Jerry Tagge
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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).
- Green Bay Packers, 1972-1974
- San Antonio Wings, 1975
- British Columbia Lions, 1977-1979
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 1975 he played briefly for the Wings in the WFL, where completed only 18 or 34 passes for 265 yards and 1 TD and 5 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.
Contents |
[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.
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
Tagge began his college career at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. In his sophomore year, Tagge rose to second-string quarterback. His playing time increased until midway through his junior year when 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, a 35-31 victory. Nebraska would go on to 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. 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. 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, 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 founded 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.
| Preceded by Scott Hunter (American football) |
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
|
||||||||
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
|||||
