Browse Our Site
|
By The Jazzy One on August 31st, 2010
Minnesota Vikings Trivia
Your Daily Piece of Minnesota Vikings History

The Vikings starting offense in their first season in the NFL (1961) featured two future Pro Football Hall of Famers: Fran Tarkenton and Hugh McElhenny
By The Jazzy One on August 4th, 2010
Minnesota Vikings Trivia
Your Daily Piece of Minnesota Vikings History

Rookie Fran Tarkenton threw for 4 TDs in a comeback in not only his first ever NFL game, but the first NFL game in Minnesota Vikings history.
By The Jazzy One on July 6th, 2010

Five Interesting Facts About The Minnesota Vikings Running Game
by Mark Peters of http://iqfb.com
The Minnesota Vikings have had some great running backs over the years. These players have played a large role in many of the successes of the team too. Here is a look at five interesting facts about the Minnesota Vikings running game.
But He Didn’t Do It All In Minnesota!
While Robert Smith is the all time career rushing leader for the Vikings with 6,818 yards, he does not hold the record for most career rushing yards by a player drafted by Minnesota. That honor belongs to Terry Allen who from 1991 to 1994 gained 2,795 yards in Minnesota, placing him at 11th all time in team history (right behind Chester Taylor and right ahead of Fran Tarkenton). Allen went on though to play for the Washington Redskins, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, and Baltimore Ravens, finishing with 8,614 career rushing yards.
Hey, That’s Not Your Job!
Robert Smith is the all time career rushing leader for the Vikings. Who ranks the highest in career rushing yards among Minnesota receivers though? No receiver ran for more rushing yards for the purple and gold during his career than the great Anthony Carter. Carter carried the ball 47 times for 289 yards and two touchdowns while with the team. His first rushing touchdown came in a 1991 win over the Atlanta Falcons and the second one came a week later in a 1992 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Second on the list of highest rushing Vikings wide receivers is Randy Moss with 23 carries for 159 yards and no touchdowns.
Put A Handle On That Thing!
The record for most fumbles by a Minnesota Vikings running back is 54 and is held by two different players. Bill Brown played with the team from 1962 to 1974. He was moderately successful, including leading the league in rushing attempts in 1966. He was also a decent receiving back as well. Over the course of his time in Minnesota, which covered 12 seasons, he accumulated 54 fumbles. Tommy Mason is the player Brown is tied with, but he took a little different route to the record. While Brown tied the mark over 12 years of play, Mason set the record when his 54 fumbles came in just the six seasons he played with the team. His lowest number of fumbles for one year was the six he put up in 1966, his last year with the team, of course he only started six games that season though. In 1963, he fumbled the ball an amazing 14 times, approximately once every 14 times he touched the ball.
Working Overtime
Only three players in team history have ever carried the ball more than 300 times in one season, and they all did it since the year 2006. In 2006, Chester Taylor set the record for most carries in one season for the team with 303. Adrian Peterson then broke that team record in 2008 by carrying the ball 363 times. The very next season Peterson again broke the mark by carrying the ball 314 times.
Triple Threat Running Backs
Most running backs specialize in carrying the ball, some are also very good receivers, but there are very few that go down in the record books for their throwing ability. Seven Vikings running backs have thrown touchdown passes in team history. Darrin Nelson, Keith Henderson, D.J. Dozier, Chester Taylor, Mewelde Moore, and Tommy Mason each threw one at different times during the past. But one running back in particular stands above those. Alfred Anderson is the only running back to throw two touchdown passes during his time with the team. Both of these were thrown during the 1984 season, the first one came in a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and went for 20 yards and was caught by quarterback Tommy Kramer, the second one came in a win over the Atlanta Falcons and was a 43 yarder to receiver Dwight Collins. Incidentally, this would be the only touchdown reception in Collins’ entire career which lasted just that one season in Minnesota.
The Minnesota Vikings have had a great history so far and their running backs have played a large role in that. For a look at a some great Minnesota Vikings trivia, check out IQFB.com.

By The Jazzy One on June 7th, 2010
Minnesota Vikings Trivia
Your Daily Piece of Minnesota Vikings History

Fran Tarkenton threw for 33,098 yards and 239 TDs in 13 seasons with the Vikings.
By The Jazzy One on May 21st, 2010
Minnesota Vikings Trivia
Your Daily Piece of Minnesota Vikings History

Despite his scrambling ability, Fran Tarkenton was still sacked 417 times as a member of the Vikings, for an average of 32 times per season.
By The Jazzy One on April 12th, 2010
Minnesota Vikings Trivia

Fran Tarkenton threw for 33,098 yards and 239 TDs in 13 seasons with the Vikings.
By The Jazzy One on February 18th, 2010

Minnesota Vikings Trivia

The first former Viking to be inducted into the Hall-of-Fame was Fran Tarkenton in 1986, followed by Alan Page two years later.
By The Jazzy One on February 4th, 2010

Fran Tarkenton is not a fan of Brett Favre.
He’s made that clear since the news came out that the New York Jets cut him after last season. He has made numerous comments about how he doesn’t think Favre is the answer in Minnesota, and after the NFC Championship game he completely ripped into Favre’s abilities because of the last minute interception.
VS 
“I have never seen any quarterback much less, well he is going to be a Hall of Fame quarterback, make plays like that at a critical time,” Tarkenton said of Favre’s infamously reckless style of play. “He has done the same thing in the Giants game (a Packers loss in the 2007 NFC title game). He plays at home, has the better team and plays against Eli (Manning). He was a young kid right? And he throws the pick…and then he does what he did the other night which was just shameful because great quarterbacks, and he is a great quarterback, they don’t do that. You don’t see Peyton Manning do that.”
The problem with that is that he’s turning current fans against him. Fans that used to talk about him with the utmost respect.
Rick Alonzo from TwinCities.com recently posted some reader email he got concering Tarkenton. Let’s check a couple out:
I’m just curious if Francis is holding a personal vendetta against Brett Favre, or is he just an aged out jock angry because he could never accomplish what Favre has. What a jerk!
Can you please pass this along to Fran:
GO AWAY…YOUR TEAMMATES DON’T EVEN SPEAK TO YOU….
Thanks.
Read the rest HERE
A writer on Bleacher report when into more detail in his article, bringing out some interesting points:
In his three trips to Super Sunday, Tarkenton completed 46 of 89 passes—barely 50 percent—for 489 yards. It gets worse. He threw for one TD pass and SIX interceptions. His cumulative passer rating? A ghoulish 43.7.
And he has the gall to call Brett Favre out for crumbling under pressure?
Read the rest of that article HERE

By The Jazzy One on September 23rd, 2009

Minnesota Vikings Trivia
The First Viking to pass for 400 yards in a game was Fran Tarkenton. He threw for 407 yards against the San Fancisco 49ers on October 24, 1965
|
|