gold star for USAHOF

2. Fran Tarkenton

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2. Fran Tarkenton
Had it not been for five prime years with the New York Giants, Fran Tarkenton could have easily been the number one on this list.

Hell, we are not convinced that he won’t get there eventually after more analysis!

Fran Tarkenton retired from the National Football League holding almost every major record you could have as a Quarterback, most of which was accumulated in Minnesota.  While the Vikings were notoriously known for the “Purple People Eaters” defense, Tarkenton’s accuracy and scrambling ability made him ahead of his time and a vital reason for the Vikings success in the 1970s. 

He would be named the consensus MVP in 1975 and would three times lead the NFL in Completions.  Tarkenton never won that elusive Super Bowl, but he did everything he could to get them to big game often.  Tarkenton entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986, with the Vikings retiring his number in 1979, right after his retirement.  He was also among the first group of players to enter the Vikings Ring of Honor in 1998.

The Bullet Points

  • Position: Quarterback
  • Acquired: Selected in the 3rd Round, 29th Overall in the NFL Draft 12/27/60.
  • Departed: Traded to the New York Giants for the 1967 1st and 2nd Round Pick, the 1968 1st Round Pick and the 1969 3rd Round Pick 3/7/67.

    Acquired (2): Traded from the New York Giants for Norm Snead, Bob Grim, Vince Clements, the 1972 1st Round Pick and a 1973 2nd Round Pick 1/27/72.

    Departed (2): Retired after the 1978 Season.
  • Games Played: 177
  • Notable Statistics: 170 Games Started
    2,635 Pass Completions
    4,569 Pass Attempts
    57.7% Pass Completion Percentage
    33,098 Passing Yards
    239 Touchdown Passes
    194 Interceptions
    80.1 Passer Rating
    464 Rushing Attempts
    2,548 Rushing Yards
    10 Rushing Touchdowns
    158 Approximate Value

    11 Playoff Games
    149 Pass Completions
    292 Pass Attempts
    51.0% Pass Completion Percentage
    1,803 Passing Yards
    11 Touchdown Passes
    17 Interceptions
    58.6 Passer Rating
    25 Rushing Attempts
    70 Rushing Yards
    1 Rushing Touchdown
  • Major Accolades and Awards: AP MVP (1975)
    Bert Bell Award (1975)
    UPI MVP (1975)
    PFWA MVP (1975)
    NEA MVP (1975)
    The Sporting News Player of the Year (1975)
    AP Offensive Player of the Year (1975)
    First Team All-Pro (1975)
    Second Team All-Pro (1973)
    Pro Bowl (1964, 1965, 1974, 1975 & 1976)
    Most Completions (1975, 1976 & 1978)
    Most Attempts (1975 & 1978)
    Most Passing Yards (1978)
    Most Touchdown Passes (1975)
    Most Pass Attempts per Game (1975, 1976 & 1978)
    Most Pass Completions per Game (1975, 1976, 1977 & 1978)
    Highest Pass Completion Percentage (1977)
Last modified on Friday, 22 July 2022 21:59

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