In the 1988 NFL draft, the Minnesota Vikings used eight of their 11 selections to pick defensive players. Randall McDaniel, one of the three offensive players drafted by the Vikings, would go on to become one of the top offensive linemen in NFL history.
McDaniel, who had played collegiately at Arizona State, was taken in the first round (19th overall). He earned a starting position right away with the Vikings, starting 15 (of 16) games as a rookie. After the season he was named second-team All-NFC and was named to several all-rookie teams.
The 6-foot-3, 276-pound guard continued to excel in his second NFL season as he began a streak of 202 consecutive starts that continued through the end of his career. He also earned the first of 12 consecutive Pro Bowl berths.
In 1994, McDaniel was the leader of an offensive line that held opponents to just one sack every 22.7 pass attempts, the second-best ratio in team history. Late in the 1996 season, in a game against the Arizona Cardinals, McDaniel carried the ball twice in goal-line situations. In the Pro Bowl following the 1996 season, he caught a touchdown pass to become the first guard in AFC-NFC Pro Bowl history to do that.
During the Vikings' record-setting season of 1998, McDaniel allowed only 1.5 sacks all season while his blocking helped Minnesota running backs average 5.4 yards per carry.
After earning nine straight first-team all-pro selections (1990-98) and starting 13 consecutive playoff games for the Vikings, McDaniel joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for his final two NFL seasons (2000-01).
During his career, McDaniel blocked for six different 1,000-yard rushers and five 3,000-yard passers. He was named to the NFL's All-Decade Team of the 1990s.
In 2009, McDaniel was named to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. McDaniel is a member of the Vikings Ring of Honor.
RANDALL MCDANIEL
Class: 2019.
Sport: Football.
Teams: Vikings.
