Tommy Kramer
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Thomas Francis Kramer (born March 7, 1955) is an American former professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
player who was a
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in the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL) from 1977 to 1990. He played
college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...
at
Rice University William Marsh Rice University (Rice University) is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas. It is on a 300-acre campus near the Houston Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center. Rice is ranke ...
and was selected by the
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
in the first round (27th overall) of the
1977 NFL Draft The 1977 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held May 3–4, 1977, at the Roosevelt Hotel ...
after being named MVP of the 1977
Senior Bowl The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football all-star game played annually in late January or early February in Mobile, Alabama, which showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of those players who have completed their college eligibility. Pr ...
. He was inducted with the 2012 class into the
College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vote ...
.


Early years

Kramer played his
high school football High school football (french: football au lycée) is gridiron football played by high school teams in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both countries, but its popularity is declining, part ...
at Robert E. Lee High School in San Antonio. He guided the Volunteers to a state title in 1971 and then to the state semi-finals in 1972. The state championship game in 1971 was the first high school game played in the new
Texas Stadium Texas Stadium was an American football stadium located in Irving, Texas, a suburb west of Dallas. Opened on October 24, 1971, it was known for its distinctive hole in the roof, the result of abandoned plans to construct a retractable roof (Cowboy ...
(Dallas Cowboys) in Irving, Texas. Kramer guided the Lee Volunteers to a 28–27 victory which has been hailed by some as the best high school game ever played in Texas. Kramer's high school teammates included
Pat Rockett Patrick Edward Rockett (born January 9, 1955) is an American former baseball shortstop who played for the Atlanta Braves between 1976 and 1978. Rockett was drafted by the Braves as the tenth pick of the 1973 Major League Baseball Draft, 1973 amate ...
(played major league baseball for the Atlanta Braves), and Richard Osborne (played for the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles). The Volunteers went 27–1–1 during Kramer's two years on the varsity, beating
Wichita Falls High School Wichita Falls High School (WFHS) is a public school in Wichita Falls, Texas, United States. It is part of the Wichita Falls Independent School District (WFISD) and is one of the district's three high schools. Located at 2149 Avenue H and Coyote ...
28–27 for the Class 4A state title in 1971 and losing to Baytown Sterling 21–20 in the 1972 state semifinals. Guided by head coach John Ferrara, the 1971 team finished 14–0–1 – a 7–7 tie with rival Churchill kept the Volunteers from being perfect – and the 1972 squad went 13–1. In an era when most Texas high school football teams churned out yardage with ground-oriented offenses such as the wishbone or the veer, Lee achieved success by throwing the ball. Kramer passed for 2,588 yards as a senior, then a state record, and completed 149 of 294 passes for 28 touchdowns. In two seasons, he completed 327 of 597 attempts for 5,489 yards and 54 TDs. Surrounded by sure-handed receivers Richard Osborne,
Pat Rockett Patrick Edward Rockett (born January 9, 1955) is an American former baseball shortstop who played for the Atlanta Braves between 1976 and 1978. Rockett was drafted by the Braves as the tenth pick of the 1973 Major League Baseball Draft, 1973 amate ...
and Gary Haack, Kramer was a master at picking apart defenses with his deft passing. Kramer started all but one game as a varsity player, going 26–1–1. He made his debut in the 1971 season opener, replacing starter Bruce Trimmier and rallying Lee to a 7–3 victory over Alamo Heights on a rainy night. It is here that he acquired the nickname "Two-Minute Tommy", which stuck on for the rest of his football career.


College career

After a stellar career at Lee, Kramer became another in the long list of San Antonio products to play college football at
Rice University William Marsh Rice University (Rice University) is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas. It is on a 300-acre campus near the Houston Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center. Rice is ranke ...
. Kramer led the
Owls Owls are birds from the Order (biology), order Strigiformes (), which includes over 200 species of mostly Solitary animal, solitary and Nocturnal animal, nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vi ...
in passing for four straight years and his career and season marks were the standard at Rice for over 30 years until they were shattered by Chase Clement, another San Antonio signal caller. Kramer left Rice with school records in single-season passing yards, career passing yards (6,197); season total offense (3,272), career total offense (6,336), season touchdown passes (21), career touchdown passes (37), season total touchdowns (25) and career total touchdowns (48). He was the 1976 George Martin Award winner as Rice's MVP in 1976 and was elected to the Rice Athletic Hall of Fame in 1984. Kramer played in the
Senior Bowl The Senior Bowl is a post-season college football all-star game played annually in late January or early February in Mobile, Alabama, which showcases the best NFL Draft prospects of those players who have completed their college eligibility. Pr ...
and the
Blue-Gray Game Livid is a medium bluish- gray color. This color name comes from the Latin color term ''lividus'' meaning "'a dull leaden-blue color', and also used to describe the color of contused flesh, leading to the English expression 'black and blue'" ...
in 1976 and was named MVP of the Senior Bowl. He also received the Fort Worth Kiwanis Sportsmanship Award in 1976. In 2012, Kramer was inducted into the
College Football Hall of Fame The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and interactive attraction devoted to college football. The National Football Foundation (NFF) founded the Hall in 1951 to immortalize the players and coaches of college football that were vote ...
.


Professional career

Kramer appeared in five games of his rookie season in 1977, with one start and four mop-up roles as the heir apparent to replacing
Fran Tarkenton Francis Asbury Tarkenton (born February 3, 1940) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, primarily with the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football at ...
, although when he was hurt late in the season, Bob Lee would be the starter for four of the last five games. In the 12th game of the year, the Vikings trailed 24-7 in the fourth quarter against the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
and Kramer was brought in to replace Bob Lee. Kramer would go 9-of-13 for 188 yards with three touchdowns to win 28-27. The following week, he made his first ever start against the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
. He went 16-of-34 for 177 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions in the 35-13 loss. The following year, Kramer would end up in mop-up duty as Tarkenton started each game for his final season. For the 1979 season, Kramer would become fully installed as the starter. He earned the nickname "Two-Minute Tommy" for his reputation with comebacks, as he would lead the Vikings to nineteen comebacks (and one in the playoffs), with fifteen in the fourth quarter, with 1980 and 1985 having four from Kramer in each year. However, Kramer would plagued by injuries in his eleven seasons spent with the Vikings, since he started 109 of a possible 152 games for the team over his tenure, and he started each game of a season just twice (1979 and 1982), plagued by knee and shoulder injuries to go alongside concussions. His had knee and shoulder injuries, multiple concussions and a 1987 preseason spine injury that he said “basically pretty much ended my career.”
1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...
proved a pivotal moment for him and the Vikings. He would go 8-7 as a starter while leading the Vikings back to the postseason for the first time since 1978. He threw 3,397 yards with 23 touchdowns to 24 interceptions while having a 55.7 completion percentage. He saved his best for near-last in the season. Facing the
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. Named after original coach and co-founder Paul Brown, they compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference ( ...
in the penultimate game of the regular season, he would take part of an iconic moment for the Vikings, as he threw a game-winning
Hail Mary pass A Hail Mary pass is a very long forward pass in American football, typically made in desperation, with an exceptionally small chance of achieving a completion. Due to the difficulty of a completion with this pass, it makes reference to the Catho ...
with six seconds left. They had trailed 23-9 in the fourth quarter, but Kramer threw three touchdowns in the quarter, including two to
Ahmad Rashad Ahmad Rashad (born Robert Earl Moore; November 19, 1949) is an American sportscaster and former professional football player. He was the fourth overall selection of the 1972 NFL Draft, taken by the St. Louis Cardinals. He was known as Bobby Moor ...
late. On the final play of the game, Rashad was clustered in a group of Browns defenders but managed to catch the ball and carry himself into the end zone. The play, known as
Miracle at the Met The ''Miracle at the Met'' refers to the Minnesota Vikings' comeback win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 15 of the 1980 NFL season. The Vikings trailed 23–9 in the fourth quarter, but won after Vikings quarterback Tommy Kramer passed for two ...
, clinched a division title for the Vikings. Kramer had his best game to that point, throwing 38-of-49 for 456 yards with four touchdowns. He is still the only quarterback for the Vikings to throw for over 450 yards. In the postseason that year, he faced off against the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
. Although they led 14-7 at halftime, a series of turnovers led to a 31-16 loss, and Kramer threw 19-of-39 for 209 yards with one touchdown and five interceptions. In 1982, Kramer led the Vikings to the postseason with a strike-shortened 5-4 record. Facing the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
in Minnesota, the Falcons led in the fourth quarter 21-16 before Kramer led them to a comeback to pull off a 30-24 win. He threw 20-of-34 for 253 yards with two touchdowns and one interception to lead the Vikings to the second round of the playoffs. Facing the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
the following week, Kramer could not quite generate magic, as Washington won 21-7 on their way to the
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
. Kramer threw 18-of-39 for 252 yards. Kramer had his last flash of brilliance in 1986. He went 7-6 in his thirteen starts while throwing for 3,000 yards with 24 touchdowns to ten interceptions while leading the league in passer rating with 92.6. Kramer had his highlight day on September 28, 1986, as he torched the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
, even though his overall record against the Packers was 6-9, for six touchdown passes (with four in the first quarter) on a 16-of-25 day for 241 yards. He was named to the Pro Bowl for the first and only time. It was the last season with him as primary starter for most of the games (starting thirteen games). In 1987, Kramer would split time with Wade Wilson (who had been on the team since 1981), with Kramer starting five games and Wilson starting seven, with Kramer noting a preseason injury to his spine as the injury that hastened his end of career. Kramer threw four touchdowns to three interceptions in his 81 passes for six game appearances. Kramer was the starting quarterback when the Vikings sneaked into the playoffs at 8-7, although he was taken out after a few drives for Wilson. Kramer (who was hurt on the first play of the game) was 5-of-9 on 50 yards as the Vikings rolled to a 44-10 win over the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
with Wilson at the helm. From there, the Vikings went to the NFC Championship Game with Wilson starting the next two games. For 1988, he made six starts with appearances in four other games. While going 4-2, he threw for 1,264 yards with five touchdowns to nine interceptions on 173 total pass attempts. For 1989, he closed out his Vikings career with appearances in eight games and four starts while throwing 906 yards and seven touchdowns and interceptions. His final appearance in a Vikings uniform was mop-up duty late in a playoff loss to San Francisco. He went 9-of-19 for 110 yards and an interception in the 41-13 loss. He was released after the season. He was signed by the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
in 1990. He appeared in only one game for the Saints (against the Vikings) and retired after the 1990 season.


Personal life

Kramer spent the next thirty years in Texas before returning to Minnesota after his third divorce in 2020.


See also

*
List of NCAA major college football yearly total offense leaders The list of college football yearly total offense leaders identifies the major college leaders for each season from 1937 to the present. It includes yearly leaders in two statistical categories: (1) total offense yards, and (2) total offense yards ...


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Kramer, Tommy 1955 births Living people American football quarterbacks Minnesota Vikings players New Orleans Saints players Rice Owls football players All-American college football players College Football Hall of Fame inductees National Conference Pro Bowl players Players of American football from San Antonio