Longtime Vikings linebacker Roy Winston dies at 81

After earning All-America honors as a two-way standout for LSU, Roy Winston was drafted by the Vikings in 1962 as an offensive lineman.

Following brief stints on the offensive line and at middle linebacker, the 5-11, 220-pound Winston, known as Moonie, settled into the Vikings' starting lineup as an outside linebacker. He was a mainstay for 15 seasons. He appeared in 190 games — 160 starts — and played in all four of the Vikings appearances in the Super Bowl.

"I use this description for Moonie," said former Vikings coach Bud Grant. "He wasn't big enough, he wasn't fast enough, he wasn't strong enough. All he was, was good enough."

Winston died on Saturday in Birmingham, Ala. He was 81.

Winston's games played are second-most in Vikings history among the team's linebackers — behind Scott Studwell's 201 — and are tied for eighth-most in team history. The Vikings made the playoffs eight times during Winston's 15 seasons, and he is one of 11 Vikings to play on all four Super Bowl teams.

During his career, he had 12 interceptions — which is tied for second among Vikings linebackers (Matt Blair had 16) — and recovered 14 fumbles.

On Oct. 25, 1964, in the Vikings' 27-22 victory over the 49ers in San Francisco, Winston intercepted three passes — the first Vikings player to accomplish that.

"He never missed a game, never missed a play," Grant said. "He wasn't big, but he was very hard to knock off his feet. Moonie and Moose [Carl Eller] over there ... it was tough for most teams to run to that side."

After retiring from football in 1977, Winston owned a sporting goods store for five years before going to work in the oil field industry. He retired in 2002.

Winston, who was named to the Vikings' Silver Anniversary and 40th Anniversary teams, was named one of the "Fifty Greatest Vikings" in 2010. Winston, who also played baseball at LSU, is a member of the LSU Athletic Hall of Fame, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and was named to the LSU Centennial team. In 2000, he was named a "Legend of the SEC."

Winston was an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed hunting and fishing. Over the years, Winston and Grant did a lot of hunting together — pheasants in Iowa and South Dakota and ducks in Louisiana.

"I wouldn't say we were 'friends,' but we were definitely friendly, with that outdoors connection," Grant said. "He was proud of being from that country by Baton Rouge."

Winston is survived by his wife, Yvette; son, Roy Jr.; daughters Charlotte and Julie Winston Waters; and a grandson. Funeral services will be held Monday in Napoleonville, La.

Staff writer Patrick Reusse contributed to this report.