Former Minnesota Vikings QB Joe Kapp has passed away on Monday at the age of 85, per a report from the Associated Press. He had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for some time.
Kapp was the replacement for legendary QB Fran Tarkenton. Kapp also led the Vikings to the team’s first Super Bowl before losing to the Kansas City Chiefs.
In his college football career, Kapp was well-known for his days with the California Golden Bears. He played three years for Cal, throwing for 1,896 yards with seven touchdowns and 28 interceptions.
Kapp led Cal to the Pacific Coast Conference championship in 1958 and onto the Rose Bowl. The Golden Bears lost to Iowa in the 1959 game . It was their last appearance in the Rose Bowl.
Kapp later became the head coach of the Golden Bears from 1982-1986, compiling a 20-34-1 record. But, the most notable game Kapp coached was “The Play,” the infamous game against Stanford.
Kapp spent three seasons with the Vikings and signed with the Boston Patriots in 1970 after Minnesota didn’t offer him a new contract.
NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle declared the four-year contract Kapp signed with the Patriots was invalid. Rozelle ruled Kapp had to sign a revised contract to continue in the NFL, and Kapp never played again.
He finished his NFL career with a 24-21-3 record as a starter. He threw for 5,911 yards, with 40 touchdowns and 64 interceptions.
Joe Kapp also won the Grey Cup in the CFL during the 1964 season with the BC Lions, so his run of a Rose Bowl, Super Bowl, and a Grey Cup trip is unheralded.
Kapp’s son said his father’s brain will be studied at UC San Francisco to determine whether Kapp had CTE.
Joe Kapp of the Minnesota Vikings. Photo courtsey of The New York Post – Getty Images
