Fran Tarkenton
| Fran Tarkenton | |
|---|---|
 |
|
|
Position (s): Quarterback |
Jersey number (s): 10 |
| born February 3, 1940 in Richmond , Virginia | |
| Career information | |
| Active : 1961 - 1978 | |
| NFL Draft : 1961 / Round: 3 / Pick: 29 | |
| College : Georgia | |
| Teams | |
|
|
| Career statistics | |
| TD / INT | 342/266 |
| Thrown yards | 47.003 |
| QB rating | 80.4 |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
| Stats at pro-football-reference.com | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
| Pro Football Hall of Fame | |
| College Football Hall of Fame | |
Francis Asbury "Fran" Tarkenton (born February 3, 1940 in Richmond , Virginia ) is a former American football player on the position of quarterback who was with the Minnesota Vikings three times in the Super Bowl , but always lost. Tarkenton played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 years and set numerous records. In 1986, Tarkenton was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame .
college
During his college years playing Tarkenton for the Bulldogs of the University of Georgia , which he in 1959 as a quarterback to win the Southeastern Conference and the Orange Bowl led. Two years later, Tarnkenton was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the third round of the NFL Draft .
Professional time
In addition to his long career in the NFL, his entry into the league also contributes to his fame. The Minnesota Vikings played their first season and George Shaw was allowed to start the first season game against the Chicago Bears as quarterback. Already during the first quarter Tarkenton came on for Shaw and led the Vikings to an unexpected 37:13 victory, in which he threw passes for 250 yards and four touchdowns and ran another touchdown.
Tarkenton played six years for the Vikings (1961 to 1966) before he was swapped for two first-round picks and two second-round picks in the upcoming NFL Drafts to the New York Giants . After five years (1967 to 1971) with the Giants, Tarkenton returned to the Vikings for seven more years (1972 to 1978). This time for two players, a rookie and two high draft picks. In the 1973, 1974 and 1976 seasons, Tarkenton led the Purple People Eaters , as the Vikings defense at the time was called, to the Super Bowl. However, the Vikings lost all three games: against the Miami Dolphins ( VIII ), Pittsburgh Steelers ( IX ) and Oakland Raiders ( XI ).
Tarkenton set many records during his 18 years in the NFL. At the end of his career he held records for attempts to pass (6,467), complete passes (3,686), yards thrown (47,003), touchdowns (342) and victories of a quarterback (125). Due to his style of playing, to escape the pass rush of the defense by leaving the pocket ( quarterback scramble ) and then running himself or at least passing, he also scored 3,674 running yards. This was another NFL record at the time. This style of play was long considered prone to injury and so most quarterbacks of his time played more like classic pocket passer . In fact, it wasn't until his sixteenth season (1976) that Tarkenton was absent for the first time due to an injury - for a game - with bruised ribs. In the following year he was missing five more games due to a broken leg, before he played all 16 games of the season again in his final season in 1978.
literature
- Don R. Smith: Pro Football Hall of Fame All-Time Greats. Octopus, London 1988, ISBN 0-7064-3221-5 .
Web links
- frantarkenton.com Official Website
- Report on the first game in the NFL (English, archived at archive.org)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Tarkenton, Fran |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Tarkenton, Francis Asbury (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American football player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 3, 1940 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Richmond , Virginia |