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University of Minnesota Athletics
Pro Football Hall of Fame: Bud Grant
8/1/2016 12:00:00 AM | Football
Minnesota's seventh and most recent inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame will be former Gopher quarterback Tony Dungy, who will be enshrined into the Hall of Fame on Aug. 6, 2016.
Dungy played for the Gophers from 1973-76 and was the team captain in 1976. After his collegiate career, Dungy signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 1978, he intercepted six passes, second-best in the AFC, and helped the Steelers defeat the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XIII. Dungy was the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 2002-08 and led the Colts to their first Super Bowl title in 2007.
Leading up to Dungy's induction, we will take a look back at the former Gophers who have been inducted into the Hall of Fame. Today, we look at bud Grant.
Bud Grant
The legendary Harry "Bud" Grant excelled in three sports earning nine letters at the U from 1946-49. He was a two-time All-Big Ten end on the gridiron, star forward and team MVP for basketball and was a centerfielder and pitcher for the baseball team.
He graduated as one of the best ever to don the Maroon and Gold beating out Bronko Nagurski and Bruce Smith to be named as the "Top Athlete at the U of M for the First 50 Years of the Century."
Grant joined the Minneapolis Lakers' dynasty as part of two championship teams but wanted to try something different. He joined the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles, who had made him their No. 1 draft pick. In 1952, after switching from linebacker, where he led the team in sacks, to wide receiver, he finished second in the league in receiving and was voted to the Pro Bowl.
After spending four years in the Canadian Football League as a player, Grant went on to start a coaching legacy as just a 29-year-old. He proceeded to lead the Winnigpeg Blue Bombers to six Grey Cups over the next 10 years, winning four of them. Ten years later, Grant came home to take over as the head coach of the NFL's Minnesota Vikings.
It would be the beginning of one of the greatest coaching sagas in all of sports as he went on to coach for 28 years, winning a total of 290 regular season and postseason games, 122 as coach in Winnipeg from 1957-66 and 168 as coach of the Vikings from 1967-83 and 1985. In Minnesota, his teams made the playoffs 12 times, and won 15 championships: 11 Central Division, three NFC and one NFL. They also made four Super Bowl appearances as well.
In 1994, Grant was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. With it, he became the first person ever to be elected to both the NFL and Canadian Football League Hall of Fames.
Previous reflections
Leo Nomellini
Bobby Bell
Bronko Nagurski
