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Vikings will honor legendary coach Bud Grant throughout 2023 season

dane mizutani, pioneer press
·3 min read

There will be a glaring absence at U.S. Bank Stadium when the massive Legacy Gate swings open on Sept. 10 for the season opener.

Though more than 70,000 fans will be shuffling through the concourse on the way to their seats, the father of the franchise will not be in attendance when the Vikings play host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

It will be the first time the Vikings take the field since the legendary Bud Grant died on March 11 at the age of 95.

“It’s impossible to describe the impact that he’s had on the Vikings and the community,” Vikings owner Mark Wilf said Tuesday at TCO Performance Center. “As owners. we cherished the nearly 18 years (we had) with Bud. We got to know him on a personal level. It was a tremendous loss for the organization and, of course, the entire state of Minnesota.”

As a way to keep Grant’s legacy alive — not that anyone will forget him anytime soon — the Vikings already have some planned tributes for the upcoming season. They will wear a special jersey patch in the season opener depicting the iconic “Bud” signature over the left breastplate. They also will wear a helmet sticker with the “Bud” signature for the entire season.

“We had a lovely tribute to him in the spring,” Wilf said in reference to the celebration of life hosted at U.S. Bank Stadium. “Now, come football season, we’re going to especially remember him because that was his time.”

Indeed. Across an incredible 18 seasons as head coach of the Vikings, no matter the circumstance, Grant always had his players at their best once the leaves started to change colors.

The franchise’s success that started in the 1960s and continued in the 1970s helped lay a foundation that has made the Vikings among the most consistent winning teams in the NFL.

“It’s a great organization because of history,” Wilf said. “That doesn’t just happen. It’s people like Bud Grant and all the hundreds of players that played for him. They truly loved him as a coach and as a human being.”

That love was shared by pretty much anyone who was fortunate enough to know Grant on a personal level.

“He had such great wisdom,” Wilf said. “It wasn’t always about football with him. It was a lot of life stories.”

It seems like everyone with the Vikings, from general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah to head coach Kevin O’Connell, has a lasting memory of Grant that they will carry with them for their rest of their lives.

“We were just blessed to have him be in our building until the end,” Wilf said. “All the coaches we have here have benefited from having him around the building, and we can feel the void in the building when he’s not here.”

There will be more ways for fans to honor Grant announced at a later date. All of it will be for a man who impacted as many people as he did.

“There’s a great love here, and that’s what builds a great organization,” Wilf said. “We’re just fortunate to be here for the last 18 years to be a little part of that.”

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