Joe Kapp, the vintage Vikings quarterback who led Minnesota to its first Super Bowl berth, has died after a 15-year battle with dementia.
His family confirmed his death via the San Francisco Chronicle. He was 85.
Old-time Vikings fans might remember that Kapp led a most unconventional NFL career. He gained entry into the NFL in 1967, but only after enjoying an incredible career north of the border in the Canadian Football League. In the CFL, Kapp led two different teams to the playoffs. His biggest achievement was when he quarterbacked the B.C. Lions to a Grey Cup victory.
Kapp finally was ready for the NFL. But he started playing for the Vikings only because of a rare CFL and NFL trade. First, three AFL teams pursued Kapp — the Raiders, Chargers and Houston Oilers. But he decided on the Vikings. It required some wheeling and dealing with two CFL teams.
Joe Kapp was the kind of quarterback who loved to run the ball. He welcomed the contact. On one play, he knocked out a Cleveland Browns linebacker. And thanks to his hard-nosed style of play, the Vikings earned a spot in the playoffs for the first time in team history. That was in 1968. Then in 1969, Kapp and the Vikings earned a spot in the Super Bowl, losing to the Kansas City Chiefs.
Sports Illustrated put Kapp on its cover, dubbing him as the “Toughest Chicano.” (Kapp’s mother was Hispanic).
He earned team MVP honors. But Joe Kapp turned down the trophy and probably made himself even more popular. “There is no one most valuable Viking,” Kapp said at the team’s awards banquet. “Just 40 most valuable Vikings.” He’d coined the phrase 40 for 60. That meant the 40 players battling the entire 60 minutes of the game.
Check out some Joe Kapp highlights, then read on for even more on this unconventional NFL star.
Kapp played only three seasons with the Vikings. His contract had expired, but no other team wanted to sign him. Finally, he earned a spot on the Boston Patriots. The next year, the team drafted Jim Plunkett with the top pick. Kapp refused to sign his contract, then left. He filed an anti-trust suit against the NFL. It took four years, but he won a summary judgment against the league. However, he never played again.
Joe Kapp dabbled in acting, making appearances in some classic 1970s-era TV series including The Six Million Dollar Man, Ironside, Adam 12, Emergency! and Medical Center. He also had roles in two of the best-ever movies about sports — The Longest Yard and Semi-Tough.
He moved onto coaching and football admin work. Kapp coached his Cal Bears, the team that helped launch his football career. And he returned to the CFL, working as the GM of the BC Lions.
Joe Kapp and his wife had four children and four grandchildren.
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