Fran Tarkenton and Fred Zamberletti were NFL rookies when they arrived in Bemidji for the Vikings' first training camp back on July 8, 1961.
Fran was the quarterback. Fred was head athletic trainer and, according to Fran, "a confidante, a counselor, a leader, a friend to everyone," and "someone who was a whole lot more than a guy who taped your ankles and treated your injuries and all that stuff."
"We all stayed in those dormitories in Bemidji, and nobody had any money, and we were stuck there for seven weeks," Tarkenton said. "I met Freddie and we hit it off.