Fran Tarkenton at Iowa Caucus Training

[motife]

Here are some photos from the event :

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=7760&l=e792a&id=605353733

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=7759&l=d6233&id=605353733

I picked up Fran at the airport and took him to an Iowa Caucus Training event in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. I had no idea Fran Tarkenton was such a powerful speaker. He talked about playing in the first season of the "expansion" Minnesota Vikings. How in the 1961 preseason, in a game played at Kingston Stadium in Cedar Rapids, the Chicago Bears PULVERIZED them 47-0.

He mentioned the Bears owner was George Halas, their general manager was George Halas, and their COACH was George Halas, and the that George Halas was the original founder of the NFL. Fran said he had never been so beat up after a game.

The first game of the season, the first regular season game EVER for the Minnesota Vikings was against the Chicago Bears AGAIN and Fran was the starting QB. The Vikes were 28 point underdogs, but Fran said that they were just dumb enough at only 21 years old not to know it. Fran said he went into the game so dumb, he had NO FEAR. But that he always played that way, he said. Not just this game, but every game for the next 18 years.

Tarkenton completed 17 of 21 passes for 253 yards, 4 TD passes, and he ran for another. The Vikes beat the Bears 37-13!! As he was being carried off the field, George Halas came over to shake his hand and said in 40 years of the NFL he'd never seen a rookie QB play as well as Fran did that day. Fran said he went on to play in several NFL championships, 3 Super Bowls, and 125 regular season wins, which is top 5 in NFL history, but that no game was more thrilling to him than his first win against the Bears. Unbeknownst to him, his mother had come to the game, and when he left the locker room, he saw her and they both fell into each other's arms.

I asked him privately what he thought of his first coach, Norm Van Brocklin. He said, "What do you think?" I said, "Well, I think he was borderline crazy." Fran said, "There was no borderline about it. The guy was a nut."

http://photos-c.ak.facebook.com/photos-ak-sf2p/v152/11/1/605353733/n605353733_176770_1075.jpg

[oregonpackfan]

When the term "Scrambling quarterback" comes to mind, you always have to think of Fran Tarkington. Early in his career, he would wear our many a defensive end in the backfield who tried to catch him.

[Badgerinmaine]

Nice story--even for a Packer fan Democrat like me :mrgreen: Glad you got to meet Tarkenton--sounds like a great opportunity!

I'm not surprised he came off well as a speaker. He's done some motivational book writing and speaking, and was on national television for several years as one of the hosts of "That's Incredible!" He was fun to watch play, too (even though I got tired of seeing Minnesota win all those division titles in the 70s). The Van Brocklin line is funny, to...

[Badgerinmaine]

When the term "Scrambling quarterback" comes to mind, you always have to think of Fran Tarkington. Early in his career, he would wear our many a defensive end in the backfield who tried to catch him.

And unlike some of the other scramblers of his time like Bobby Douglass, he won a lot games with his arm, too.

[Scott Campbell]

Great story and pic. Boy could the Vikings ever use him now.

[Carolina_Packer]

Motife, Check your messages for one from me. My parents live in Mt. Vernon, IA (Linn County), and I graduated high school there. I live in NC now, but will be coming back for Christmas with my family. Do you live in Cedar Rapids? Thanks for posting the info about Tarkenton. I always kind of secretly liked him as a kid growing up in the 70's, even though he wore the wrong colors.

[Badgerinmaine]

Great story and pic. Boy could the Vikings ever use him now.
Amen--but hell, they'd love to settle for Rich Gannon or Tommy Kramer now. Or Joe Kapp.

[mraynrand]

My favorite memory of Fran Tarkenton is when they wedged him into that tiny plastic cube and sank him to the bottom of that swimming pool on "That's Incredible." Who knew he was that flexible? Wasn't his co-host John Edwards, the Democratic candidate for president?

[Carolina_Packer]

http://www.freewebz.com/johndavidson/thatstv.jpg

Was that show cool in a cheesy way or cheesy in a cool way?

[wpony]

I remember those days old fran was the QB I hated to see come to town if you shut down his recievers he just took it down and ran for the 1st you contained him from running and you gave him time he picked you apart the bad old days LOL he was a great QB though