Joe Kapp, the quarterback who guided the Vikings to their first Super Bowl berth, has died at the age of 85.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Joe Kapp, the Minnesota Vikings’ first Super Bowl appearance quarterback, has died.
Kapp’s death was announced by the Vikings on Tuesday. He was 85 years old at the time. According to his obituary, his “long battle with dementia has come to an end.”
“Men like Joe Kapp are the foundations upon which the Minnesota Vikings franchise was built,” remarked team owner Mark Wilf. “Joe’s toughness and competitive spirit defined the Vikings teams of his era, and his tenacity and leadership were admired by both teammates and opponents.” We mourn Joe’s passing alongside his family, friends, and Vikings fans all over the world.”
Kapp has a 23-12-3 record in three seasons with the Vikings. He led the Vikings to Super Bowl IV, where they were defeated 23-7 by the Kansas City Chiefs.
Kapp is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame as well as the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. He attended the University of California, Berkeley, and led his team to the Rose Bowl following the 1958 season. Kapp also won a Grey Cup with the BC Lions in 1964, the Canadian counterpart of the Super Bowl.
He made the jump to the NFL in 1967 at the age of 29, starting 11 games for the Vikings and going 3-5-3 with 8 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. His best season with the team ended in the aforementioned Super Bowl loss. That year, Kapp lost just one regular season game as a starter and threw for 19 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
“Joe is one of my favorite teammates of all time and a great friend. All Joe wanted to do was win,” running back Dave Osborn, who played with the Vikings from 1965-1975, said. “It didn’t matter to him if he gained one yard or completed one pass, all he cared about was winning and what was best for the team. I’ll miss him.
Kapp is tied for the single-game passing touchdowns record. In 1969 against the Baltimore Colts, Kapp threw 7 touchdowns on only 28 completions in a 52-14 victory.
Kapp ended his playing career with the Boston Patriots. His post-NFL career included a lengthy acting résumé, with appearances on “The Six Million Dollar Man,” the film “The Longest Yard” and more. Kapp also coached at his alma mater.
“Everybody loved Joe Kapp,” Hall of Fame Vikings safety Paul Krause said. “He was a great leader, a great friend and he really held our team together. He was a guy who liked to have fun and win football games and that’s what counted. I respected him for his love of the game and love for his teammates. We lost a good friend.”
