Joe Kapp, the hard-nosed quarterback who routinely ran into tacklers instead of away from them while leading the Minnesota Vikings to their first Super Bowl and California to its last Rose Bowl, has died. He was 85.
Cal confirmed that Kapp died on Monday. He had suffered from Alzheimer's disease for the last 15 years and was residing in an assisted living facility, his son J.J. Kapp said.
After a stellar collegiate career at Cal that was capped by an appearance in the 1959 Rose Bowl, Kapp went on to star in Canada before making it to the NFL. He took over for Fran Tarkenton in Minnesota and led the Vikings to a Super Bowl appearance in the 1969 season before losing to Kansas City.
Kapp is the only quarterback to lead his team to a Rose Bowl, Grey Cup and Super Bowl. He still holds a share of the NFL single-game record with seven touchdown passes, in a 1969 win over Baltimore.
After his playing career, Kapp later coached his alma mater for five seasons and was on the sideline for one of the most memorable plays in school history when the Golden Bears returned a kickoff with five laterals to beat rival Stanford on the final play in 1982, scoring the touchdown with the Cardinal band on the field.
Kapp spent his first eight seasons in the CFL with Calgary and the BC Lions. He took the Stampeders to the playoffs in his second season and led the Lions to back-to-back Grey Cup appearances, winning it all in his second try in 1964.
Kapp helped the Vikings make the playoffs before losing to Baltimore in 1968 and then threw 19 TD passes and led Minnesota to a 12-2 record the following year when he finished second in MVP voting.
At Cal, Kapp helped lead the school to the Pacific Coast Conference title in 1958 and the accompanying trip to the Rose Bowl, where the Bears lost to Iowa. He also played basketball at Cal.
FILE - Joe Kapp of Minnesota Vikings, left, and Chicago Bears running back Gale Sayers receive honors at the Wisconsin Football Writers Association dinner in Milwaukee, Feb. 15, 1970. Sayers was named Comeback Player of the Year and Kapp received the Vince Lombardi award at the event. Kapp, the tough quarterback who led the Minnesota Vikings to their first Super Bowl and California to its last Rose Bowl, has died. He was 85. Cal confirmed that Kapp died on Monday, May 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Paul Shane, File)
FILE - Joe Kapp, quarterback for California 1956-58, talks about his experiences in college and pro football during an interview Aug. 13, 2005, at the College Football Hall of Fame in South Bend, Ind. Kapp, the tough quarterback who led the Minnesota Vikings to their first Super Bowl and California to its last Rose Bowl, has died. He was 85. Cal confirmed that Kapp died on Monday, May 8, 2023. (AP Photo/Joe Raymond, File)