Tommy Kramer

Thomas Francis Kramer (born March 7, 1955 in San Antonio, Texas) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the NFL from 1977 to 1990. He played collegiately at Rice University and was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round (27th overall) of the 1977 NFL Draft after being named MVP of the 1977 Senior Bowl.

Early years
Kramer played his high school football 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 (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 (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 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 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.

Professional career
Kramer became the starting quarterback for the Vikings before the 1979 NFL season after Fran Tarkenton retired. He was drafted by the Vikings to be the heir apparent to Tarkenton. He earned the nickname "Two Minute Tommy" for many late game come-from-behind victories. He demonstrated this on December 14, 1980, leading the Vikings to a striking comeback over the Cleveland Browns. With 6 seconds left, he threw a Hail Mary pass to Ahmad Rashad, who was clustered in a group of Browns defenders, yet managed to catch the ball and land in the end zone. This memorable pass earned the Vikings a playoff berth.

Throughout his career with the Vikings, Kramer suffered on the field injuries, resulting in many missed games for the team during the mid 1980s. He was selected to the Pro Bowl following the 1986 season, in which he was the highest rated quarterback in the NFL. Kramer was the first NFL quarterback to throw for over 450 yards in a game twice, and he once threw six touchdowns in a single game versus the Green Bay Packers. He was released by the Vikings after the 1989 season and was signed by the New Orleans Saints in 1990. He appeared in only one game for the Saints (ironically, against the Vikings) and retired after the 1990 season.