This month's episode of the Superior Telegram's Archive Dive podcast features the first part of a two-part series looking back on the life of the legendary Bud Grant.

Digital Producer Dan Williamson fills in this month for Maria Lockwood as he's joined by one of Grant's grandchildren, Natalie Grant, currently a reporter/multimedia journalist at KXLY-TV (ABC) in Spokane, Wash., and a former Northern News Now anchor/reporter in Duluth/Superior. Natalie is the daughter of the late Bruce Grant, a former Minnesota Duluth quarterback.

Born Harry Peter Grant, Jr., on May 20, 1927 in Superior, Bud Grant is remembered as a hall of fame coach who guided the Minnesota Vikings for 18 seasons, including four Super Bowl appearances. On March 11, 2023, Grant passed away at the age of 95. May 21st, the day after what would have been his 96th birthday; numerous friends, fans and family members memorialized him at a public celebration of life at U.S. Bank Stadium.

The Vikings first NFL season was in 1961 and Grant would become the team’s head coach in 1967, retiring in 1983, but coming out of retirement for one more season in 1985. In 1994, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 2023 marks the first Vikings season since 1966 without Grant directly connected to the team - either as the head coach, former coach or consultant.

"He was grandpa to me," says Natalie Grant. "Honestly, he was a stoic guy, but he also loved a smile and loved to laugh. He loved his family more than anything. But, yeah, for me, he was just grandpa. I was born in 1996 and he was inducted into the (Pro Football) Hall of Fame a couple of years before that, so I kind of missed in my lifetime of him being this big NFL coach in a sense, and so to me, I didn't quite realize how big of a deal he was to the state of Minnesota until I was a lot older."

The Vikings were a big part of his amazing life filled with athletic achievements, but there was more to his life than football. He was a U.S. Navy vet and an avid outdoorsman, spending as much time as he could at his cabin in Gordon. What he was most passionate about though was a large, family. Bud and his wife Pat had six children and from there, many grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Some of the family members, including Natalie, eventually found their way to the Northland.

"That's something that my grandpa that I really connected on whenever I would go visit him out at his cabin in Gordon, we'd sit and we'd talk and he'd share stories about growing up in Superior and how the city looked a lot different than it did now. "

In this podcast, Natalie shares many special stories and memories of her grandfather, including the best advice he ever gave her.

"You learn more when listen rather than talking," says Natalie Grant. "That's something that I really try to apply in a lot of situations in my life, especially being a journalist. That, I think is something that has been really impactful for me in my life."

Maria returns next month for part two of our series, as she’ll be joined by another NNN alum, longtime sportscaster and current Communicating Arts senior lecturer at the University of Wisconsin Superior, Tom Hansen as they “dive” into more about the great Bud Grant.

New episodes of Archive Dive are published monthly. Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes are edited and produced by Duluth News Tribune digital producers Wyatt Buckner and Dan Williamson. If you have an idea for a topic you’d like to see covered, email Maria Lockwood at [email protected].