Paul Flatley, the first in a long line of great Minnesota Vikings wide receivers, has pᴀssed away at 84, the team announced Sunday.

The Vikings said he died Saturday, but no additional details were provided.

The 1963 ᴀssociated Press NFL rookie of the Year, Flatley piled up more than 3,000 receiving yards over five seasons, mostly in Minnesota, where he preceded greats Ahmad Rashad, Jake Reed, Chris Carter, Randy Moss and the team’s current star wideout, Justin Jefferson.

He finished his career with three seasons in Atlanta playing for the Falcons. With many Vikings fans mourning his loss and offering prayers online, one aficionado noted they ‘hated seeing Flatley in a Falcons uniform. Just didn’t look right.’

Flatley hailed from Richmond, Indiana – the same town that gave the NFL Baltimore Colts and New York Jets head coach Weeb Ewbank, journeyman running back Vagas Ferguson, and Lamar Lundy of the LA Rams’ ‘Fearsome Foursome.’ 

After shifting from halfback to flanker at Northwestern, Flatley was a fourth-round pick (44th overall) by Minnesota in the 1963 draft, joining a team in just its third season. 

He had five catches for 72 yards in the season opener and started all 14 games in his debut season, finishing with 51 catches for 867 yards and four touchdowns.

Paul Flatley, the first in a long line of great Vikings wide receivers, has pᴀssed away at 84

After shifting from halfback to flanker at Northwestern, Flatley was a fourth-round pick (44th overall) by Minnesota in the 1963 draft, joining a team in just its third season

Flatley hauls in key 35-yard pᴀss from Fran Tarkenton during the game against the Lions

Read More Najee Harris appears to take brutal swipe at the Steelers in his first interview since leaving

Flatley ranked eighth in the league in receiving yards and was the only rookie to land in the top 10. He won the AP honor over Baltimore тιԍнт end John Mackey.

He later said he was lucky to to start his career under coach Norm Van Brocklin.

‘He had been an all-star quarterback and knew the pᴀssing game very well,’ Flatley said in 2020, according to the Vikings. 

‘And I had a quarterback by the name of Fran Tarkenton who could keep the ball alive, and I could run several patterns on the same play call, and he would find me. I learned the game because of those two people, and I was very fortunate to be a Minnesota Viking.’

Over five seasons with the Vikings, Flatley played in 64 games and had 202 catches for 3,222 yards and 17 touchdowns. 

‘Great early Viking,’ one fan remembered online. ‘Fran relied a lot on him during the 1964 8-5 season.’ 

The Vikings were actually 8-5-1 in 1964.  

After his playing career, Flatley served for years as a color commentator for the University of Minnesota football team’s radio broadcasts.