EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. —
Although he was drafted in the 21st round of the AFL Draft by the New York Jets, Vander Kelen joined the Vikings as an undrafted free agent in 1963. He backed up Fran Tarkenton for four seasons before competing for the starting job in 1967 after Tarkenton was traded.
Vander Kelen led the Vikings to a 34-13 win at Philadelphia when Tarkenton was sidelined because of an injury and became the first Minnesota quarterback to win his first start as a rookie. He has since been joined by Joe Webb (2010 vs.