(Twitter)
Hall of Fame Head Coach and fellow Vikings Ring of Honor member Bud Grant enjoyed a deep relationship with Burns that extended before and after their time together on the Vikings sidelines. Following Burns s death Grant issued the following statement: I met Burnsie at Iowa when he picked me up from the airport when I was visiting down there, and from that point on, we started talking football and never stopped. We were on the same page a lot. When I went to Winnipeg, I d have him come up as a guest coach. Our friendship grew over the years, and we became very close friends and so did our families. When I got the job in Minnesota, I talked to him about coming here, but he had a contract with Green Bay. The first year I was at the Vikings, I coached one guy short. I was holding the job for Burnsie until he could come the next year. He was a very astute football mind. He could see things on the field immediately. He was as important to my career as anyone I ve been invol