Always Keep Your Opponent Guessing - All Hail, John Randle!!

[Guest]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FbrblaaFWc

To say that John Randle had a "supersized" football personality would be an understatement.  Viking opponents had one large question to answer on Sundays..."Is 93 crazy?  I mean, really...y'all let him out of the mental ward on game day right?"  He was probably the best trash talker the game has ever produced, because he used it so effectively to get under the skin and into the mind of the offensive  players opposite of him.  He couldn't be ignored!

He could also back up his trash talking by playing really good football.  He was an explosion coming out of his stance and into the offensive line.  Before you knew it, he was in the backfield wreaking havoc!  He was quick.  He was powerful. And, he played every play like it was his last.  All out...pedal to the metal...100 miles per hour.  He is credited for 137 career sacks and he was All-Pro 6 times. "Is he crazy?  C'mon really...it's all an act...right?  Isn't it?"

[TENINCH]

Not sure how he never won Defense Player of the Year

[swede700]

16 minutes ago, TENINCH said:

Not sure how he never won Defense Player of the Year

Because of the era he played in and where he played.  When he plays in a league that had DEs with the names of Reggie White and Bruce Smith, and DTs by the names of Cortez Kennedy, Warren Sapp, and Bryant Young, it's hard for John Randle to get the recognition he deserved.

The 90s were loaded with HOF-level defensive players, if you include guys like Junior Seau, Derrick Thomas, Kevin Greene (who probably should be in), Deion, Rod Woodson, Darrell Green, Aeneas Williams, and Ronnie Lott.  It should come as no wonder that Randle didn't get a DPOY with that level of talent to compete against for the title.  It should be noted that Junior Seau especially, didn't get one either, which is probably a bigger tragedy.  

As many here may know, John Randle is, by far, my favorite player in the franchise's history...and I hate the fact that they list him as a DT, since he played everywhere along the line.  Notably, he often never lined up in the same spot from play to play to keep the offenses on their toes.  

Edited May 29, 2019 by swede700

[vikingsrule]

One of my favorites getting into football in the mid 90s.

[vikes635]

Hail John Randle, He is one of my favorite vikings of all time. 

[Ozzy]

On 5/29/2019 at 4:05 PM, TENINCH said:

Not sure how he never won Defense Player of the Year

1997 was the only year where he had the stats sack wise to win Defensive Player of the Year arguably.  15 sacks total but that year Dana Stubblefield won it and he also had 15 sacks and played for a much better team not to mention a much better defensive unit.

 

The fact the Vikings on Defense never really were all that good, hard to win Defensive Player of the Year on a bad defensive team generally speaking.  

 

Is a shame though, one of the best Vikings all time and his swagger was legendary.  In the NFL of today he would have been crazy productive I feel even more than he was back in the day.  Too bad they could not surround him with some more talent than they did.  The DL talent around him was just bad at times, Robert Griffith could ball at safety but on the DL to be surrounded by Stalin Colinet or Duane Clemons I mean come on.  Tony Williams was ok but was obviously never a 'Baby Randle'.  Chris Hovan was ok but that was late in Randle's career.  The corners on those teams always sucked, Jimmy could get some Pick six plays but that was about it and Orlando Thomas got beat pretty consistently at safety.  

 

This was pretty funny watching it live back in the day, but come on Duane....

 

Edited June 1, 2019 by Ozzy

[Klomp]

I don't believe he gets talked about enough. Not only for how good he was once he got to the league, but all of the odds he overcame just to get to the league. From the tough childhood upbringing in a 20x20 shack to going to Division II Texas A&I.