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Joe Kapp Won't Be Down

64BEL

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R.I.P. to one tough son of a gun who made watching football enjoyable in the golden era.

Joe Kapp, former Vikings star QB who led team to Super Bowl, dead at 85

Joe Kapp, former Vikings star QB who led team to Super Bowl, dead at 85​

Kapp was named one of the 50 greatest Vikings players​


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Joe Kapp, a one-time Pro Bowl quarterback who led the Minnesota Vikings to an NFL Championship and Super Bowl appearance during the 1969 season, has died. He was 85.
Kapp had suffered from Alzheimer’s disease these last few years. Kapp’s son, J.J., told The San Francisco Chronicle late Monday night that his father had died "after a 15-year battle with dementia."
The Santa Fe, New Mexico, native was a standout player at Cal. He led the Golden Bears to a Rose Bowl during the 1958 season. He had 649 passing yards and two touchdown passes that season. It remains Cal’s last Rose Bowl appearance in the program’s history.


Joe-Kapp.jpg

California Golden Bears head coach Joe Kapp watches warmups before an NCAA Pacific-10 football game against the UCLA Bruins played on Oct. 23, 1982 at Memorial Stadium on the campus of the University of California in Berkeley, California. (David Madison/Getty Images)
Kapp was initially selected by the then-Washington Redskins in the 18th round of the 1959 NFL Draft but never played for the organization. He started his professional career in the Canadian Football League with the Calgary Stampeders and later the B.C. Lions. He helped the Lions to their first Grey Cup title in 1964. He was also a two-time CFL All-Star before he made the jump to the NFL.
Jim Finks, who brought Kapp to the CFL in the first place, was the general manager of the Minnesota Vikings in 1967.
Kapp would have his best season with Minnesota in 1969. He was 12-1 and finished second in NFL MVP voting to Los Angeles Rams quarterback Roman Gabriel. Kapp had 1,726 passing yards and 19 touchdown passes during the year. He earned his first and only Pro Bowl appearance.

Joe-Kapp2.jpg

Joe Kapp, #11 of the Minnesota Vikings, throws a ball to a teammate during Super Bowl IV against the Kansas City Chiefs at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans Jan. 11, 1970. (Focus On Sport/Getty Images)
Kapp led the Vikings to playoff wins over the Rams and an NFL Championship win over the Cleveland Browns. The team would lose Super Bowl IV to the Kansas City Chiefs 23-7.
He was not offered a contract for the 1970 season. The Boston Patriots would sign him and make him the highest-paid player in the league. However, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle made the Patriots give up draft compensation to the Vikings for Kapp. After a poor year in 1970, Kapp was asked to sign a standard contract but refused. His situation would later become part of a settlement between the NFL and the NFL Players Association.

He finished his NFL career with 5,911 passing yards and 40 touchdown passes. He was later named one of the 50 greatest Vikings players in the organization’s history.
Kapp would return to college in 1982 to coach California. He was 20-34-1 in five seasons. He was later the general manager of the Lions and the head coach of Arena Football’s Sacramento Attack.
Joe-Kapp3.jpg

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joe Kapp, #11, is tackled by Al Brenner #48 of the New York Giants during an NFL football game at Yankee Stadium Sept. 21, 1969 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (ocus on Sport/Getty Images)
Kapp also had minor roles on the silver screen. He made appearances in "The Six Million Dollar Man," "The Longest Yard" and "The Frisco Kid" among other roles.
 
RIP Joe

Mainly before my era, he was a Great former Univ. of California Pac-8 QB,
before it went woke
He went on to the NFL, with great success
I remember some of it, I was a youngster
but he was 'big dude' for a QB back then

he did that Burt Reynolds flick too, I liked him in too

didn't he also do some of them funny 'Miller Light' commercials too ?
(with Madden & a bunch of other HOF-ers)

as a young kid, my 2 favorite teams were, the Raiders & Vikings

sad day for Vikings Nation
you have my heartfelt sympathy
 
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He was the guard named Walking Boss in the Longest Yard.

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He was a badass even as an old guy.

 
I love me some Joe Kapp. When I was still in grade school I adopted the Vikings as 'my' team. All my friends, my big brother and all his friends were high on the 49ers and the Packers. I guess I've never been a herd animal and decided to support a different team. I probably picked the Vikings because they were purple, but I remember Joe Kapp and running back Dave Osborn and the Purple People Eaters with Carl Eller and Alan Page. Those guys were all badass! RIP Joe.
 
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A VIKINGS Fan ( SKOL VIKINGS!!! ) since 1964 when I was a kid, I LOVED Joe Kapp….
Heartbroken when we traded Fran Tarkenton away, it was easy to Love Joe Kapp because he was a Bull in a China shop….
My first two Vikings jerseys were a # 10 Fran Tarkenton and a # 11 Joe Kapp !!! I now have over 100
Vikings jerseys —- but only 4 live now — Home and Away # 22 Harrison Smith , and Home and Away
# 18 Justin Jefferson —- the greatest receiver in the N F L today….

R I P, Joe Kapp…. Luv’ ya…. Craig….
 
Rest in Peace!
 
Running Backs # 41 Dave Osborne and
# 30 Bill Brown , with the Crew Cut !!!

The Purple People Eaters :
# 81 Carl Eller , # 88 Alan Page, # 70 Jim Marshall, and
# 77 Gary Larson, and when Larson retired,
# 69 Doug Sutherland….

Loved those days —- every year we were 12 - 2, would give up less than 140 total points in those 14 game seasons,
And my best friend was a Rams fan, and we ALWAYS beat the snot out of them in the playoffs !!!
 
For the old time Vikings fans (of which I am one) the NFL Films show "The Missing Rings", it's great stuff about the '69 Vikings. The NFL Films Super Bowl Highlights show for Super Bowl IV is also great old Vikings footage - even in a losing effort.




 
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64BEL,
You are from Wisconsin--- and you are a VIKINGS fan !!! GREAT, glad to have you aboard !!!
I would expect you to be a Fudge Packer fan --- living in Fudge Packer land .....

I am hoping that the Fudgies beat the Lions and Bears twice each --- and go 4 - 13 this upcoming year....
I would really enjoy 0 - 17 immensely, but I don't want them getting the 1st pick in the draft !!!

SKOL VIKINGS!!! I WILL BLEED PURPLE FOREVER !!!
Yours, Craig....
 
My two favorite teams are the VIKINGS and whomever are playing the Fudge Packers that week.....
 
Joe Capp - Better known as “Indian Joe“ back in the day. Joe was one ornery badass dude on the gridiron. Little know fact is that Joe and the Vikings were very heavy favorites going up against the Chiefs in that Super Bowl. Something crazy like 2 touchdowns. Instead they got whooped by 2 TDs. The Vikes were the real deal throughout the late 60’s and 70’s. They have a lot of hardware just no Lombardis u fortunately. Just one in my lifetime I/we all hope……
 
Does anyone remember when QBs started sliding? It wasn't 1969 and it definitely wasn't Joe!
 
64BEL,
You are from Wisconsin--- and you are a VIKINGS fan !!! GREAT, glad to have you aboard !!!
I would expect you to be a Fudge Packer fan --- living in Fudge Packer land .....
Actually, I'm an old time Vikings fan. When my family lived in upstate NY in the '60s, I was a Jets and Chiefs fan. We moved to Omaha in '73. No pro team in Nebraska, so we got all the Vikings games on TV. My best friend was a diehard Vikings fan, so I became one, too. Plus, they were one of the best teams in the NFL during that time. I wore #88 as a lineman in junior high in honor of Alan Page. In '78, we moved to Wisconsin. The Packers really sucked back then and were mismanaged, so I remained a Vikings fan. In '92, the Packers hired Ron Wolf and Mike Holmgren, and with their last pick (17th) in the draft, they took my wife's cousin (a linebacker). He made the team. So, now I had an interest in the Packers, and we went to a lot of games because my wife's cousin didn't have any other family in WI to give his tickets to. I was converted to the Packers at that point, and they went on to have a lot of great years. Several years ago I became more and more disinterested in most sports (except for hockey) as the players have become so nauseating to watch. 2020 put the final nail in the coffin for me with all the BLM crap. I am not a fan of any team and don't watch any sports anymore. So there you have it. I am still a big fan of the old NFL films stuff, though.
 
I am still a big fan of the old NFL films stuff, though.
Me too. I still peek at a game here and there but nothing is like the old days....and that's how I'll always remember NFL football.

"They're killing me, whitey..they're killing me!"
"C'mon stop somebody once!"
"65 toss power trap yeeeah! 65 toss power trap!hahahah"
"Madden's on the field...he wants to know if it's real! They say yes it is, get your big butt outta here! He does!"

And a personal favorite, "...the upstart 49ers are six yards away from Pontiac..3rd and 3...Montana..looking, looking....throwing in the end zone...Clark caught it! Dwight Clark!... It's a madhouse at Candlestick!!"...

Kapp was before my time...but RIP ol' Joe
 
One of my favorites

 
Actually, I'm an old time Vikings fan. When my family lived in upstate NY in the '60s, I was a Jets and Chiefs fan. We moved to Omaha in '73. No pro team in Nebraska, so we got all the Vikings games on TV. My best friend was a diehard Vikings fan, so I became one, too. Plus, they were one of the best teams in the NFL during that time. I wore #88 as a lineman in junior high in honor of Alan Page. In '78, we moved to Wisconsin. The Packers really sucked back then and were mismanaged, so I remained a Vikings fan. In '92, the Packers hired Ron Wolf and Mike Holmgren, and with their last pick (17th) in the draft, they took my wife's cousin (a linebacker). He made the team. So, now I had an interest in the Packers, and we went to a lot of games because my wife's cousin didn't have any other family in WI to give his tickets to. I was converted to the Packers at that point, and they went on to have a lot of great years. Several years ago I became more and more disinterested in most sports (except for hockey) as the players have become so nauseating to watch. 2020 put the final nail in the coffin for me with all the BLM crap. I am not a fan of any team and don't watch any sports anymore. So there you have it. I am still a big fan of the old NFL films stuff, though.
Couldn’t agree more with all the racist propaganda and blm bs. The NFL is the only Sport I watch and that only because I’m an addict. I boycotted for a couple of years and then caved.
 
Kapp was a boss. My favorite picture of the vikings is on the cover of sports illustrated where the vikings defense was swarming altie taylor of the detroit lions. I bet greg landry still feels that hit by karl kassulke. Football was great then, outdoor stadiums, mud, a little blood on the uniforms, now they play in domes with usfl uniforms, and they are just a bunch of ballerina's
 
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