Former Yellowjacket football star and Superior-native Doug Sutherland has been named to the WIAC All-Time Team in football. The team has been selected as part of the WIAC's 100th anniversary celebration, which will take place during the 2012-13 season.
At UW-Superior, Sutherland was a standout in all phases of the game for the Yellowjacket football team. During his four years, Sutherland played on the offensive and defensive lines while also serving as the team's punter. In his senior season (1969), Sutherland was named First Team All-WSUC and was also a Little College All-American. He was the top punter in the WSUC that year as well.
One of the best all-around athletes ever produced by UW-Superior, Sutherland enjoyed the longest professional football career of any player in WIAC history. He was drafted in the 14th round (348th overall) by the New Orleans Saints in 1970. After one season with the Saints, Sutherland landed with the Minnesota Vikings where he played for Hall of Fame coach and fellow Superior-native Bud Grant. A member of the vaunted “Purple People Eaters” defense, Sutherland spent ten seasons with the Vikings, appearing in three Super Bowls (Super Bowl VIII against Miami, Super Bowl IX against Pittsburgh and Super Bowl XI against Oakland). Sutherland would play his final NFL season (1981) with the Seattle Seahawks.
“For so many people, when they think of Yellowjacket Athletics they think of Doug Sutherland. He is a very strong and very important figure in our department's history,” Athletics Director Steve Nelson said. “He was a dominant player in college and developed into a great NFL player on one of the best defenses in the league's history. We're very fortunate to have Doug as a part of our athletic family at UW-Superior and are extremely proud of all of his accomplishments on the athletic field, in the community and in life.”
Accolades continued to come Sutherland's way following his retirement. In 1981, UW-Superior retired his jersey (#74). He was inducted into the UW-Superior Athletic Hall of Fame in 1983 and into the NAIA Football Hall of Fame in 1987. In 2010, Sutherland was named one of the 50 greatest players in Minnesota Vikings history.
Away from the field, Sutherland spent time as an assistant coach at the University of Minnesota-Duluth and is a successful local real estate agent. He is also active in the Minnesota Vikings Alumni Association.
ABOUT THE TEAM SELECTIONS
The student-athlete representation on each team has relied heavily on input provided by the sports information director from each of the nine WIAC campuses, while the process for selecting the head coach(es) for each team also includes input from a panel of media representatives. The number of individuals selected per team varies depending upon the nature of the sport itself as well as the number of years the sport has/had been sponsored within the conference.
All-Time Team members will receive certificates from the conference and it is hoped that most, if not all, of the recipients will be in attendance or represented at the WIAC Centennial Banquet to be held at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison on August 4, 2012.
More information on the activities and events associated with the WIAC Centennial can be accessed via the WIAC website at www.wiacsports.com.
