Fran Tarkenton

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Biography

Early life

Fran Tarkenton was born in Richmond, Virginia. He went to Athens High School in Athens, Georgia, and later attended the University of Georgia, where he was the quarterback on the Bulldog football team. He led Georgia to the 1959 Southeastern Conference championship under coach Wally Butts. He was a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.

Also in Tarkenton's early years he was a member of the Masonic Youth Group DeMolay.

Tarkenton's first marriage was to Anna Elaine Merrell of Decatur, Georgia, on December 22, 1960 at First Baptist Church in Decatur.

Professional football career

The Minnesota Vikings drafted Tarkenton in the third round of the 1961 NFL Draft. Tarkenton, 21, played his first National Football League game (and the Vikings first game) against the Chicago Bears and led the Vikings to a victory by passing for 250 yards as the upstarts stunned the Bears 37–13.

He 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 nicknames "The Mad Scrambler," "Frantic Fran," and "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 for five seasons, during which time he lived in New Rochelle, New York. His efforts helped the Giants rally from the NFL's basement (a 1-12-1 record in 1966) to better times.

Tarkenton was traded back to Minnesota in 1972. He led the Vikings to three Super Bowls in the 1970s, but lost all of them. In Tarkenton's first Super Bowl appearance they lost to the Miami Dolphins 24–7 in Houston, they lost the second to the Pittsburgh Steelers in a defensive struggle 16-6 in New Orleans, and in the last Super Bowl Tarkenton would ever play, the Vikings were blown out by the Oakland Raiders 32-14 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena.

Tarkenton won the NFL's MVP award after the 1975 season, capturing All-Pro honors in the process. Tarkenton was also second Team All-Pro in 1973 and earned All-NFC selection in 1972 and 1976. He was named second 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. Tarkenton's 47,003 career passing yards rank him 6th all time

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