Tommy Mason, the Number 1 Draft Pick in 1960
By: Ross Blilie
04–11–2023
Have you ever read the book 100 Things Vikings Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die? If not, it’s written by Mark Craig, a long-time sportswriter for the Minneapolis Star Tribune. The book was published in 2016 and it has been a favorite book of mine ever since I had created the podcast titled Pigskin Tales. If you’re interested in my podcast, you can find it at www.pigskintales.com.
In my favorite book, there is a chapter on Tommy Mason, the Vikings very first pick in the 1960 NFL Expansion Draft. He played running back for the Vikings from 1961–1967. What’s interesting about Mason’s story in this book, is that his initial salary was twelve thousand dollars. Mark, the author, goes on to inform the reader what he chose to buy with that money. The first thing he bought was a really nice guitar because he was always a fan of music and loved to play the guitar. The second thing he bought was a brand new car; a silver Cadillac. Lastly, because he was an animal lover, he bought a pet monkey! No! I’m not making that up! He really went out and bought himself a pet monkey! He named it “Dutch” in honor of his head coach Norm Van Brocklin, whose nickname was “the Dutchman.”
In an interview with the Star Tribune in 2007, Mason said there was a time when he really got a butt chewing from Van Broklin during a film session. According to the book, Mason recalls, “Van Brocklin got to the play where I missed the block. He showed it, stopped the film, went back, and showed it again, then again…four, five times.” Now, keep in mind that at this time in Vikings history, both the offense and the defense watched film of the previous game(s) together. “And then he turned off the projector, and in the darkness, all you heard was Norman’s voice: ‘Mason, take that Cadillac, that guitar, and that monkey and…’”I don’t have to write what he more than likely said, but it was probably something about where he could shove those things.
The result of the missed block was quarterback Fran Tarkenton getting smacked pretty hard for a loss on the play. I believe Van Brocklin’s purpose for showing the play repeatedly during the film session was to motivate all the players to play better; to not make mistakes. After Mason played for the Vikings, he went on to play for the Los Angeles Rams and the Washington Redskins (now known as the Commanders). Craig concludes his story on Mason by writing, “He finished his career with 4,203 yards rushing, 2,324 yards receiving, 45 touchdowns, and one legendary pet monkey named “Dutch.”
Ross Blilie is an avid NFL fan of the Minnesota Vikings since the 1990’s. He loves to talk about the NFL and the Vikings every chance he gets. His hobbies also include bowling with his wife and friends, narrating audiobooks, fishing, and even sitting by a campfire with family at Lake Blackduck in Minnesota. You can find Ross on twitter & Instagram @Rossthenarrator.
