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Fran Tarkenton gives younger NFL QBs a reminder: LOOK

On3 imageby:Wes Blankenship•02/25/23
Minnesota Vikings
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - CIRCA 1970's: Fran Tarkenton #10 of the Minnesota Vikings sits on his helmet on the sidelines during a mid circa 1970's NFL football game at Metropolitan Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Tarkenton played for the Vikings from 1972-78. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

Fran Tarkenton brought a lot to the table as a quarterback. He could throw, of course. But what set him apart in his era was the work he did with his feet.

The former Georgia football quarterback and Pro Football Hall-of-Famer played a career worth remembering.

It’s easy for the players and fans of today to forget about players like Tarkenton. The 1960’s and 70’s in the NFL are practically ancient sporting history.

So Fran Tarkenton himself took to social media to let the modern era of NFL quarterbacks know all about it.

“I invented scrambling,” a tweet from Tarkenton’s account said.

“The two best quarterbacks this year played against each other in the Super Bowl. They’re both scramblers, and that started with me!”

Whether or not Tarkenton himself tweeted it isn’t clear

Obviously, an individual like Fran Tarkenton could have a handler sending his tweets out for him.

Maybe he took it upon himself to let people know that he was running around and throwing bombs like Patrick Mahomes and Jalen Hurts decades before they did it. Maybe it was a personal assistant.

Either way, if you’ve ever met Tarkenton or heard him talk, then you know that the spirit of this message at the very least tracks with his persona.

He does not lack an ego and pride for his work.

He passed for 47,003 yards and 342 touchdowns in the pros, playing for the Minnesota Vikings and the New York football Giants.

Tarkenton also rushed for 3,674 yards and 32 touchdowns on 675 carries.

As the TikTok video his account shared notes, “This QB revolutionized the position forever. He literally invented scrambling. His name is Fran Tarkenton. And he was the most electric player of the 70’s.”

It’s on TikTok, so it’s gotta be true, right?

Fran Tarkenton’s Georgia legacy

Of course, Tarkenton did’t ‘invent’ scrambling in the NFL without a little practice Between the Hedges.

Scramblin’ Fran played for head coach Wally Butts from 1958-1960 after his time on the freshman team and a career at Athens High School.

If his style of play changed the game in the pros, I can only imagine what it looked like as a College Football quarterback confounding SEC defenses.

Tarkenton and the Dawgs won the Southeastern Conference title in 1959. He also picked up All-SEC Sophomore honors in 1958, before he made the first-team All-SEC squads in 1959 and 1960.

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