Daunte Culpepper facts for kids

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Daunte Culpepper

Culpepper in 2009

No. 12, 11, 8

Position:

Quarterback

Personal information

Born:

January 28, 1977 (age 48)
Ocala, Florida, U.S.

Height:

6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)

Weight:

260 lb (118 kg)

Career information

High school:

Vanguard
(Ocala, Florida)

College:

UCF (1995–1998)

NFL Draft:

1999 / Round: 1 / Pick: 11

Career history

Minnesota Vikings (1999)
Miami Dolphins (2006)
Oakland Raiders (2007)
Detroit Lions (2008)
Sacramento Mountain Lions (2010)

Career highlights and awards

3× Pro Bowl (2000, 2003, 2004)
NFL passing yards leader (2004)
NFL passing touchdowns leader (2000)
50 Greatest Vikings
Minnesota Vikings All-Mall of America Field Team
Sammy Baugh Trophy (1998)
UCF Knights No. 8 honored

Career NFL statistics

Passing attempts:	3,199
Passing completions:	2,016
Completion percentage:	63%
Passing yards:	24,153
TD–INT:	149–106
Passer rating:	87.8
Rushing yards:	2,652
Rushing touchdowns:	34

Player stats at PFR

Daunte Rachard Culpepper (born January 28, 1977) is a former American football quarterback. He played for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), mostly with the Minnesota Vikings. He played college football for the UCF Knights. The Vikings chose him in the first round of the 1999 NFL draft.

During his seven years with the Vikings, Culpepper helped his team reach the playoffs twice. They also won a division title and played in the NFC Championship Game. He was chosen for the Pro Bowl three times. His best season was in 2004 when he set a record for the most total yards gained by an NFL quarterback. After a serious knee injury the next season, his time with the Vikings ended. He then played for the Miami Dolphins, Oakland Raiders, and Detroit Lions. Culpepper last played for the Sacramento Mountain Lions in the United Football League (UFL).

Early Life and High School Football

Daunte Culpepper was born on January 28, 1977. He was adopted as a baby and grew up in a large family in Ocala, Florida. He was one of more than 15 children raised by Emma Lewis Culpepper.

Daunte went to Vanguard High School in Ocala. He was a talented athlete, playing football, basketball, and baseball. In 1994, after his senior football season, he was named "Mr. Football" for the entire state of Florida. In 2007, he was honored as one of the top 33 football players in Florida high school history.

In a high school basketball championship game, the referee called a "traveling" violation on Daunte. This meant he took too many steps without dribbling. Later in his football career, Daunte would celebrate his touchdowns by making the "traveling" hand motion.

The New York Yankees baseball team even drafted him in 1995. But Daunte decided to go to college instead of playing professional baseball.

College Career at UCF

It was a bit tough for Daunte to get into college because of his SAT scores. Big football schools like the University of Miami and University of Florida stopped trying to recruit him. However, the University of Central Florida (UCF) offered to help him study and get the scores he needed. Daunte chose to go to UCF as a quarterback, showing loyalty to the school that helped him.

At UCF, Daunte became an amazing quarterback. He broke almost all of the school's passing records, about 30 in total! He also set an NCAA record in 1998 for the highest completion percentage in a single season, completing 73.6% of his passes. This record stood for many years.

Daunte also achieved something rare: he gained over 10,000 passing yards and over 1,000 rushing yards in his college career. Only two other players in NCAA history had done this before him. He finished his college career with 12,459 total yards and was responsible for 108 touchdowns (84 passing).

After his junior year, many people thought he would leave college early for the NFL draft. But Daunte decided to stay for his senior year. In his final season, UCF had a great 9–2 record.

College Statistics

Season	Games Played	Passing							Rushing
Season	Games Played	Completions	Attempts	Percentage	Yards	Touchdowns	Interceptions	Rating	Attempts	Yards	Touchdowns
1995	11	168	294	57.1	2,071	12	10	123.0	85	17	5
1996	11	187	314	59.6	2,565	19	15	138.6	94	102	2
1997	11	238	381	62.5	3,086	25	10	146.9	136	438	5
1998	11	296	402	73.6	3,690	28	7	170.2	141	463	12
Career	44	889	1,391	63.9	11,412	84	42	146.7	456	1,020	24

Professional Football Career

Joining the Minnesota Vikings

Culpepper (#11) playing for the Vikings in 2002.

The Minnesota Vikings drafted Daunte Culpepper as the 11th overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft. He was the fourth quarterback chosen that year. In his first year, he played in only one game.

Early Success

In the 2000 season, Daunte became the Vikings' starting quarterback. He led the team to win their first seven games and finish the season with 11 wins and 5 losses. They made it to the NFC Championship game, but lost to the New York Giants. That season, Culpepper threw for 3,937 yards and 33 touchdowns. He also ran for 470 yards and seven touchdowns. He was chosen for his first Pro Bowl.

Challenges and Comeback

Daunte faced some tough seasons in 2001 and 2002. In 2001, he threw more interceptions than touchdowns and missed the last five games due to a knee injury. The Vikings finished with a 5–11 record. In 2002, he continued to struggle, throwing 18 touchdowns and 23 interceptions. The team finished 6–10. Some people joked about the "Madden Curse" because he was on the cover of the Madden NFL 2002 video game that year.

Despite these challenges, Daunte was still a strong runner. In 2002, his 10 rushing touchdowns were the most by any NFL quarterback that season. He made a strong comeback in 2003, leading the Vikings to a 9–7 record. He threw for 3,479 yards and 25 touchdowns with only 11 interceptions. This earned him his second trip to the Pro Bowl.

Historic 2004 Season

The 2004 was Daunte Culpepper's best year. He led the league with 4,717 passing yards and set a Vikings record with 39 touchdowns. He only threw 11 interceptions. He was chosen for his third Pro Bowl.

Culpepper also broke Dan Marino's NFL record for combined passing and rushing yards, gaining 5,123 total yards. He became only the fourth quarterback in NFL history to rush for over 2,300 yards in a five-season period. After this amazing season, Daunte said the game felt "slowed down" for him, like he was a "Jedi Knight."

Injury and Departure

The 2005 started rough for Daunte. In the seventh game, on October 30, he suffered a severe knee injury during a game against the Carolina Panthers. He damaged three major ligaments in his knee: the ACL, PCL, and MCL. This injury ended his season and greatly impacted his career. The Vikings placed him on injured reserve, and he began his recovery.

After his injury, there were disagreements between Culpepper and the Vikings. He wanted to recover in Florida, but the team wanted him to rehabilitate in Minnesota. Eventually, Culpepper asked to be traded or released from the team.

Miami Dolphins

In 2006, Culpepper was traded to the Miami Dolphins. He changed his jersey number back to 8, which he wore in high school and college. The Dolphins chose him over another quarterback, Drew Brees, based on medical evaluations.

Daunte was still recovering from his serious knee injury. He played in all offseason practices, but his knee was not fully healed. He struggled in his first few games with the Dolphins. After four games, the Dolphins' coach decided to rest Daunte due to a shoulder injury and his knee recovery.

In December 2006, Daunte had surgery on his knee again to remove loose cartilage. He was placed on injured reserve, ending his season. After the season, the Dolphins decided to go in a different direction at quarterback. Daunte asked to be released from his contract and was let go on July 17, 2007.

Oakland Raiders

On July 31, 2007, Culpepper signed a one-year contract with the Oakland Raiders. He played in seven games for the Raiders, starting six of them. In one notable game against his former team, the Miami Dolphins, he scored two passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns. He suffered another injury, a sore quadriceps, and was placed on injured reserve in December.

Retirement and Comeback Attempts

After the 2007 season, Daunte visited the Green Bay Packers but turned down their offer. He also worked out with the Pittsburgh Steelers. On September 4, 2008, Daunte Culpepper announced his retirement from football. He felt he could still be a starting quarterback in the NFL and was frustrated with his situation.

However, he soon changed his mind. The Kansas City Chiefs contacted him, and on October 23, he said he would consider coming out of retirement. But he then told the Chiefs he had a "better opportunity with another team."

Detroit Lions

On November 2, 2008, Daunte signed a two-year deal with the Detroit Lions. He played four games with the Lions before suffering a shoulder injury. That season, the Lions became the first NFL team to finish with 0 wins and 16 losses.

In 2009, the Lions signed Matthew Stafford as their first overall draft pick, and he became the starting quarterback. Culpepper respected the decision but was open to being traded. He played in eight games that season, starting five.

Sacramento Mountain Lions

On June 7, 2010, Culpepper signed with the Sacramento Mountain Lions in the United Football League (UFL). This reunited him with his former coaches from the Vikings and UCF. He was named UFL Offensive Player of the Week twice in 2010. His best game was a 24–20 win where he threw for 374 yards and three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing).

Later Career

In August 2011, Daunte worked out for the San Francisco 49ers, but they chose another quarterback. Football Nation later named Culpepper the 45th best quarterback of the modern era.

Career Statistics

Key
	NFL record
	Led the league
Bold	Career high

NFL Statistics

Year	Team	Games			Passing								Rushing				Sacks		Fumbles
Year	Team	Games Played	Games Started	Record	Completions	Attempts	Percentage	Yards	Average	Touchdowns	Interceptions	Rating	Attempts	Yards	Average	Touchdowns	Sacks	Sack Yards	Fumbles	Lost
1999	MIN	1	0	–	0	0	0.0	0	0.0	0	0	0.0	3	6	2.0	0	0	0	1	0
2000	MIN	16	16	11–5	297	474	62.7	3,937	8.3	33	16	98.0	89	470	5.3	7	34	181	11	6
2001	MIN	11	11	4–7	235	366	64.2	2,612	7.1	14	13	83.3	71	416	5.9	5	33	186	16	7
2002	MIN	16	16	6–10	333	549	60.7	3,853	7.0	18	23	75.3	106	609	5.7	10	47	244	23	9
2003	MIN	14	14	7–7	295	454	65.0	3,479	7.7	25	11	96.4	73	422	5.8	4	37	196	16	6
2004	MIN	16	16	8–8	379	548	69.2	4,717	8.6	39	11	110.9	88	406	4.6	2	46	238	9	4
2005	MIN	7	7	2–5	139	216	64.4	1,564	7.2	6	12	72.0	24	147	6.1	1	31	169	5	3
2006	MIA	4	4	1–3	81	134	60.4	929	6.9	2	3	77.0	10	20	2.0	1	21	150	3	0
2007	OAK	7	6	2–4	108	186	58.1	1,331	7.2	5	5	78.0	20	40	2.0	3	21	130	9	3
2008	DET	5	5	0–5	60	115	52.2	786	6.8	4	6	63.9	12	25	2.1	1	14	95	5	1
2009	DET	8	5	0–5	89	157	56.7	945	6.0	3	6	64.8	18	91	5.1	0	14	107	4	0
Career		105	100	41–59	2,016	3,199	63.0	24,153	7.6	149	106	87.8	514	2,652	5.2	34	298	1,696	102	39

UFL Statistics

Year	Team	Games		Passing
Year	Team	Games Played	Games Started	Completions	Attempts	Percentage	Yards	Average	Touchdowns	Interceptions	Rating
2010	SAC	8	8	183	300	61.0	1,944	6.5	10	12	74.4
Career		8	8	183	300	61.0	1,944	6.5	10	12	74.4

Awards and Honors

2001 Vikings Ed Block Courage Award
2001 Best Breakthrough Athlete ESPY Award
2003 Extra Effort Award
2003 Korey Stringer Good Guy Award
2004 Korey Stringer Good Guy Award
2007 Week 4 AFC Offensive Player of the Week
2010 Week 2 United Football League Offensive Co-Player of the Week
2010 Week 7 United Football League Offensive Player of the Week

Other Appearances

Daunte Culpepper appeared in an episode of the TV show George Lopez. He also had a small role in the movie 50 First Dates.

He was a special guest at the 2013 Super Bash event in London, hosted by NFL UK.

Images for kids

Culpepper in 2009
Culpepper (#11) playing for the Vikings in 2002