11. Fran Tarkenton

11. Fran Tarkenton

Here's a name that doesn't get brought up enough when it comes to talking about who can slang the rock the best, Fran Tarkenton. Yes, Francis Asbury Tarkenton. What he was doing throughout the '70s is reminiscent of what a lot of quarterbacks are achieving today. Tarkenton was ahead of his time in regards to his style of play, accuracy, and willingness to make daring passes that always appeared to be right on target. After going to high school in Athens, Georgia and growing up a Bulldogs fan, Tarkenton got to live out a childhood dream of playing quarterback for the institution helping the Bulldogs secure a Southeastern Conference Championship while picking up two First-Team All-SEC honors.

After an impressive showing at the University of Georgia, Fran Tarkenton was selected 29th overall in the third round of the NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings and 34th overall in the fifth round of the AFL Draft by the Boston Patriots. Tarkenton decided to sign with the Vikings rather than the Patriots and became an instant impact player coming off the bench in his first game for a come-from-behind 37-13 victory over the Bears throwing 250 yards for four touchdowns. While Tarkenton became notorious for his insane stat lines, his team struggled as a brand new franchise only winning a total of ten games in his first three seasons with the Vikings. Tarkenton spent a brief tenure with the New York Giants from 1967-1972 before being traded back to the Vikings to finish out his career in 1979. While he was unable to win a championship, Tarkenton owned every major quarterback record by the time he retired, was a 9x Pro Bowler and took home, the NFL MVP Award in 1975.

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Did You Know...

I

Most of your favorite celebrities either studied acting in college or went straight from high school into a life of the arts. But, hey, not all of them. Some celebrities actually have advanced college degrees.

II

Turns out Mayim Bialik is just as much of a genius as the one she plays on The Big Bang Theory. She earned her Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of California, Los Angeles, focusing on obsessive compulsive disorder among people with Prader-Willi syndrome, a rare condition in which the hypothalamus malfunctions.

III

Little known fact: Natalie Portman skipped the premiere of Star Wars: Phantom Menace because she was studying for her high school exams. She had two papers published in scientific journals while she was still in high school, and graduated from Harvard University with a B.A. in Psychology.

IV

Before he was looking for answers on X-Files, David Duchovny was just trying to find the answers for English finals at Princeton University90. David graduated from Princeton in 1982 with a B.A in English. He continued to feed his love of literature by receiving a master’s degree in English Literature at Yale University. David was an excellent writer and poet. His work consistently received praise by his fellow classmates and teachers at Yale. His writing was even nominated for a college prize by the Academy of American Poets.

V

Sigourney Weaver graduated from Stanford University in 1971 with a bachelor’s in Literature. It was while studying at Stanford that Sigourney realized her true passion in life was to become an actress. Shortly after graduation, she attended Yale for their well-known drama program. She would go on to receive a master’s in Acting from Yale University and become friends with fellow famous actress Meryl Streep.

VI

Meryl Streep is considered one of the most successful actresses of all time. She is also one of the most highly educated. Before collecting an array of Oscars, Meryl collected diplomas. She graduated from Vassar College with a B.A. in 1971. Meryl has a habit of being unsatisfied with impressive accomplishments as her acting career has shown, so she attended Yale University and earned a master’s degree in Acting.

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