May 09, 2023

Joe Kapp, former quarterback and head coach, dies at 85: Football's most interesting man, Joe Kapp, the only QB to lead a team to the Rose Bowl, Grey Cup, and Super Bowl has died after a *15 year* battle with Alzheimers. (more inside)

posted by NoMich to football at 09:32 AM - 3 comments

Some of the man's highlights include:

quarterbacking Cal to its (up til now) last Rose Bowl appearance
quarterbacking the BC Lions to two Grey Cups
quarterbacking the Minnesota Vikings to it's first Super Bowl
acting/producing The Six Million Dollar Man and the original The Longest Yard
coaching Cal during the infamous game against Stanford where the Bears had to contend with the Stanford band that was on the field during the winning play
suing the NFL in an antitrust suit
fighting for farm workers' rights with Cesar Chavez

posted by NoMich at 09:34 AM on May 09, 2023

Great tally up NoMich, thanks.

Joe Kapp was also the first ball carrier I saw hurdle a tackler. I think it was in a playoff game, not the Super Bowl.

Now, you see players hurdle over opponents all the time, but back then, it was a big deal.

Plus Joe wasn't the most athletic guy, so it was seen as mostly drive, desire, and improv rather than vertical leap ability.

Some of the wobblers that Joe threw at old Metropolitan Stadium looked like they would freeze solid in the arctic air before they came down.

I always liked that stoic, stalwart Bud Grant employed inventive unpredictables like Kapp and Tarkenton at QB.

posted by beaverboard at 11:41 AM on May 09, 2023

And a damn fine skirmish with Angie Mosca!

posted by tommybiden at 03:27 PM on May 09, 2023

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