Vikings ‘Purple People Eater’, Superior native Doug Sutherland passes at 73
Doug Sutherland in the WDIO studio.[WDIO File]
Minnesota Vikings legend Doug Sutherland, a native of Superior, Wisconsin, passed away Tuesday at the age of 73. The team announcement did not mention a cause.
A defensive tackle, Sutherland was a member of the ‘Purple People Eaters’ and three of Minnesota’s four Super Bowl teams.
He first joined the Vikings in 1971, playing under fellow Superior native, Hall of Fame head coach, Bud Grant. In 1970 he was drafted by the New Orleans Saints out of the University of Wisconsin-Superior (UWS), where he’s an Athletic Hall of Famer.
Sutherland started 90 of 138 regular season games for Minnesota, which mark the fourth highest total appearances by a Vikings defensive tackle.