Why is the Minnesota Vikings' mascot a viking?

Answer 1

Minnesota has been known as the Gopher State since 1857. The first University of Minnesota yearbook, published in 1887 was called the Gopher Annual. The first time the University's sports team was called the Golden Gophers was in 1934, because of their all-gold uniforms. The Gopher mascot was born in 1952 when Jerome Glass, assistant bandmaster, gought a fuzzy wool suit and coerced Jim Anderson, a junior, to put it on. Anderson joked by telling the press,

They took the guy who couldn't march or play and put him where he wouldn't do any harm.

TRIVIA NOTE: Bernie Bierman, the first University of Minnesota football coach, chose gold for a uniform color, because it was more difficult for the opposing team to see the football being held by someone in a gold uniform.

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Answer 2

The helmet logo depicts the horns worn by Vikings in the era hundreds of years before the US was formed, while the primary logo shows the profile of a Viking with helmet and golden tresses.

Answer 3

A viking