Tweet
Here are some photos from the event :
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."
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."
Glad you got to meet Tarkenton--sounds like a great opportunity!
Comment