all the way back for a touchdown.  When West returned to the bench Grant told him if he ever did that again he would no longer be a Minnesota Viking.

 

Fran Tarkenton remembered a day at training camp.  During the morning briefing before the team took the field for practice, Grant mentioned in passing that the grounds keepers wanted to repair damaged surface around the field and to please follow the “Stay Off The Grass” signs.  As soon as the briefing ended Grant rushed to his office window.  As Takenton was walking by Grant called to him into the office.  He wanted Tark to see firsthand the players who were ignoring the “Stay Off The Grass” signs.  Grant said those players weren’t refusing to heed his request because they disliked him or wanted to be adversarial or belligerent.  He said, “they just don’t get it.”  Grant further stated the necessity of remembering who each of those players were because NONE of them should EVER be on the field at the end of any game that was in doubt.

 

Grant employed and demanded simple basic football philosophies be adhered to.  One was to never give a game away.  This consisted of buying into the mindset that consistent success and victories can only be achieved by not turning the ball over and avoiding penalties. 

Yet another was that line play and toughness, not skilled position players, win games.  His offensive was geared toward the running game and gutting out yardage while controlling the clock.  Passing was only employed when deemed a necessary evil.  If linemen couldn’t “run block” or couldn’t pressure the quarterback, they didn’t wear purple.

                        

When John Henry Ward broke his leg Grant said; “We would have rather lost the game than lose John Henry Ward.”

 

Grant was also a big believer in typically drafting the best 

athlete available and then teaching him to play defense. 

Seldom did he use the draft to acquire a position player.

There have been many rule changes over the many years since Bud Grant.  The rules have been designed to diminish defensive control of the game and provide more offense.  Yet the Grant football philosophy still applies.  Good defensive teams that can run the ball are still the premier teams in the NFL. 

 What has become most distressing is that the Grant insistence upon discipline and toughness are no longer considered viable.  Baseball manager Joe Maddon has stated; “The only thing I ask my players to do is to run hard to first base.”  Today, when a star player complains to team management about the coach, the player isn’t disciplined, the coach is fired.  Randy Moss would have never played for Bud Grant and Grant would have won without him.

Only Gopher Football teams enjoyed as much Minnesota success as Grant’s Vikings. 

§  Posted winning records from 1900 to 1919

§  Posted an unbeaten streak of 35 games from 1903 to 1905 (34-0-1)

§  In 1932 Coach Bernie Bierman orchestrated a Gopher Dynasty

§  Won Three Straight National Championships 1934 to 1936

    Only Division One team to ever achieve that milestone

§  1934 to 1936 - Unbeaten in 28 Straight Games which included 21 Straight Victories

§  Won Two More National Championships in 1940 and 1941

§  Included an 18 Game Winning Streak from 1939 to 1942

  Whenever the greatest coach in Minnesota athletic history is discussed Bernie Bierman almost always heads the list.  However, Bud Grant must also get a mention.  To deny him equal status and consideration with Bierman would be an unspeakable oversight, not to mention a grave injustice; for discipline and toughness are still cornerstones to character in both athletics and life.