Get rid of Mcmahon and add Tarkenton
The Minnesota Vikings drafted him in the third round of the 1961 NFL Draft. Tarkenton came into his first National Football League game (also the first game for the Vikings) against the Chicago Bears and led the Vikings to a victory by passing for 250 yards as the upstarts stunned the Bears 37-13.
Tarkenton played for the Vikings from 1961 to 1966, during which
time he frequently locked horns with head coach Norm Van Brocklin, who
disdained the idea of a mobile quarterback, a concept that Tarkenton
dramatically advanced in the NFL. Tarkenton was given the nickname
"Scramblin' Fran" because he frequently ran around in the backfield to
avoid being sacked by the opposition (among his other nicknames: "Sir
Francis," used occasionally by Howard Cosell of ABC Sports). Tarkenton
was traded to the New York Giants in 1967 and played there until 1972 when he was traded back to Minnesota. He led the Vikings to three Super Bowls in the 1970s, but the Vikes lost them all.
Tarkenton won the NFL's MVP award after the 1975 season, capturing
All-Pro honors in the process. Tarkenton was also 2nd Team All-Pro in
1973 and earned All-NFC selection in 1972 & 1976. Fran was named
2nd Team All-NFC in 1970 and 1974. Tarkenton was selected to play in
nine Pro Bowls.
In his 18 NFL seasons, Tarkenton completed 3,686 of 6,467 passes for
47,003 yards and 342 touchdowns, with 266 interceptions. He also is 4th
on the all-time list of most wins by a starting quarterback (NFL)
with 125 regular season victories. He also used his impressive
scrambling ability to rack up 3,674 rushing yards and 32 touchdowns on
675 carries. During his career, Tarkenton ran for a touchdown in 15
different seasons, an NFL record among quarterbacks. He ranks fourth in
career rushing yards among QB's, behind Randall Cunningham, Steve Young and Michael Vick. He is also one of two NFL quarterbacks ever to rush for at least 300 yards in seven different seasons; the other is Tobin Rote. Voted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in 1986, Tarkenton is widely considered one of the greatest
quarterbacks of all time. Vikings head coach Bud Grant flatly called
Tarkenton "the greatest quarterback who's ever played."
However, Tarkenton's poor performance in three Super Bowls and his
inability to win a championship ring in 18 seasons prevents some people
from considering him as great as other famous quarterbacks. Despite not
winning a Super Bowl, he won a great many playoff games, and in 1999 he
was ranked number 59 on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Football Players.
One of the more difficult losses of Tarkenton's career occurred
during the 1975 NFC Divisional Playoffs. With what was considered by
some observers to be the best team of their Purple People Eater era,
the Vikings lost to the Dallas Cowboys 17-14 on a controversial touchdown pass from Dallas quarterback Roger Staubach to wide receiver Drew Pearson.
The controversy sprang from the appearance that Pearson interfered with
defender Nate Wright while running his route. The call so incensed the
crowd that one fan fired a whiskey bottle from the stands, striking
official Armen Terzian
in the head. This was partly responsible for the banning of glass
bottles at arenas around the country. Tarkenton also lost his father,
who passed away while he was watching that infamous game; it had been
rumored that the "Hail Mary Pass" caused the cardiac arrest, but in
fact Mr. Tarkenton died during the middle of the fourth quarter. It was
a disappointing end to a spectacular season for the Vikings. They had
finished the season with an NFC best 12-2 record and Tarkenton had won
the NFL Most Valuable Player Award, and the NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award.
-
Hot Forum Topics
