Bama in the NFL: The Deuce Still No. 1 Among Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings aren't known for their players from the Crimson Tide, but David Palmer set the standard with the franchise.

Christopher Walsh | Aug 14, 2023

Bama in the NFL: The Deuce Still No. 1 Among Minnesota Vikings /

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Alabama Crimson Tide

He wore No. 2, and was simply known as “The Deuce” with the Alabama Crimson Tide. Does that mean David Palmer was twice as good in the NFL since he wore No. 22 with the Vikings? No. But he still made his mark in Minnesota.

The franchise doesn't have that much of a history with the Crimson Tide, averaging a draft selection every 10 years and only three in the first two rounds. Linebacker Dwayne Rudd remains the lone first-round pick in 1997 (20th overall), but he only played four seasons before moving on to Cleveland and Tampa Bay.

Tight end Irv Smith Jr. may be on a similar path, recently signing with the other team in Ohio, the Bengals, after his rookie contract with the Vikings ran out. The second-round selection in 2019, No. 50 overall, is just one of two Alabama players that Minnesota has drafted during the Nick Saban era, the other being tackle Austin Shepherd (seventh round, 2015).

Palmer was the other selection, No. 40 overall in 1994, and the second-round pick stuck around through 2000, making him easily the career leader among former Crimson Tide players with 84 games played.

For those of you who didn't get a chance to see him play, all we can say is that you missed out. He was as dynamic of a player, and threat to score every time he touched the ball as much as anyone who ever wore the crimson and white. In 1993, his third-place showing in Heisman Trophy voting after his junior season was Alabama’s best finish up to that point, and continued to stand until Mark Ingram Jr. won in 2009.

It was also something Crimson Tide fans saw coming from far away. One of several true freshmen to make an immediate impact during the 10-1 season in 1991, he set an Alabama record by returning three punts for touchdowns during the regular season, and another for most punt-return yards (409). Against defending national champion Colorado in the Blockbuster Bowl, which the Tide defeated 30-25, he opened the scoring with a 52-yard return and was named the “Brian Piccolo Award” winner as the game’s most valuable player.

Palmer began his sophomore year serving a three-game suspension but, by catching five passes for 101 yards in the first SEC Championship Game, helped lead a 28-21 victory against Florida. Consequently, No. 2 Alabama was invited to play defending national champion Miami in the Sugar Bowl, where the Hurricanes were considered a sizable favorite.

“Everyone says we can't beat Miami, but we are not just anybody, we are Alabama,” Palmer said.

Of course, Alabama handily won, 34-13, to win its 12th national championship.

Palmer was even more of an offensive force his junior season, in part because Coach Gene Stallings moved him all over the field and was always looking for ways to get him the ball.

As a receiver, Palmer had 61 receptions for 1,000 yards, which at the time was a Crimson Tide record. But he also took handoffs, lined up at quarterback and handled returns, to help lead Alabama back to the SEC Championship game (although it later had to forfeit all but one regular-season victory due to an ineligible player). Overall, he tallied 1,961 all-purpose yards.

Palmer's versatility was also on display in the NFL as he had 73 receptions for 631 yards, and 34 carries for 125 rushing yards, but was primarily known his special-teams prowess. He led the league in punt returns (13.2 average) during the 1995 season. For his career he returned two punts and one kickoff for touchdowns, as well as one rushing and one receiving. He had 162 punt returns for 1,610 yards (career 9.9 average), and returned 145 kickoffs for 3,274 yards en route to 5,640 all-purpose yards.

Bama in the NFL: Minnesota Vikings

The Franchise

National Football Conference

North Division

Team Colors: Purple, Gold and White

Founded: 1960, and played first season in 1961

Stadium: U.S. Bank Stadium (capacity 67,202)

Playing Surface: ActGlobal Speed

Training Camp: TCO Performance Center, Eagan, Minn.

All-Time Alabama Players

Ed Culpepper, DT, 1961
Lemanski Hall, LB, 2000 - 2002
Paul Harris, LB, 1978
Hale Hentges, TE, 2020
David Palmer, RB, 1994 - 2000
Greg Richardson, WR, 1987
Dwayne Rudd, LB, 1997 - 2000
Randy Scott, LB, 1987
Austin Shepherd, OT, 2015
Andre Smith, OT, 2016
Irv Smith Jr., TE, 2019 - 2022
Dalvin Tomlinson, DT, 2021 - 2022

Crimson Tide Players Drafted

Year	Player	Pos.	Round	Pick	Overall
1961 (E)	Ed Culpepper	DT	—	—	—
1965	Frank McClendon	T	9	8	120
1987	Greg Richardson	WR	6	16	156
1994	David Palmer	WR	2	11	40
1997	Dwayne Rudd	LB	1	20	20
2015	Austin Shepherd	T	7	11	228
2019	Irv Smith Jr.	TE	2	18	50

Super Bowl Appearances

The Vikings have played in the Super Bowl four times without a win (IV, VIII, IX and XI). None of those teams included anyone from the Crimson Tide.

Major Awards/Honors

All-Pro

None

Pro Bowls

None

David Palmer led the league in punt returns (1995).

Dwayne Rudd holds the NFL record for most fumble return yards in a single season with 157 (1998). He's also tied for most fumble recoveries for touchdowns in a season (two).

In conjunction with our revamped Bama in the NFL Database, this is the 21st story in a series examining the team-by-team history of Alabama's former players in the NFL.

AFC

NFC