Before there was artificial turf on the field-before Monday Night Football and the corporate culture that swallowed the game-there were players playing simply for love of the sport, and they were dedicated to making a name for their team, despite any and all odds.

Last Kings of the Old NFL carries readers back to the golden age of football to follow the Minnesota Vikings' rise from last place to titans of the league in the two years from 1967 to 1969. From the team's struggles without a head coach, a quarterback, or direction to the acquisitions and lineups that were their...