Ron Yary Anthony Ronald " Ron " Yary ( born July 16 , 1946 ) is a former professional American football offensive tackle , playing primarily for the Minnesota Vikings and also for the Los Angeles Rams . He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001 . Yary gave credit for his Hall of Fame induction to his former coaches , John Ashton ( high school ) John McKay ( college ) and Bud Grant ( professional ) . He also praised his position coaches Marv Goux , Dave Levy , John Michaels and Jerry Burns . Early years . Yary attended Bellflower High School in Los Angeles County , California . In October 2001 , the school named the football field Ron Yary Stadium . While attending Bellflower High School , Yary starred in football , baseball , and basketball . College career . Anthony Ronald Yary was born in Chicago and attended Cerritos College for one year and then the University of Southern California , where he was a member of Phi Kappa Psi Fraternity . As a sophomore in 1965 , Yary was voted the Pac - 8 defensive lineman of the year and All - West Coast for his play at defensive tackle . As a junior he was moved to the offensive line where he was a consensus All - American as a junior in 1966 and a unanimous All - American choice in 1967 , his senior year . He was the 1967 winner of both the Outland Trophy and the Knute Rockne Award , awards that annually go to the nation ' s top collegiate lineman . Yary was the first USC Trojan to win the Outland . In Yary ' s senior year of 1967 the Trojans won the NCAA football national championship under Coach John McKay . During Yary ' s three seasons , the Trojans compiled a 24 - 7 - 1 record . In 1987 Yary was inducted to the College Football Hall of Fame . He was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame on December 30 , 2012 representing USC . Professional career . Yary was the first overall pick of the 1968 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings , who had traded Fran Tarkenton to the New York Giants for that selection , becoming the first offensive lineman ever to be selected first overall . He played from 1968 to 1981 with the Minnesota Vikings , and 1982 with the Los Angeles Rams . During Yary ' s tenure with the Vikings , the team won 11 division titles . During that period , Minnesota won the 1969 NFL championship and NFC titles in 1973 , 1974 and 1976 , and played in Super Bowl s IV , VIII , IX and XI where Yary was one of 10 Players to have played in all four games for the Vikings . Yary was named All - Pro 6 consecutive seasons ( 1971 – 76 ) and 2nd Team All - Pro in 1970 and 1977 and was an All - NFC choice from 1970 through 1977 . He played in seven consecutive Pro Bowls , and was a major force in a Minnesota team that was highly successful throughout the 1970s . In addition to his All - pro honors , Yary was voted the NFC Offensive Lineman of the Year three times ( 1973 – 75 ) by the NFLPA . Yary won the starting right tackle job ( military duty forced him to miss first three games ) on the Vikings offensive line in his second season and remained as a fixture at that spot throughout his Minnesota tenure . He was voted to the 1970s All - Decade First Team after the 1979 season . Yary was also durable and played in spite of injuries . He missed only two games due to injuries — both coming in 1980 with a broken ankle — in 14 years in Minnesota . Later that same year , he continued to play in spite of a broken foot . He was inducted to the Vikings Ring of Honor in 2000 . He became a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001 . It would be 29 years before another offensive lineman would be drafted first overall . Which was Orlando Pace , picked by the Rams in 1997 . Personal life . Yary is married to Jamie and has two sons , Jack ( born 2001 ) and Grant ( born 2005 ) . Yary resides in Murrieta , California , and sells commercial real estate .