Jerry Tagge

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Jerry Lee Tagge (born April 12, 1950) is a former football quarterback.

As the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers' quarterback, he led his team to national titles in 1970 and 1971, was named Orange Bowl Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1971 and 1972 and shared honors as Hula Bowl MVP with Walt Patulski of Notre Dame. Additionally, Tagge was an All-American in 1971 and is a member of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Hall of Fame.

At Nebraska, Tagge threw for 5,071 yards, completing 377 of 637 passes, 32 for touchdowns. He was a first-round draft choice, 11th overall, of the Green Bay Packers in 1972.

After three NFL seasons with the Green Bay Packers, and one year with San Antonio Wings of the World Football League, Tagge completed his career with the British Columbia Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL).

In three years with the Pack, Tagge played 17 games completing 136 of 281 passes for 1583 yards and only 3 TDs and 17 interceptions. In 1977 he moved north to Canada, where he was named a CFL all-star and winner of the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy and runner-up for the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award. In 1977, he completed 232 of 405 passes for 2787 yards, and in 1978, he hit on 243 of 430 passes for 3134 yards. He played part of the 1979 season before injuries forced him to retire.

As a professional quarterback, Tagge had 718 completions in 1,304 attempts for 9,277 yards and 38 TDs.

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[edit] Early life

Jerry Tagge was born at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska, the third child and second son of William Robert (Billy) Tagge and Lois Jurczyk Tagge. The elder Tagge served in the U.S. Naval Air Corps during World War II and the Korean War. After Jerry was born, the family moved to Green Bay, Wisconsin.

As a teenager, Jerry attended Green Bay West High School and sold concessions at Lambeau Field, the home of the Green Bay Packers.

[edit] College career

A member of the Theta Xi Fraternity at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Tagge began his college career as one of 13 quarterback candidates. In his freshman year, he was the third-string quarterback. Disappointed by his performance and considering himself slow when he reviewed the game films, he considered quitting the team but was encouraged to stick it out by his high school coach.

Tagge also found a supporter in Tom Osborne, then the offensive coordinator at Nebraska. Osborne championed his skills to Head Coach Bob Devaney, who Tagge believed favored Van Brownson, and taught him the value of preparation, a lesson he would carry throughout the rest of his football career and beyond.

In his sophomore year, Tagge rose to second-string quarterback behind Brownson. His playing time increased until he was playing the majority of the game, and midway through his junior year, he took over the starting position from Brownson, leading the team to a 10-0-1 season and a matchup with Louisiana State in the 1971 Orange Bowl. Tagge scored the game-winning touchdown in a 17-12 victory over the Tigers on a quarterback sneak, earning himself Most Valuable Player honors.

In his senior season, Tagge quarterbacked the Huskers for the entire game during the "Game of the Century" against the University of Oklahoma in Norman, captaining the game-winning drive in a 35-31 victory. (Nebraska entered the game ranked #1 and Oklahoma entered ranked #2, ranks they would retain at the end of the season.) Nebraska would go on to soundly defeat the University of Alabama 38-6 in the 1972 Orange Bowl, earning Tagge MVP honors for the second time. He would go on to play in the Hula Bowl, leading the North to a 24-7 win over the South.

[edit] Pro career

Tagge's performance earned the notice of Dan Devine, head coach of the Green Bay Packers who had previously been head coach at the University of Missouri, one of Nebraska's Big Eight Conference opponents. On his recommendation, the Packers drafted Tagge in the first round; however, Tagge would not enjoy the success in his hometown that he had at Nebraska, completing only three touchdown passes in 17 games played during three seasons from 1972-74.

Tagge left the NFL for the San Antonio Wings of the World Football League. Playing for the WFL proved the nadir of his career, as in one game he was intercepted five times. He lasted only one season, 1975.

Tagge then moved to Canada, joining the British Columbia Lions in 1977. Here he found his rhythm as a pro quarterback, earning the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy in his first season. He would play three seasons before a knee injury ended his career.

[edit] Post-football career and life

In 1981, Tagge moved to St. Louis, where he sold apartment buildings. He also met his future wife, Betty, whom he married the following year. He returned to Nebraska in 1986, initially selling life insurance, then he partnered with Greg Rutherford to found Tagge-Rutherford Financial Services in Omaha, for which he serves as executive vice president.

In 1999, Tagge was stopped for driving while intoxicated while on a business trip. Recognizing a profound sense of emptiness in his life, he met with the Rev. David Block of Divine Shepherd Lutheran Church in Omaha, Nebraska, and with Block's encouragement became a born-again Christian. Today, in addition to his business activities, Tagge is an active member of Divine Shepherd, leading Bible studies and counseling youth.

[edit] Trivia

Jerry Tagge was the only Green Bay native ever drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the first round. Had he not played professional football, he might have had a career in professional baseball instead, as he was drafted by the Washington Senators in the 23rd round of the amateur entry draft in 1968.

A rotating gold statue of Jerry Tagge is displayed over the shelves of the liquor stock at Misty's Restaurant in Lincoln, Nebraska. A decanter molded in Tagge's image was created by the McCormick Distilling Company in 1972, displaying a #1 in place of his jersey number of 14 to avoid violating NCAA rules.

After their college careers ended, Tagge and University of Oklahoma quarterback Jack Mildren entered into an agreement where, each year when Nebraska played Oklahoma, whoever's alma mater lost had to display a picture of the other in a prominent place. According to Tagge, when Mildren was lieutenant governor of Oklahoma (1991-95), Mildren would hang Tagge's picture in the men's room of the Oklahoma Statehouse the years Nebraska won.

Tagge's great-grandfather, John Mathias Tagge, a native of Trennewurther in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, was one of the first settlers in Grand Island, Nebraska in 1872, coming to America in 1868 and working in Chicago to earn the money to bring the rest of his family to America. His great-grandmother, Emma Ruff Tagge, was only 17 when she married John Tagge. The land they farmed later became part of the Cornhusker State Wildlife Management Area.

Preceded by
Scott Hunter (quarterback)		 Green Bay Packers Starting Quarterbacks
1973-1974		 Succeeded by
John Hadl

[edit] References

  • Buechler, August F., History of Hall County, Nebraska. Western Publishing and Engraving, Lincoln, Nebraska, 1920.
  • Kelly, Michael, "Tagge Finds Peace Off Field," Omaha World-Herald, October 3, 2004.
  • Rodgers, Johnny, An Era of Greatness. Champion Publishing, Inc., 2006.
  • Green Bay Packers' website
  • Huskerpedia.com
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