Along with the passing of Bill Brown, the Minnesota Vikings lost another significant piece of the early part of their history this week when former coach Jack Patera passed away on Wednesday at the age of 85 due to complications from pancreatic cancer.
Following his playing career in the National Football League that spanned seven seasons with the Baltimore Colts, Chicago Cardinals, and Dallas Cowboys, Patera started his coaching career in 1963 with the Los Angeles Rams as the team’s defensive line coach. He coached the famed Fearsome Foursome (Rosie Grier, Lamar Lundy, Merlin Olsen, and Deacon Jones), and developed them into one of the most feared defensive fronts in the National Football League.