I’m Vikings QB who made three Super Bowls, invested in Apple, and turned $1m career NFL earnings into $300m business empire
The Minnesota Vikings haven't had a true franchise quarterback since the days of Fran Tarkenton.
Former Michigan Wolverines QB J.J. McCarthy could be that guy in the future, but for now Vikings fans will have to wait as the No. 10 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft rehabs from a full meniscus repair.
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Even when McCarthy returns he'd have to have some career to match what Tarkenton achieved in the purple, white and gold.
Tarkenton was selected in the third round (29th) of the 1961 NFL Draft by the expansion Vikings after a stellar college football with the Georgia Bulldogs.
The Virginia native is attributed with reinventing the quarterback position as the league's first 'scrambler' due to his hectic and creative scrambling style that contrasted with the normal stationary pocket passes.
Tarkenton even became known as 'the Scrambler' because of his penchant for zigzagging and running in circles behind the line of scrimmage before moving the ball downfield.
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'"I scramble because I’m good at it, because I can twist and dodge those big pass rushers better than most guys, and we get a lot of touchdowns that way," he once .
He was an instant star quarterback and led the Vikings to three Super Bowls (VIII, IX, XI), but could never get them over the hump as they lost on all three occasions.
Tarkenton played in Minnesota for six seasons from 1961 to 1966 before being traded to the New York Giants for five seasons. The scrambling signal caller was then traded back to Minnesota for his last seven seasons from 1972 to 1978.
During his career, Tarkenton played in nine Pro Bowls and was named All-NFL four times. He was named the MVP of the NFL and Offensive Player of the Year in 1975.
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After 18 iconic years he decided to walk away from the sport.
At the time of his retirement, Tarkenton held the all-time NFL record for attempts (6,467), completions (3,686), passing yards (47,003), rushing yards (3,674) and TD passes (342).
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He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1986 and the Vikings Ring of Honor on 1998.
Interestingly, it wasn’t Tarkenton’s footballing career that made him rich.
He 'only' earned $1 million during his playing career but became super wealthy through his separate business ventures.
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When he was in college, Tarkenton was the number one salesman in the state for the Franklin Life Insurance Company. During his offseasons with the Vikings, he worked for a regional trucking company in the Upper Midwest.
Upon retirement, he got involved in computer software and launched Tarkenton Software, a computer-program generator company.
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He began touring the United States promoting 'CASE' (computer-aided software engineering) with Albert F. Case, Jr. of Nastec Corporation.
Tarkenton ultimately merged his software firm with James Martin's KnowledgeWare, of which Tarkenton was president until selling the company to Sterling Software in 1994.
The 84-year-old has spent over 50 years as an entrepreneur, and built more than 20 successful companies across varies industries including education, restaurants, management consulting, technology, and more.
He operates an annuity marketing firm called Tarkenton Financial, GoSmallBiz, a small-business consulting website, and Tarkenton Teleconferencing.
He's also written several books and reportedly owns more than $100 million worth of Apple stock and $15 million worth of real estate.
According to , Tarkenton is worth an estimated $300 million.
Not bad for someone who also happens to be one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.
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The Vikings wrapped up their 2024 preseason with a 26-3 win against the Philadelphia Eagles.
It caps off a 3-0 exhibition slate after wins against the Cleveland Browns and Las Vegas Raiders.
The Vikings have a lot to be excited about ahead of the upcoming season. However, they undoubtedly suffered a setback when McCarthy was ruled out for the entirety of his rookie season.
The 21-year-old has the unfortunate distinction of being the first rookie quarterback since the common draft began in 1967 to be selected in the first round and miss his entire rookie season because of an injury.
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Veteran QB Sam Darnold was already set to be the Vikings' Week 1 starter and now that's a certainty with McCarthy sidelined.
Minnesota kick off their season against the New York Giants on September 8.
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