Former Vikings QB Joe Kapp Passes Away at Age 85
Josh Frey
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The Minnesota Vikings have had a number of great players come through their franchise over the course of their 63-year history. One of the few greats that played the quarterback position in Minnesota is Joe Kapp, and on Tuesday morning, news broke that the former Vikings QB passed away at the age of 85. The cause of death is unknown at this time, but he has battled Alzheimer’s for multiple years.
Kapp’s tenure in Minnesota may not have been long, playing only three seasons with the Vikings from 1967-69, but it was far from insignificant.
The quarterback spent his three-year collegiate career at the University of California where he passed for a total of 1896 yards, 7 TDs, and 28 INTs. Kapp also rushed for 934 yards and 5 TDs. In 1958, his 1231 total yards (combined passing and rushing totals), led the PCC and was fifth in the entire NCAA. Kapp was named an All-American for his efforts during that season and led the Golden Bears to a PCC title and Rose Bowl appearance.
Kapp was selected in the 18th round of the 1959 NFL Draft by Washington, but after he was unable to agree to a contract with the team, he went to the CFL, playing for the Calgary Stampeders during his rookie season of 1959. In all, he spent eight years in the CFL, spending time with Calgary as well as the BC Lions.
In 1967, during the same year that legendary coach Bud Grant took over the head coaching gig after his own CFL tenure, Kapp began his career with the Minnesota Vikings, playing 13 games and completing 47.7% of his passes for 8 TDs and 17 INTs. The Vikings went 3-5-3 in the 11 games that he started during that season. Kapp served as the replacement for Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton, who was traded during the offseason.
1968 saw Kapp officially take on the full-time starting QB role for the Vikings as he started all 14 games, helping lead the Vikings to an 8-6 record and a playoff berth. This was Minnesota’s first ever playoff appearance and just the second winning season in franchise history.
Then, 1969 saw an even bigger leap forward for both Kapp and the Vikings. Not only were we in the early stages of the Purple People Eaters defense (allowing just 9.5 points per game in 1969, ranking first the NFL), but they also scored 27.1 points per game, which led the league.
Kapp played a huge role in this offensive outburst for the Vikings, passing for 1726 yards, 19 TDs, and 13 INTs. He finished second in the MVP race with the Vikings going 12-1 in the 13 games he started that season.
Minnesota would cruise all the way to the Super Bowl, but in Super Bowl IV, the Vikings fell to the Kansas City Chiefs by a score of 23-7. During that game, Kapp passed for 183 yards and had 2 INTs.
Kapp left the Vikings in 1970, signing a contract with the Boston Patriots, but following that 1970 season, the NFL decided that his four-year deal with Boston was invalid, and that he would have to sign a new deal. No new deal was made, and Kapp would never play another NFL snap.
Years later, Kapp filed an antitrust lawsuit because of how everything ended with his NFL career, and while he won the case, he was not awarded any damages.
In his years after the NFL, Kapp found a niche in the acting community, including a role in the original The Longest Yard film. He plays the role of ‘Walking Boss’ in the film. He also coached five years at Cal from 1982-86.
Kapp’s son, J.J., confirmed his father’s death in an email to the San Francisco Chronicle and also confirmed Joe’s brain would be studied by UC San Francisco to see if he had been suffering from CTE.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.