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.
When we think of inventors, the image that comes to mind is usually that of a frazzled scientist toiling away in a lab, not celebrities pulled from the pages of Us Weekly. However, a number of well-known public figures hold patents for various innovations. Some are related to the work that made them famous, while others are offshoots of hobbies or just a single great idea.
Part of guitar wizard Eddie Van Halen's signature sound was his two-handed tapping technique, but letting all ten fingers fly while simultaneously holding up the guitar's neck could get a bit tricky. Van Halen came up with a novel way to get around this problem, though; he invented a support (top) that could flip out of the back of his axe's body to raise and stabilize the fretboard so he could tap out searing songs like "Eruption." While Van Halen was obviously interested in improving his guitar work, the patent application he filed in 1985 notes that the device would work with any stringed instrument. Want to tap out a scorching mandolin solo? Find someone selling Eddie's device.
It’s probably not surprising that James Cameron—who designed a submersible to take him to the deepest known part of the ocean—will often invent technology to make his films if what he needs doesn’t exist. He holds a number of patents, including US Patent No. 4996938, “apparatus for propelling a user in an underwater environment,” that he and his brother, Michael, created to film The Abyss and patented in 1989. The device is basically an underwater dolly equipped with propellers that makes it easy for a camera operator to maneuver in the water—and allowed Cameron to capture the shots he wanted for the 1989 film, part of which was filmed in an abandoned nuclear reactor.
In 1987 Jamie Lee Curtis designed and patented a disposable diaper that included a waterproof pocket that held baby wipes. She hasn't profited from her idea yet, though, since she refuses to license the patent until diaper companies make biodegradable products.
You know him as a rock legend, but Neil Young also loves trains—so much that he owns a stake in a model train manufacturing company and has an extensive collection. He also holds seven patents related to model trains, including Patent No. US5441223, "Model train controller using electromagnetic field between track and ground."