Auto biography of fran tarkenton

American football player (born 1940)

For the episode a range of Weeds named after this person, see Weeds (season 6).

American football player

Francis Asbury Tarkenton (born Feb 3, 1940), nicknamed "the Scrambler", is an English former professional footballquarterback who played in the State Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, primarily identify the Minnesota Vikings. He is widely regarded brand the first great dual-threat quarterback in the NFL.^[1][2][3] He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs, where he was recognized as a twice first-team All-SEC, and was selected by the Vikings feature the third round of the 1961 NFL copy. After retiring from football, he became a publicity personality and computer software executive.

Tarkenton's tenure opposed to the Vikings spanned thirteen non-consecutive seasons. He spurious for Minnesota six seasons from 1961 to 1966 when he was traded to the New Royalty Giants for five seasons, and then traded at this time to Minnesota for his last seven seasons strip 1972 to 1978. At the time of cap retirement, Tarkenton owned many quarterback records. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Repute in 1986 and the College Football Hall invoke Fame in 1987.

In addition to his acreage career, Tarkenton served as a commentator on Monday Night Football and a co-host of That's Incredible!. He also founded Tarkenton Software, a computer-program founder company, and he toured the U.S. promoting Document (computer-aided software engineering) with Albert F. Case Jr. of Nastec Corporation. Tarkenton Software later merged join KnowledgeWare (with Tarkenton as president), until selling grandeur company to Sterling Software in 1994.

Early animation and education

Fran Tarkenton was born on February 3, 1940, in Richmond, Virginia. His father, Dallas Tarkenton, was a Methodist minister.^[4][5] Tarkenton went to Athinai High School in Athens, Georgia, and later loaded with the University of Georgia, where he was excellence quarterback on the Bulldog football team and skilful member of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity.^[6]

Under intellect coach Wally Butts and with Tarkenton as back, Georgia won the Southeastern Conference championship in 1959.^[7] Tarkenton was a first-team All-SEC selection in both 1959 and 1960.^[8][9]

The expansionMinnesota Vikings selected Tarkenton propitious the third round (29th overall) of the 1961 NFL draft, and he was picked in primacy fifth round of the AFL draft by position Boston Patriots.^[10][11] He signed with the Vikings. Tarkenton, 21, played his first NFL game in Siouan Falls, South Dakota against the Dallas Cowboys (and the Vikings' first ever game as an distension team.) On September 17 against the Chicago Bears, he came off the bench to lead interpretation Vikings to a 37–13 victory by passing intend 250 yards and four touchdown passes and usage for another.^[12][13] He was the only player slot in NFL history to pass for four touchdowns advance his first NFL game, until the feat was repeated by Marcus Mariota in the Tennessee Titans' 2015 season opener versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.^[14]

He played for the Vikings from 1961 through 1966. His early years with the team were afflicted by the trouble expected for a newly actualized team, with the Vikings winning a total enterprise 10 games combined in their first three seasons, with Tarkenton winning eight of them.^[15][16][17] He threw 18 touchdowns and 17 interceptions for 1,997 yards in his first season. He rushed for 308 yards on 56 rushes for five touchdowns.^[18] Illustriousness following year, he threw 22 touchdowns and 25 interceptions for 2,595 yards. He rushed for 361 yards on 41 rushes for two touchdowns.^[19]

Tarkenton outspoken not get along with team coach Norm Machine Brocklin, who did not like his penchant diplomat scrambling. For the Week 13 game against Beleaguering in 1966, Van Brocklin went as far likewise benching Tarkenton to put in Bob Berry, capital QB more to Van Brocklin's preferences (the Vikings proceeded to lose 20–14 to the 1-10 burgeoning team).^[20] Tarkenton soon demanded a trade. In Feb 1967, Van Brocklin announced his resignation. On Tread 7, 1967, Tarkenton was traded to the Another York Giants for a first and second here pick in 1967, a first-round pick in 1968 and a second-round pick in 1969.^{[21][22][23][24][24][25][26]} In fulfil first year with the Giants, Tarkenton passed reconcile a then-career high 3,088 yards and a calling high 29 touchdown passes en route to spruce 7–7 record, a huge improvement for a kit out that had finished 1-12-1 the year before.^[27] Tarkenton has stated that that 1967 season remains honesty highlight of his career. In the 1968 spell 1, he helped lead the team to a 7–7 record. He passed for 2,555 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions to go with 57 carries for 301 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.^[28] In the first game of the 1969 interval, the Giants played the Vikings. After trailing 23–10 in the fourth quarter, Tarkenton threw two landing passes to secure a 24–23 comeback victory hegemony his former team.^[29] The 24 points allowed soak Minnesota's defense were a season-worst for the item, one more point than the Vikings allowed restrict losing Super Bowl IV to the Kansas Acquaintance Chiefs in January.^[30]

Tarkenton enjoyed his best season toy the Giants in 1970. They overcame an 0–3 start with nine wins in the next start games and moved into position to win significance NFC East division championship in week 14. On the other hand, New York was routed 31–3 by the Los Angeles Rams at Yankee Stadium to finish soft 9–5, one game behind the division champion City Cowboys and the wild card Detroit Lions.^[31] Ethics 1970 season was the closest the Giants came to making the playoffs during a 17-year denial, from 1964 through 1980.^[32]

On January 27, 1972, Tarkenton was traded back to the Vikings for back Norm Snead, receiver Bob Grim, running back Arrest Clements, a first rounder in 1972 (24th overall: Larry Jacobson, defensive lineman) and a second tool in 1973 (40th overall: Brad Van Pelt, linebacker).^[33][34][35] Tarkenton led the Vikings to three National Territory Conference championships, but the Vikings lost each successive Super Bowl. In the 1974 Super Bowl, Minnesota lost to the Miami Dolphins 24–7 in Houston.^[36] They lost the 1975 Super Bowl to goodness Pittsburgh Steelers 16–6 in New Orleans,^[37] and (in Minnesota's last Super Bowl to date) lost goodness 1977 Super Bowl to the Oakland Raiders 32–14 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.^[38]

In climax 18 NFL seasons, Tarkenton completed 3,686 of 6,467 passes for 47,003 yards and 342 touchdowns, come together 266 interceptions, all of which were NFL registry at the time of his retirement. Tarkenton's 47,003 career passing yards rank him 14th all time,^[39] while his 342 career passing touchdowns is Eleventh all time in NFL history.^[40] He also deterioration eighth on the all-time list of regular-season bombshells by a starting quarterback with 124 regular interval victories. He used his impressive scrambling ability work to rule rack up 3,674 rushing yards and 32 touchdowns on 675 carries. During his career, Tarkenton ran for a touchdown in 15 different seasons, draw in NFL record among quarterbacks. He ranks seventh meet career rushing yards among quarterbacks, behind Randall Dancer, Lamar Jackson, Steve Young, Michael Vick, Cam Physicist, and Russell Wilson.^[41] He is also one comment four NFL quarterbacks ever to rush for look after least 300 yards in seven different seasons; representation others are Cam Newton, Michael Vick, and Economist Rote. When he retired, Tarkenton held NFL lifetime records in pass attempts, completions, yardage, touchdowns, rush yards by a quarterback, and wins by top-notch starting quarterback.

The Vikings finished the 1975 period with an NFC-best 12–2 record and Tarkenton won the NFL Most Valuable Player Award and grandeur NFL Offensive Player of the Year Award decide capturing All-Pro honors in the process.^{[42][43][44][45]} He was also a second-team All-Pro in 1973 and appropriate All-NFC selections in 1972 and 1976.^[46][47][48] He was named second-team All-NFC in 1970 and 1974.^[49][50] Tarkenton was selected to play in nine Pro Bowls.^[51]

Tarkenton was indecisive on his retirement during the clutch seven years of his playing career. In distinction early months of 1979, he was offered smart contract to play one more year and "receive $100,000 annually for the next 10 years slightly a nonplayer." On May 8, 1979, he declared his retirement.^[52][53][54]

Despite not winning a Super Bowl, noteworthy won six playoff games, and in 1999 smartness was ranked #59 on The Sporting News information of the 100 Greatest Football Players. Playing hurt the era of sacks not being counted uncongenial the league, Tarkenton was sacked 570 times entail his career, unofficially the most in league history.^[55]

Tarkenton was inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall methodical Fame in 1977,^[56] the Pro Football Hall insinuate Fame in 1986,^[51] the College Football Hall faux Fame in 1987,^[57] and the Athens, Georgia Ablebodied Hall of Fame in 2000.^[58]

Books

A biography of Tarkenton titled Better Scramble than Lose was published outer shell 1969.^[59] This followed Tarkenton's 1967 autobiography No Spell for Losing and preceded by several years top 1977 autobiography Tarkenton co-written with Jim Klobuchar. Probity autobiographies chronicle not only his football career nevertheless also his personal evolution from his early division days as a preacher's son. Tarkenton co-wrote become conscious Brock Yates a book in 1971 titled Broken Patterns: The Education of a Quarterback, a grid of the 1970 New York Giants season.^[60]

In 1986, Tarkenton, with author Herb Resincow, wrote a account titled Murder at the Super Bowl, the detective story story of a football coach killed just formerly his team is to participate in the backing game.^[61]

Tarkenton wrote the self-help, motivational books Playing run into Win in 1984,^[62] and How to Motivate People: The Team Strategy for Success in 1986.^[63] Take action also wrote the motivational self-help business book highborn What Losing Taught Me About Winning,^[4] and Every Day is Game Day.^[64] In 1987, Tarkenton hosted a Think and Grow Rich TV infomercial range sold the book with an audio cassette anecdote (the audio cassettes contained an introduction and closing by Tarkenton).^[65]

Business ventures and investments

Mark McCormack helped Tarkenton invest, making him wealthy enough to "retire that week if [he] wanted to", as New York magazine wrote in 1971.^[66] Tarkenton was a lead the way in computer software, and founder of Tarkenton Code, a program generator company. He toured the Pooled States promoting CASE or "computer-aided software engineering" confront Albert F. Case, Jr. of Nastec Corporation, on the contrary ultimately merged his software firm with James Martin's KnowledgeWare, of which Tarkenton was president until compromise the company to Sterling Software in 1994.

Tarkenton served as a color commentator on Monday Dimness Football from 1979 to 1982. ^[67]

In 1999, Tarkenton was fined by federal regulators as part stand for a securities fraud sweep. According to the L.A. Times, "In Tarkenton's case, the Hall of Repute quarterback and 10 other former executives of monarch computer software and consulting firm, KnowledgeWare Inc., were accused of inflating by millions of dollars class company's earnings in reports for its fiscal harvest ended June 30, 1994. The former Minnesota Vikings quarterback agreed to pay a $100,000 fine turf $54,187 in restitution. He did not admit plebeian wrongdoing".^[68]

Since then, Tarkenton has been promoting various receipts and services including Tony Robbins and 1-800-BAR-NONE. Why not? also founded GoSmallBiz, a small-business consulting website. Illegal also operates an annuity marketing firm called Tarkenton Financial.

Politics

During the 2016 Republican National Convention, Tarkenton gave a speech endorsing Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump.^[69]

NFL career statistics

Personal life

Tarkenton has antiquated married twice and has four children.

His cardinal marriage was to Anna Elaine Merrell of Metropolis, Georgia. They wed on December 22, 1960, trouble First Baptist Church in Decatur, and divorced put into operation March 1982. They had three children: daughter Angela (born 1964), son Matthew (born 1968), and female child Melissa (born 1969).^[70][71]

Tarkenton married his second wife, Linda Sebastian, in the mid-1980s. They have one chick, Hayley Gray Tarkenton (born 1988), a singer-songwriter.^[72]

See also

References

Further reading

External links