Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton comes in at number 91 on NFL Films' "The Top 100: NFL's Greatest Players" list produced in 2010. Subscribe to NFL Films: goo.gl/XJTggL
47,000 yards, 342 tds, he had all of the major passing records from Unitas until Marino and Fouts came along. Here is a guy I think should be a bit higher on this list.
Fran is seriously underrated. He made his passing numbers before the NFL opened up the passing game in the 70's and QB's were not a protected species like they are today.
His ability was unique! Frustrated many a defensive lineman, and there not be another like him. Deacon Jones said it best when he said Tarkenton had the best timing to avoid sacks and being hit. I would take Tarkenton over Brady!
If the Vikings had been in New York instead of Minnesota, every Viking on this list would be 20 spots higher. It's laughable that Kurt Warner, who only had 3 good seasons, is one spot above Tark.
3 super bowl appearance Purple People eater goal line defense and Tark. #91 is BS if you had the privilege to have watched him play those years their team was in the game. Russell Wilson keeps winning today similar fashion and it is fun to watch those big apes chase him all over the field.
Minnesota's offensive line, by contrast, was overrated. That's why Tarkenton so often had to run for his life to avoid a sack, and why the Vikings had practically no success running the ball in Super Bowls 8, 9 and 11. They were simply dominated at the line of scrimmage.
What's amazing about Tarkenton is that -- in addition to having an average throwing arm *at best* -- the vast majority of his record-setting completions, touchdowns and passing yards were accumulated *before* the pass-friendly rule changes that were instituted prior to the 1978 season (his final year in the league). Any NFL fan who's truly familiar with the history of the game knows darn well that neither Tom Brady nor Peyton Manning's career stats would be nearly as impressive as they are if either one had had to play in the pre-1978 era.
@@wvu05 Brady would be the goat in any era. His football IQ is just too high and his quick release and reading the defense pre snap would be too much to handle for less complex NFL offenses and defenses in the 70s and 80s
@@anthonyj.s.7266 You mean his "reading a defense" when his coach was sending in the play because he knew exactly what the defense was going to do? So much as breathe on Brady heavy and you get a flag. Gove him a little bit of contact, and he becomes average. The injury that ended his 2008 season was a fraction of what he would have gotten in those days.
@@anthonyj.s.7266 less complex defenses also mean less complex offenses. You can’t expect Brady to be going shotgun 4 wide every play like he does now. He would be a completely different player and would of been retired years ago. Just look at Brady the first half of his career when it was a defensive dominated league.
Some people look down on him because he didn't win the super bowl. But you have to take into account the fact that year in year out he was up against some of the greatest teams in NFL history (Knoll's Steelers, Madden's Raiders, Shula's Dolphins, and Landry's Cowboys) with arguably the least talented supporting cast among those teams. To retire as the league's most prolific passer, beyond even someone as iconic as Unitas is pretty damn special, and there's no way he should be ranked so low on this list.
This list is a joke. There's no way that Fran Tarkenton is only 91. He should be in the top 20. Tarkenton revolutionize the way the quarterback position was played with his innovations in QB mobility such as scrambling. When he retired, he held all NFL quarterback career passing and rushing records, and he held them for a long period of time after his retirement. He also played in three Super Bowl's. I think you guys are penalizing him too much for never winning the Super Bowl. After all, Dan Marino never won a Super Bowl, and you have him in the top 20.
Andy Hoskinson , I've never heard the argument for Tarkenton presented that way but it makes sense. I think he's penalized because the Vikings were dominated in the three SB losses.
Although I'm a 49ers fan, watching Fran Tarkenton highlights reminds me so much of watching Russell Wilson today. Really fun to watch both of them do the things they did/currently do.
@Dwight Love uhhh except tarkenton was a way better passer and Taysom hill is looking to scramble not use his legs to extend the play very much not the same
Fran Tarkenton is the reason I have been a Vikings fan since the early 70's. He is still the player that is the most fun to watch all these years later.
Anyone who says he shouldn't be on this list knows absolutely nothing about football, go watch some film and read up a bit cause he should be higher!!!!
Still my favorite QB ever, when I watch these old clips I see him doing things that I can't imagine any other QB doing. I believe he went the first 16 years of his career without a single injury, remarkable in a time when QBs are much less protected than today.
#91. No way. Top 25 player in NFL history. Played quarterback at ultra high level on the frozen tundra. Despite SuperBowl losses I wouldn't change a thing. I love Fran Tarkenton as Viking's quarterback. It just looks and feels right. My hero growing up even though he retired before I became a fan. And I lived in NJ. I wish he could have won a SuperBowl. History would remember him, Bud Grant, and the 70s Vikings more fondly.
If he played today, Fran would be at the top of the league. They'd actually call running plays for him, and he'd be a first down machine. With the QB-protecting, pro-passing rules today, he'd be a killer on the field.
Agree, he should be way higher. This guy was throwing for a ton of yards back when the NFL was not a passing game and the receivers were basically allowed to be beat up by the defense! That makes what he did even more impressive!
He said something that was very politically incorrect at one point, which he apologized for later, saying his ignorance came form being raised in the south during his time....I think this is why he has been marginalized....
I am originally from Texas, and the Dallas Cowboys are Gods in that state in the 70's. Everybody was routing for the Cowboys, America's team. Everyone but me. I loved Fran Tarkenton. I loved watching the Vikings. I wished I lived in Minnesota at the time so I could go see them in person. Never happened. Never the less, I enjoyed them on TV. While everyone was watching the Cowboys, I was in the other room watching the Vikings. Man o'l man, what a time to be a Vikings fan. Thank you Francis for the most enjoyable years of my life. That goes for the rest of the Vikings (Page/Marshall/Eller/Krause/Wright). All of them. They were special.
Not sure about that. He had plenty of talent around him. Although the defense wasn't the same and a bit long on the tooth. He did have Gilliam and Foreman, some of the most dangerous players in the league. On the o-line he had two future HOF'ers and arguably two others in Grady Alderman and Ed White. Not that anyone else did much, but truthfully Tarkenton was nothing short of horrid in the Superbowls.
According to Tarkenton he was healthy only for the MIami game. In that game he called his own numberber twice, resulting in one score. Now that you mention it , don't recall too much scrambling either. What is your theory, would like to read it. Thanks.
Dave Roller of the Packers was so fed up from always chasing Tarkenton and not being able to catch him so one time the play was over and Fran was standing on the side line and Roller tackled him and he was thrown out of the game. He said it was worth paying the fine to finally tackle him.
With all due respect; he was not underated, then. He is underated now. The man was fabulous. No question about it. All in all those Vikings teams just weren't the equivalent of the Cowboys, or especially the Steelers. Not Tarkington's fault that he came up against some of the greatest of all time. He was right there. No question.
Fran was insane to watch, born in 58 I saw all his great years. He should have raised that lombardi, he was that good. Most entertaining player ever, he ran for 200 yards in the backfield every game extending more plays than anyone to date.
As a young (22 years old) Minnesotan, I grew up hearing from my dad that Fran was one of the most underrated QBs ever and I’m finally getting around to watching his highlights. What I wouldn’t give to be alive during a Vikings team like this lmao
I never got to see him play in person because he was before my time, but I love watching reels of his scrambling and play-making. It is very entertaining, watching many of the best defensive linemen and linebackers of their time try and catch him. Russell Wilson is rather similar in how he avoids getting sacked. My favorite tactics to watch is when Tarkenton and Wilson rotate or use juke-like movements to throw defenders off balance to buy as much time as possible
I really wanna watch these old games with these legends. Just to see what it was like. highlights only show so much, so I would love to just watch and see how it was for people watching the whole game
I'm from Minnesota and I can't stand Amy Klobuchar's politics, but I actually enjoyed listening to her comments and knowledge about Tarkenton, lol. I actually think her and I could actually have a friendly conversation about the 70's Vikings 😊
I love to hear the stories of the ol players, I remember laying on the bed with my mom & dad on a Sunday afternoon & listening to the radio, football games & the Baseball games my folk were real sports fans. I grew up my dad had me out in the street catching the football or the baseball. When I got older I joined a girls baseball team & I also played volleyball. I think it's healthy for girls to play sports any kind just play.
Vike 4 life...tarkington, eller, page, Marshall, seiman, stu voigt, tingelhoff, blair, krause...thay all stayed and plyed most career one team in frozen conditions most underrated teams of all times 70s vikes
I bet he drove the coaching staff crazy when he scrambled like that!!!!! I was just s little kid back then but I remember him very well. Wasn’t he on a tv show called that’s incredible?
I wasn't even born when this guy was playing, but I remember seeing a video of him when I was a kid and it left a lasting impression: "the guy who did all the things you aren't supposed to do, and yet succeeded". Made you want to smile, or laugh, somehow. "the most imaginative quarterback ever to play the game" was the label the video put on him.
Fran Tarkenton WAS ONE of the greatest Vikings, to ever wear that plum purple helmet, with the white horn, on the side! Tarkenton's legacy HERE is sacred, there's NEVER going to be, another Fran Tarkenton! I was very lucky, to watch HIM play! Thank you Tark! Skol Vikings!
I wear a Tarkenton throwback jersey when I go to Vikings games. Even at an advanced age he could still scramble around like he was 20 years old. Shame that he didn't get to experience a Super Bowl win.
I'm always surprised Fran retired as the leading rusher among QBs. His scrambling was mostly about *extending the play* and finding the next passing lane, _not_ *running for the first down* and acting like an RB
Watching Mahomes, Wilson, and other modern day QBs is reminiscent of this man. Scrambling not to run but to create space and confusion. Truly a style of play before’s it’s time and his stats show.
Remember that back then, QB's were not a protected species like they are today. His rivals literally wanted to take him out of football for good. They just couldn't catch him. Also, DBs could hit WRs down field.
I just completed the most involved study ever done on the Hall of Fame quarterbacks. I compared each of them to the average quarterback of their era in 15 categories. Everything is in the study from team success to yards and touchdowns to what percentage of the offense was contributed by the QB all the way down to fumbles, interceptions, rushing, strength of schedule and 4th quarter comebacks and more. The scoring for each category is weighted appropriately according to importance. When compared to the average Qb this is how the top 11 of all time stack up. #11 Dan Marino 532.6 points /#10 Norm Van Brocklin 532.7 /#9 Dan Fouts 542.9 /#8 Tom Brady 560.2 /#7 Y.A. Tittle 565.5 /#6 Steve Young 575.4 /#5 Roger Staubach 593.2 /#4 Johnny Unitas 595.5 /#3 Drew Brees 601.6 /#2 Peyton Manning 634.3 /#1 Fran Tarkenton 663.8. A perfectly average QB from any era scores 236.8 Maybe the most amazing thing is that Tarkenton was on the worst team in football in 1961 before they improved drastically under his leadership for 6 years. Then was traded to the worst team in football in 1967 until they improved for 5 years before joining a team that could help him statistically. Noone ever tried harder to succeed in the NFL and if you look close enough his effort and intelligence brought him to the top.
@@amd1273 Quarterback is the most important position (next to head coach, anyway). Fran did things no other quarterback did, or could have done. He took a terrible Giants team that had gone 1-12-1 and made it go 7-7, then 9-5, with no other top notch football players on the team, and a head coach who was unsuccessful, except in letting Fran do his thing. Fran's turned the team into the number one rated offense in the league! Without the worst defensive line you ever saw, and only run of the mill running backs and receivers. He did it with his quick brain, his quick feet, and his accurate arm. The problem was, the Giants had the worst defense in the league, losing one game 72-48! Imagine putting 48 points on the board,a nd still losing by 24 points! After NY, Fran went back to Minnesota, and played for a coach that did not support his style, but he still led the aging team to three Super Bowls! They were never picked to win their division, and were the underdog in every playoof game they played, but they still won the division every year, and made it to three Super Bowls....No other player could have achieved thies things, with the possible exceptions of Joe Montana and john elway. Had Fran had a coach like bill Walsh, he would have won multiple Super Bowls. Fran had every passing record when he quit, and never missed a PLAY because of injury in 16 years...unheard of at the time, when QBs were not protected form late hits. The main reason his records were broken was that the season changed form a 14 game to a 16 game schedule. He is the single most influential player in football history. he changed the way the game was played by raising avoiding the rush to an art-form.
GOD I HATED THIS GUY when I was a kid lol the rams were one of my favorite teams and I would be screaming at the tv get him! why can't they get him! lol
Have you ever heard the interviews with Merlin Olsen and Deacon Jones regarding Tarkenton. You can still hear the frustration in Merlin Olsen's voice when talking about him. "We hated him. I mean we *hated* him. We would be working hard and that little guy [Tarkenton] would be running around back there ..." Deacon Jones unashamedly admitted that "We tried to hurt him." Tarkenton was a living nightmare for defensive linemen.
I like how she would go with her father to the games. Shows a certain closeness. Btw what’s the, “That’s Incredible” guy doing wearing a football uniform?
