Guarding the right side of the Vikings’ offensive line for 14 seasons, Ron Yary protected his quarterbacks and carved out holes for running backs while building one of the strongest individual résumés of any tackle from his era. The USC product arrived as the first offensive lineman ever selected first overall in the NFL Draft, and he quickly showed he belonged.

Yary was taken No. 1 in 1968 after the Vikings acquired the pick in the trade that sent Fran Tarkenton to the Giants. He won the Outland Trophy at USC and helped the Trojans to a national title. Once in Minnesota, he worked his way into the starting lineup and by 1970 was locked in at right tackle. From there, he became a constant through the franchise’s most successful stretch.

Between 1971 and 1976, he earned six consecutive first-team All-Pro selections. He went to the Pro Bowl seven straight years from 1971 through 1977 and was named All-NFC eight years in a row. Those honors lined up with Minnesota’s peak: 11 division titles during his tenure, the 1969 NFL championship, and NFC titles in 1973, 1974, and 1976. Yary started in all four Super Bowls the Vikings reached in that span.

He was also named the NFLPA NFC Offensive Lineman of the Year three times. The recognition reflected the consistency he brought week after week, whether he kept Tarkenton upright or opened lanes for Chuck Foreman and the rest of the backfield. Injuries rarely slowed him; he missed only two games due to injury across his long run in Minnesota.

With the Vikings, he played in 199 regular-season games and started most of them. His durability and string of All-Pro and Pro Bowl seasons made him the clear anchor on the right side of one of the league’s best lines in the 1970s. After 14 seasons in Minnesota, he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams in 1982, played one final year, and retired.

The Pro Football Hall of Fame inducted him in 2001. That same year, the Vikings placed him in their Ring of Honor. Both honors recognized a player whose best work came in Minnesota, where he spent the bulk of a 15-year career as one of the most reliable tackles of his generation.