Daunte Culpepper
Encyclopedia
Daunte Rachard Culpepper (born January 28, 1977) is an American football
quarterback
who is currently a free agent
. He last played for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League (UFL). Prior to joining the UFL, Culpepper enjoyed a successful National Football League
(NFL) career after being drafted 11th overall in the 1999 NFL Draft
by the Minnesota Vikings
. He played college football
at the University of Central Florida.
A three-time Pro Bowl
selection with the Vikings, Culpepper had a historic 2004 season
in which he set the single-season record for most total yardage produced by a quarterback in NFL history (5,123). However, Culpepper suffered a serious knee injury the following season that ended his Vikings career. Since then, he has played sparingly in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins
, Oakland Raiders
, and Detroit Lions
. Currently, Culpepper ranks 14th all-time in NFL career passer rating
(87.8) and holds the sixth best single-season passer rating from his 2004 season (110.9).
Outside of football, Culpepper has worked with the African American Adoption Agency. He hosts an annual Daunte Culpepper AAAA Celebrity Golf Tournament fundraiser, and has also served as a keynote speaker at the United Way Reason To Be Thankful celebration.
. He played football, coached by Alex Castaneda, one of five finalists for the 2000 NFL High School Football Coach of the Year Award, as well as basketball and baseball. After his senior season in 1994, he was named Mr. Football in the state of Florida. In 2007, Culpepper was named to the FHSAA's All-Century Team that listed the top 33 football players in the state of Florida's 100 year history of high school football.
Near the end of his high school team's state basketball championship game, the referee called traveling on Culpepper when he was driving for the game-winning lay-up. Since then, Culpepper has celebrated his football touchdowns by moving his hands in the motion that a basketball referee makes when calling traveling, also known as "the roll".
scores. Marquee football schools, such as the University of Miami
and University of Florida
, backed off from recruiting him when it was assumed he would not qualify. The University of Central Florida, however, offered to tutor him and help him achieve the necessary scores, and he was able to qualify. Although the big college programs returned to recruit him, as a show of loyalty, Culpepper enrolled at UCF.
Although he had a love for baseball, Culpepper committed to play football at UCF as a quarterback. He rewrote virtually all of the school's quarterback records, approximately 30 in all, many held by Darin Slack since 1987. He also set an NCAA
record for single-season completion percentage at 73.6%, breaking a 15-year-old mark set by Steve Young (71.3%). This record would stand until Colt McCoy
(Texas) finished the 2008 season with a completion percentage of 77.6%. Culpepper accomplished a feat equaled by only two others in NCAA history when he topped the 10,000 yard passing mark and the 1,000 yard rushing mark in his career. He finished his career sixth on the NCAA's all-time total offense list for all divisions with 12,459 yards and was responsible for 108 career touchdowns (84 passing).
After his junior season, he was being lured out of the collegiate ranks to enter the draft and join the NFL, but instead returned to UCF to graduate and play his senior year. UCF posted a 9–2 record, losing only to Purdue
and Auburn
.
Rushing
by the Minnesota Vikings; he was the fourth quarterback chosen, after Tim Couch
(1st overall), Donovan McNabb
(2nd) and Akili Smith
(3rd). In his first year Culpepper saw limited playing time and did not throw a pass.
In 2000
he was named Minnesota's starting quarterback. He led the Vikings to victory in the first seven games of the season, and helped them finish 11-5 and advance to the NFC Championship game
, where they were defeated by the New York Giants
41-0. During the season, Culpepper passed for 3,937 yards, 33 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. He also rushed for 470 yards and seven touchdowns. One of Culpepper's most notable moments was against the Buffalo Bills
when he threw a pass across his body and the field to Randy Moss
for a 39-yard touchdown pass, although the pass was at least 60 net yards. At the end of the year he was selected to his first Pro Bowl
. Randy Moss, wide receiver for the Vikings, said that Culpepper was one of the most talented quarterbacks he has ever seen following the 2000 season.
throwing 14 touchdowns to 13 interceptions. The Vikings finished the season 5-11. Culpepper started all 11 games in which he appeared, missing the final five games of the season with a knee injury he suffered in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers
on December 2. He completed 60 percent of his passes or better in nine of his 11 outings, including twice when he surpassed the 70.0 mark and had a passer rating
of 100.0 better in two contests where the Vikings were 1-1 in those games. Culpepper’s rushing total ranked third among NFL QBs, trailing only Pittsburgh’s Kordell Stewart
(537) and Philadelphia
’s Donovan McNabb (482).
Culpepper continued to struggle in 2002
, throwing 18 touchdowns to 23 interceptions and leading the Vikings to a 6-10 record. Some attribute this to his appearance on the cover of the Madden NFL 2002
video game, where he subsequently proceeded to have the worst year of his career until 2005, keeping with the superstition of the "Madden Curse". Culpepper went on to win the EA Sports
Madden Bowl title among NFL players during the 2003 offseason.
His ten rushing scores led all NFL QBs in 2002, and also marked the fifth-highest total by a QB in NFL history trailing only Steve Grogan
(12 for New England
in 1976), Johnny Lujack
(11 for Chicago
in 1950), Tobin Rote
(11 for Green Bay
in 1956) and Kordell Stewart
(11 for Pittsburgh in 1997).
Culpepper made a comeback in 2003
, leading the Vikings to a 9-7 record, although they missed the playoffs. He passed for 3,479 yards, 25 touchdowns, and only 11 interceptions, and earned his second trip to the Pro Bowl. Another notable moment occurred in this campaign, when in the 20-16 comeback win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
, Culpepper ran the ball in for an 8-yard score. On the run, Culpepper barrelled into Derrick Brooks
and Shelton Quarles
, but was the first player up after the score.
's NFL record for combined passing and rushing yards, amassing 5,123 total yards. His 2,323 rushing yards from 2000-2004 also made him only the fourth quarterback in NFL history to run for more than 2,300 yards in a five-season period. (Michael Vick
had 3,570 from 2002–2006; Randall Cunningham
had 3,232 from 1986–1990; and Steve McNair
had 2,387 from 1997–2001). Culpepper's career rushing average of 26.1 yards per game is fourth-best among quarterbacks in NFL history. Only Vick (47.3 yds/g), Cunningham (30.6 yds/g), and Bobby Douglass
(29.8 yds/g) have averaged more rushing yards per game during their QB careers. After the 2004 season, Culpepper said the game had "slowed down" for him, saying "I feel like a Jedi
Knight."
season were disappointments, as the Vikings went 0–2 while Culpepper threw no touchdown passes, eight interceptions, and fumbled twice which many attribute to his relatively small hands. Culpepper rebounded in the third week, throwing for 300 yards and three touchdowns while beating the New Orleans Saints. In 2005 he had six touchdowns, twelve interceptions, and five fumbles before getting injured in the seventh game (only winning two games). On October 30, he suffered a knee injury during a 38-13 loss to the Carolina Panthers
. Culpepper sustained damage to three of the four major ligaments in the knee: the ACL
, PCL
and MCL
. He was placed on injured reserve
and began rehabilitation treatment near his home in Florida. Backup Brad Johnson
took over in the Carolina game and after losing that one, they won the next six straight games and the team ended up with a 9-7 record. Daunte's final career won-loss record as a starter for the Vikings was 37-40 (48.1% winning percentage).
On December 14, 2005 Culpepper and three other players were charged with indecent conduct, disorderly conduct and lewd or lascivious conduct for their involvement in the 2005 Minnesota Vikings boat cruise scandal
, according to court papers and news reports. The maximum penalty they could have faced was 90 days in jail. His defense contended there was racial discrimination among the prosecution. On April 4, 2006, however the charges against Culpepper were dropped owing to a lack of probable cause
.
Culpepper was in negotiations with Zygi Wilf, the new owner of the Vikings, in regard to his contract with the team. Rumors surfaced that Culpepper was unhappy with his status in Minnesota due to the re-emergence of Brad Johnson following his injury. The Vikings wanted him to rehabilitate in Minnesota because they were not satisfied with his level of treatment in Florida, Culpepper refused this request.
Later on, Culpepper expressed his desire to be out of Minnesota. According to the Associated Press
, Culpepper said that if he was not traded, he wanted to be released. Culpepper said "because of the fundamental differences I have with management regarding the approach to my personal and professional life, I think it is the best business decision for both parties to go our separate ways." Culpepper was not insistent on being traded to the Miami Dolphins, and orchestrated his trade without the services of his former agent. New Vikings coach Brad Childress
likened his dealings with Culpepper to his dealings with Terrell Owens
and said he never had a conversation with Daunte that did not involve his contract and getting more money instead of football and the team.
's Miami Dolphins in exchange for a second round draft pick. He changed his number from 11 (which he wore in Minnesota, after wearing #12 his rookie season in honor of Randall Cunningham) back to his original number 8, the same number he had at Vanguard High School and the University of Central Florida. Culpepper has also noted that in his hometown to this day, and even while with the Vikings, he has been referred to as "Eight" as a nickname.
The Dolphins debated whether to pursue Culpepper or quarterback Drew Brees during the offseason. The Dolphins decided to bring in Culpepper based on a medical evaluation of the two players. Brees was coming back from a shoulder injury suffered the last game during the 2005 season.
Although still recovering from a serious knee injury the previous year, Culpepper was able to attend and participate in all of the Dolphins offseason practices, including training camp. In early August, he made it public that he felt his knee was about 85-90% fully recovered. In his preseason game against Carolina he walked up to cornerback
Chris Gamble
and thanked him for injuring him, Daunte said if Gamble had not hit him like that he'd still be in Minnesota.
He was off to a rocky start in his first two regular-season games, losing both of them with fans booing Culpepper and calling for backup Joey Harrington
in the second game. But he had an improved performance in the third game, winning 13-10 over the Tennessee Titans
who had the second to last ranked defense in the NFL. However, the next week the Houston Texans
with the last ranked defense in the NFL won their first game of the season against the Dolphins.
At this point the Dolphins were 1-3 and their opponents were 1-11 when not playing Miami. After the Houston loss, coach Nick Saban noticed Culpepper having trouble in practice due to a nagging bruised shoulder injury and decided to rest Culpepper up a couple of practices. On that Friday's practice Culpepper and Saban got into a loud, heated argument during practice. Saban had decided to bench Daunte until his shoulder recovered and he got more of the mobility back that he lost due to his knee injury.
On November 30, 2006, Culpepper underwent arthroscopic surgery on his previously injured knee to remove a piece of loose cartilage that was causing Culpepper difficulty. On December 12, 2006 Culpepper was placed on Injured Reserve, officially ending his 2006 season. Head coach Nick Saban stated that although Culpepper was making progress in his rehabilitation, he and the medical staff felt it would be difficult for Culpepper to play in the next three weeks.
On December 25, 2006, Steve Young appeared as a guest announcer during the Dolphins' second to last game and criticized Culpepper's work ethic. Culpepper saw this on TV from his box suite at Dolphin Stadium and immediately walked down to the ESPN
booth and waited for Steve Young to finish, then Daunte confronted Young about it and said he has not missed any meetings and that's not who he is. Young apologized and said though he heard Culpepper had been missing meetings he should have checked with Daunte first before repeating it. After the season coach Saban left for a head coaching job at the University of Alabama
. On January 21, 2007 the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
reported that despite public assertions by Saban, privately his decision to bench Culpepper actually had little to do with his knee and more to do with his head.
and Gibran Hamdan
, untested players with one regular season start between them, in the Dolphins' initial minicamp under first-year coach Cam Cameron
. Both the players struggled to move the offense and the poor performance led to an April 15 report that stated a much-discussed trade for Kansas City
's Trent Green
was imminent,for Culpepper was unable to participate in the minicamp as he continued to recover from knee surgery. The weekend previous to the report, Culpepper revealed that the second surgery, which was designed to address scar tissue in the knee, was more serious than anyone originally divulged, and called for a rehabilitation period of 4–6 months. Culpepper said he has been told by Dr. James Andrews
, his surgeon, to "begin to ease into things" after May 1.
On June 5, 2007 the Dolphins completed the long-awaited trade for Trent Green; a few hours before the Green trade became official, the Dolphins told Culpepper they "are going in a different direction at the QB position," according to Culpepper, who resisted that plan.
On June 7, Culpepper, acting as his own agent, asked to be released from his contract with the Dolphins. The Jacksonville Jaguars
led a list of a few teams that were interested in signing him once he was on the free agent
market.
Culpepper was on the Dolphins' practice field for the start of a weekend minicamp on June 8, one day after asking for his release and two days after Miami completed a trade with Kansas City for Trent Green, who took over at quarterback. When Culpepper left the field and headed into the Dolphins training facility
, he walked off the field with a member of the Dolphins security staff. The team did not give an immediate explanation.
Informed by quarterbacks coach Terry Shea
that he would not be permitted to take part in any team drills during the Dolphins' June 8–10 minicamp, Culpepper stated that he would seek intervention from the NFL Players Association to end the stalemate. In response, Dolphins officials stated they had no intention of releasing Culpepper, and would continue their efforts to trade him. In fact, head coach Cam Cameron told the Miami
media on June 9 that the team was "absolutely" prepared to take the situation into training camp as the club attempts to locate a trade partner. After being told he would not be allowed to practice, Culpepper told reporters that he would not restructure his contract to accommodate a trade, and said that he had already spoken to some teams that might be interested in him, such as the Jacksonville Jaguars
. He was finally released by the Dolphins on July 17. Culpepper was then rated number 8 in ESPN magazine's 2007 worst quarterback poll.
, but Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio
said he did not feel Culpepper would be a good fit. Culpepper worked out for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
soon after his release, but was not acquired by the team. On July 31, Culpepper inked a one-year contract with the Oakland Raiders
, as an insurance policy by the Raiders as they struggled to sign number-one draft pick JaMarcus Russell
, with whom they were undergoing contract negotiations. In 2007, Culpepper replaced the injured Josh McCown
for the Raiders matchup against his former team, the Miami Dolphins. Culpepper finished the game with two passing and three rushing touchdowns. Culpepper started a total of six games for Oakland until an off-field hamstring injury (suffered when he challenged Oakland CB Stanford Routt
, a college sprinter, to a footrace during practice) sidelined him for the remaining portion of the season.
on April 23 and April 24, 2008. He would later turn down the offer from the Packers, $1 million for a one year contract, claiming the deal was not good. He said he was in contact with a few other teams. In July 2008, it was reported that the Detroit Lions
were interested in signing Culpepper, but they never made an offer to him. He worked out with the Pittsburgh Steelers
in August 2008, but the Steelers elected to sign Byron Leftwich
instead to replace the injured Charlie Batch
. On August 29, 2008, Culpepper then changed his mind and stated that he would consider a backup role in Green Bay if they were still interested in him, but the team did not put forth an offer.
On September 4, 2008, Culpepper announced his retirement. He expressed his frustrations with the NFL in a 506 word retirement letter. The main reason of his retirement was because he felt he could still be a starting quarterback in the NFL.
The Kansas City Chiefs
had spoken to Culpepper about coming out of retirement for the 2008 season after Brodie Croyle
was declared out for the season with an injury. On October 23, Culpepper stated through an email to Adam Schefter that he would come out of retirement and give the NFL another shot. On October 27, Culpepper told the Chiefs that he would not make another meeting with the team due to a "better opportunity with another team".
and would join the team the following week. After passing a physical, Culpepper officially signed with the Lions on November 3. The Lions assigned Culpepper number 11, the number Roy Williams
had worn before he was traded to Dallas
on October 14. The signing of Culpepper made former Cowboys and Vikings
quarterback Drew Henson
expendable, and he was released on November 12, only to be re-signed two days later. Culpepper played 4 games with the Lions before suffering a shoulder injury. On December 28, 2008, the Lions became the first team in NFL history to go 0-16. Only one other team in NFL history has had a winless season (the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
). Since signing with the Lions, the team has not won a game in which Culpepper played.
On February 16, 2009, the Lions reached an agreement with Culpepper for a restructured deal that would keep him on the team in the second year of his two-year contract. He had been due a $2.5 million roster bonus later in February prior to the restructuring.
On September 7, 2009, it was reported first overall draft pick Matthew Stafford
was named the starter for the Lions regular season opener against the Saints. During preseason, Culpepper had suffered another injury (foot). Culpepper said he will respect Matthew Stafford as starter. However, he said he's not against a trade.
On December 14, 2009, Culpepper played in what the Detroit Free Press
headlined as "Lions suffer one of their biggest defeats in history." Played in Baltimore, the Ravens won the game 48-3. In week 14, versus the Arizona Cardinals, Culpepper was benched in favor of third string QB Drew Stanton
after a poor performance.
, his former head coach in Minnesota. Culpepper was named UFL Offensive Player of the Week, twice in the 2010 season. His best game came in week 2 beating the Florida Tuskers 24-20, throwing for 374 yards and 2 passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. In April 2011, Culpepper was placed on the protected players list, for the 2011 UFL season.
' head coach, Jim Harbaugh
, announced that Culpepper was working out for the team on the following Monday to possibly add him to the 49ers roster. However, the 49ers opted to sign Culpepper's former Oakland Raider teammate Josh McCown instead.
, along with Donovan McNabb
. In the episode Culpepper is trying to recruit Jason McNamara, to play for Central Florida competing against McNabb who wants Jason to go to Syracuse
.
Culpepper also appeared in the movie 50 First Dates
in the huddle and throwing a touchdown pass to Jim Kleinsasser
when Sean Astin
and Drew Barrymore
were watching a football game.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
who is currently a free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. He last played for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League (UFL). Prior to joining the UFL, Culpepper enjoyed a successful National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) career after being drafted 11th overall in the 1999 NFL Draft
1999 NFL Draft
The 1999 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 April 17-18, 1999...
by the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
. He played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at the University of Central Florida.
A three-time Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
selection with the Vikings, Culpepper had a historic 2004 season
2004 NFL season
The 2004 NFL season was the 85th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 9, 2004 to January 2, 2005...
in which he set the single-season record for most total yardage produced by a quarterback in NFL history (5,123). However, Culpepper suffered a serious knee injury the following season that ended his Vikings career. Since then, he has played sparingly in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, and Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
. Currently, Culpepper ranks 14th all-time in NFL career passer rating
Passer rating
Passer rating is a measure of the performance of quarterbacks or any other passers in American football and Canadian football. There are at least two formulae currently in use: one officially used by the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, and one used in college football...
(87.8) and holds the sixth best single-season passer rating from his 2004 season (110.9).
Outside of football, Culpepper has worked with the African American Adoption Agency. He hosts an annual Daunte Culpepper AAAA Celebrity Golf Tournament fundraiser, and has also served as a keynote speaker at the United Way Reason To Be Thankful celebration.
Early years
Born to a mother in prison, Culpepper was adopted when he was a day old and raised as one of more than 15 children of the late Emma Lewis Culpepper. They lived in Ocala, Florida, where Culpepper attended Vanguard High SchoolVanguard High School
Vanguard High School is one of eight high schools in Marion County, Florida. The school serves the northeast area of Ocala, Florida. Vanguard offers the International Baccalaureate program for students, which accepts pupils from outside districts and makes up about 25% of the student population....
. He played football, coached by Alex Castaneda, one of five finalists for the 2000 NFL High School Football Coach of the Year Award, as well as basketball and baseball. After his senior season in 1994, he was named Mr. Football in the state of Florida. In 2007, Culpepper was named to the FHSAA's All-Century Team that listed the top 33 football players in the state of Florida's 100 year history of high school football.
Near the end of his high school team's state basketball championship game, the referee called traveling on Culpepper when he was driving for the game-winning lay-up. Since then, Culpepper has celebrated his football touchdowns by moving his hands in the motion that a basketball referee makes when calling traveling, also known as "the roll".
College career
He struggled to get into college, because of low SATSAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
scores. Marquee football schools, such as the University of Miami
University of Miami
The University of Miami is a private, non-sectarian university founded in 1925 with its main campus in Coral Gables, Florida, a medical campus in Miami city proper at Civic Center, and an oceanographic research facility on Virginia Key., the university currently enrolls 15,629 students in 12...
and University of Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, backed off from recruiting him when it was assumed he would not qualify. The University of Central Florida, however, offered to tutor him and help him achieve the necessary scores, and he was able to qualify. Although the big college programs returned to recruit him, as a show of loyalty, Culpepper enrolled at UCF.
Although he had a love for baseball, Culpepper committed to play football at UCF as a quarterback. He rewrote virtually all of the school's quarterback records, approximately 30 in all, many held by Darin Slack since 1987. He also set an NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
record for single-season completion percentage at 73.6%, breaking a 15-year-old mark set by Steve Young (71.3%). This record would stand until Colt McCoy
Colt McCoy
Daniel "Colt" McCoy is an American football quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Browns in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft...
(Texas) finished the 2008 season with a completion percentage of 77.6%. Culpepper accomplished a feat equaled by only two others in NCAA history when he topped the 10,000 yard passing mark and the 1,000 yard rushing mark in his career. He finished his career sixth on the NCAA's all-time total offense list for all divisions with 12,459 yards and was responsible for 108 career touchdowns (84 passing).
After his junior season, he was being lured out of the collegiate ranks to enter the draft and join the NFL, but instead returned to UCF to graduate and play his senior year. UCF posted a 9–2 record, losing only to Purdue
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
and Auburn
Auburn Tigers football
Only Mohamed Amin Abughadir set the record with 1,890 yards in 1 season. He was the QB for Auburn in 1998.The Auburn Tigers football team represents Auburn University in college football as a member of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, competing in the Western Division of the...
.
NCAA Statistics
Passing| Year | Team | GP | Comp | Att | % | Yards | TD | INT | RAT |
| 1995 | UCF | 11 | 168 | 294 | 57.1 | 2071 | 12 | 10 | 123.0 |
| 1996 | UCF | 11 | 187 | 314 | 59.6 | 2565 | 19 | 15 | 138.6 |
| 1997 | UCF | 11 | 238 | 381 | 62.5 | 3086 | 25 | 10 | 146.9 |
| 1998 | UCF | 11 | 296 | 402 | 73.6 | 3690 | 28 | 7 | 170.2 |
| Total | UCF | 44 | 889 | 1391 | 63.9 | 11412 | 84 | 42 | 146.7 |
Rushing
| Year | Team | GP | Att | Yards | TD |
| 1995 | UCF | 11 | 85 | 17 | 5 |
| 1996 | UCF | 11 | 94 | 102 | 2 |
| 1997 | UCF | 11 | 136 | 438 | 5 |
| 1998 | UCF | 11 | 141 | 463 | 12 |
| Total | UCF | 44 | 456 | 1020 | 24 |
Early career and immediate success
Culpepper was drafted eleventh overall in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft1999 NFL Draft
The 1999 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 April 17-18, 1999...
by the Minnesota Vikings; he was the fourth quarterback chosen, after Tim Couch
Tim Couch
Timothy Scott "Tim" Couch is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at the University of Kentucky...
(1st overall), Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
(2nd) and Akili Smith
Akili Smith
Kabisa Akili Maradufu Smith is a former professional American and Canadian football quarterback. He was selected in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, the third quarterback in the first three choices, behind Tim Couch , and Donovan McNabb...
(3rd). In his first year Culpepper saw limited playing time and did not throw a pass.
In 2000
2000 NFL season
The 2000 NFL season was the 81st regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XXXV when the Baltimore Ravens defeated the New York Giants.Week 1 of the season reverted to Labor Day weekend in 2000...
he was named Minnesota's starting quarterback. He led the Vikings to victory in the first seven games of the season, and helped them finish 11-5 and advance to the NFC Championship game
NFC Championship Game
The National Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two semi-final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the...
, where they were defeated by the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
41-0. During the season, Culpepper passed for 3,937 yards, 33 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. He also rushed for 470 yards and seven touchdowns. One of Culpepper's most notable moments was against the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
when he threw a pass across his body and the field to Randy Moss
Randy Moss
Randy Gene Moss is a former American football wide receiver. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
for a 39-yard touchdown pass, although the pass was at least 60 net yards. At the end of the year he was selected to his first Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
. Randy Moss, wide receiver for the Vikings, said that Culpepper was one of the most talented quarterbacks he has ever seen following the 2000 season.
Struggles and comeback
Culpepper struggled over the next two seasons beginning in 20012001 NFL season
The 2001 NFL season was the 82nd regular season of the National Football League.Following a pattern set in 1999, the first week of the season was permanently moved to the weekend following Labor Day...
throwing 14 touchdowns to 13 interceptions. The Vikings finished the season 5-11. Culpepper started all 11 games in which he appeared, missing the final five games of the season with a knee injury he suffered in a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
on December 2. He completed 60 percent of his passes or better in nine of his 11 outings, including twice when he surpassed the 70.0 mark and had a passer rating
Passer rating
Passer rating is a measure of the performance of quarterbacks or any other passers in American football and Canadian football. There are at least two formulae currently in use: one officially used by the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, and one used in college football...
of 100.0 better in two contests where the Vikings were 1-1 in those games. Culpepper’s rushing total ranked third among NFL QBs, trailing only Pittsburgh’s Kordell Stewart
Kordell Stewart
Kordell Stewart, nicknamed "Slash" , is a former American NFL quarterback. Stewart attended the University of Colorado and was drafted 60th in the 1995 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers...
(537) and Philadelphia
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
’s Donovan McNabb (482).
Culpepper continued to struggle in 2002
2002 NFL season
The 2002 NFL season was the 83rd regular season of the National Football League.The league went back to an even number of teams, expanding to 32 teams with the addition of the Houston Texans. The clubs were then realigned into eight divisions, four teams in each...
, throwing 18 touchdowns to 23 interceptions and leading the Vikings to a 6-10 record. Some attribute this to his appearance on the cover of the Madden NFL 2002
Madden NFL 2002
Madden NFL 2002 is an American football video game. It features former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Daunte Culpepper on the cover. Pat Summerall and John Madden are the commentators.-Features:...
video game, where he subsequently proceeded to have the worst year of his career until 2005, keeping with the superstition of the "Madden Curse". Culpepper went on to win the EA Sports
EA Sports
EA Sports is a brand of Electronic Arts that creates and develops sports video games. Formerly a marketing gimmick of Electronic Arts, in which they tried to mimic real-life sports networks by calling themselves "EA Sports Network" with pictures or endorsements of real commentators such as John...
Madden Bowl title among NFL players during the 2003 offseason.
His ten rushing scores led all NFL QBs in 2002, and also marked the fifth-highest total by a QB in NFL history trailing only Steve Grogan
Steve Grogan
Steve James Grogan is a former American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. Grogan played for the Patriots for his entire NFL career, from 1975 to 1990.-High school and college:...
(12 for New England
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
in 1976), Johnny Lujack
Johnny Lujack
John Christopher Lujack Jr. is a former American football quarterback and 1947 Heisman Trophy winner.Lujack was born on January 4, 1925, in Connellsville, Pennsylvania. He played college football for the University of Notre Dame, and professionally for the Chicago Bears. Lujack was the first of...
(11 for Chicago
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1950), Tobin Rote
Tobin Rote
Tobin Cornelius Rote was an American college and professional football player who played quarterback for the NFL's Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions, the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts, and the American Football League's San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos.-Early life:Rote...
(11 for Green Bay
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
in 1956) and Kordell Stewart
Kordell Stewart
Kordell Stewart, nicknamed "Slash" , is a former American NFL quarterback. Stewart attended the University of Colorado and was drafted 60th in the 1995 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers...
(11 for Pittsburgh in 1997).
Culpepper made a comeback in 2003
2003 NFL season
-Milestones:The following teams and players set all-time NFL records during the season:-Team:-Individual:-Awards:-External Links:**-References:*NFL Record and Fact Book *...
, leading the Vikings to a 9-7 record, although they missed the playoffs. He passed for 3,479 yards, 25 touchdowns, and only 11 interceptions, and earned his second trip to the Pro Bowl. Another notable moment occurred in this campaign, when in the 20-16 comeback win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, Culpepper ran the ball in for an 8-yard score. On the run, Culpepper barrelled into Derrick Brooks
Derrick Brooks
Derrick Dewan Brooks is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Buccaneers 28th overall in the 1995 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State....
and Shelton Quarles
Shelton Quarles
Shelton Eugene Quarles is a former linebacker for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team he played for in his ten-year career from 1997 to 2006. He now serves as a scout for the Buccaneers.-High school years:...
, but was the first player up after the score.
Historic season
Culpepper enjoyed his best statistical season as a professional in 2004 and, though they were only 8-8, the Vikings reached the playoffs for the second time with Culpepper. Passing for a league-leading 4,717 yards, a Viking-record 39 touchdowns, and only 11 interceptions, Culpepper was named to his third career Pro Bowl. Culpepper also broke Dan MarinoDan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
's NFL record for combined passing and rushing yards, amassing 5,123 total yards. His 2,323 rushing yards from 2000-2004 also made him only the fourth quarterback in NFL history to run for more than 2,300 yards in a five-season period. (Michael Vick
Michael Vick
Michael Dwayne Vick is an American football quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League...
had 3,570 from 2002–2006; Randall Cunningham
Randall Cunningham
Randall W. Cunningham is a former American football quarterback.After playing college football at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he was selected in the second round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, with whom he remained through the 1995 season...
had 3,232 from 1986–1990; and Steve McNair
Steve McNair
Stephen LaTreal McNair was an American football quarterback who spent the majority of his NFL career with the Tennessee Titans....
had 2,387 from 1997–2001). Culpepper's career rushing average of 26.1 yards per game is fourth-best among quarterbacks in NFL history. Only Vick (47.3 yds/g), Cunningham (30.6 yds/g), and Bobby Douglass
Bobby Douglass
Robert Gilchrist Douglass is a former American football quarterback in the NFL, who played most of his career with the Chicago Bears, who drafted him in the second round of the 1969 NFL Draft. During his career, he also played for the San Diego Chargers, the New Orleans Saints, the Oakland...
(29.8 yds/g) have averaged more rushing yards per game during their QB careers. After the 2004 season, Culpepper said the game had "slowed down" for him, saying "I feel like a Jedi
Jedi
The Jedi are characters in the Star Wars universe and the series's main protagonists. The Jedi use a power called the Force and weapons called lightsabers, which emit a controlled energy flow in the shape of a sword, in order to serve and protect the Republic and the galaxy at large from conflict...
Knight."
Injury
His first two games of the 20052005 NFL season
The 2005 NFL season was the 86th regular season of the National Football League.With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
season were disappointments, as the Vikings went 0–2 while Culpepper threw no touchdown passes, eight interceptions, and fumbled twice which many attribute to his relatively small hands. Culpepper rebounded in the third week, throwing for 300 yards and three touchdowns while beating the New Orleans Saints. In 2005 he had six touchdowns, twelve interceptions, and five fumbles before getting injured in the seventh game (only winning two games). On October 30, he suffered a knee injury during a 38-13 loss to the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
. Culpepper sustained damage to three of the four major ligaments in the knee: the ACL
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
, PCL
Posterior cruciate ligament
The posterior cruciate ligament is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It connects the posterior intercondylar area of the tibia to the medial condyle of the femur...
and MCL
Medial collateral ligament
The medial collateral ligament of the knee is one of the four major ligaments of the knee. It is on the medial side of the knee joint in humans and other primates. It is also known as the tibial collateral ligament, or abbreviated as the MCL.- Structure :It is a broad, flat, membranous band,...
. He was placed on injured reserve
Injured reserve
The injured reserve list is a list of reserved players who are injured and unable to play for a period of time, used most prominently in the National Hockey League and National Football League . It is used because these leagues have a maximum number of players on the team roster, so placing a...
and began rehabilitation treatment near his home in Florida. Backup Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
took over in the Carolina game and after losing that one, they won the next six straight games and the team ended up with a 9-7 record. Daunte's final career won-loss record as a starter for the Vikings was 37-40 (48.1% winning percentage).
On December 14, 2005 Culpepper and three other players were charged with indecent conduct, disorderly conduct and lewd or lascivious conduct for their involvement in the 2005 Minnesota Vikings boat cruise scandal
2005 Minnesota Vikings boat cruise scandal
An alleged sex party occurred on October 6, 2005 on Lake Minnetonka with seventeen key members of the Minnesota Vikings football team; including quarterback Daunte Culpepper, Fred Smoot, Mewelde Moore, Pat Williams, Bryant McKinnie, Nate Burleson, Ralph Brown, Troy Williamson, Travis Taylor, Kevin...
, according to court papers and news reports. The maximum penalty they could have faced was 90 days in jail. His defense contended there was racial discrimination among the prosecution. On April 4, 2006, however the charges against Culpepper were dropped owing to a lack of probable cause
Probable cause
In United States criminal law, probable cause is the standard by which an officer or agent of the law has the grounds to make an arrest, to conduct a personal or property search, or to obtain a warrant for arrest, etc. when criminal charges are being considered. It is also used to refer to the...
.
Culpepper was in negotiations with Zygi Wilf, the new owner of the Vikings, in regard to his contract with the team. Rumors surfaced that Culpepper was unhappy with his status in Minnesota due to the re-emergence of Brad Johnson following his injury. The Vikings wanted him to rehabilitate in Minnesota because they were not satisfied with his level of treatment in Florida, Culpepper refused this request.
Later on, Culpepper expressed his desire to be out of Minnesota. According to the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, Culpepper said that if he was not traded, he wanted to be released. Culpepper said "because of the fundamental differences I have with management regarding the approach to my personal and professional life, I think it is the best business decision for both parties to go our separate ways." Culpepper was not insistent on being traded to the Miami Dolphins, and orchestrated his trade without the services of his former agent. New Vikings coach Brad Childress
Brad Childress
Brad "Chilly" Childress is the former head coach of the Minnesota Vikings. He attended high school at the Marmion Academy in Aurora, Illinois...
likened his dealings with Culpepper to his dealings with Terrell Owens
Terrell Owens
Terrell Owens is an American football wide receiver who is currently a free agent. A six-time Pro Bowl selection, Owens has been one of the dominant receivers of his era...
and said he never had a conversation with Daunte that did not involve his contract and getting more money instead of football and the team.
Struggle to return from injury
Culpepper was traded to Nick SabanNick Saban
Nicholas Lou "Nick" Saban is the head coach of the University of Alabama's Crimson Tide football team. Saban has previously served as head coach of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins and three other NCAA universities: LSU, Michigan State and Toledo...
's Miami Dolphins in exchange for a second round draft pick. He changed his number from 11 (which he wore in Minnesota, after wearing #12 his rookie season in honor of Randall Cunningham) back to his original number 8, the same number he had at Vanguard High School and the University of Central Florida. Culpepper has also noted that in his hometown to this day, and even while with the Vikings, he has been referred to as "Eight" as a nickname.
The Dolphins debated whether to pursue Culpepper or quarterback Drew Brees during the offseason. The Dolphins decided to bring in Culpepper based on a medical evaluation of the two players. Brees was coming back from a shoulder injury suffered the last game during the 2005 season.
Although still recovering from a serious knee injury the previous year, Culpepper was able to attend and participate in all of the Dolphins offseason practices, including training camp. In early August, he made it public that he felt his knee was about 85-90% fully recovered. In his preseason game against Carolina he walked up to cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
Chris Gamble
Chris Gamble
Chris Lee Gamble is an American football player with the Carolina Panthers. During his NFL career Gamble has only played cornerback, but was briefly a wide receiver at the Ohio State University. He was converted into a cornerback during his sophomore year...
and thanked him for injuring him, Daunte said if Gamble had not hit him like that he'd still be in Minnesota.
He was off to a rocky start in his first two regular-season games, losing both of them with fans booing Culpepper and calling for backup Joey Harrington
Joey Harrington
John Joseph "Joey" Harrington, Jr. is a former American football quarterback. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions third overall in the 2002 NFL Draft, where he played for most of his professional career. He ranks third all-time in Detroit history in pass completions, with 986...
in the second game. But he had an improved performance in the third game, winning 13-10 over the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
who had the second to last ranked defense in the NFL. However, the next week the Houston Texans
Houston Texans
The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. The team is currently a member of the Southern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
with the last ranked defense in the NFL won their first game of the season against the Dolphins.
At this point the Dolphins were 1-3 and their opponents were 1-11 when not playing Miami. After the Houston loss, coach Nick Saban noticed Culpepper having trouble in practice due to a nagging bruised shoulder injury and decided to rest Culpepper up a couple of practices. On that Friday's practice Culpepper and Saban got into a loud, heated argument during practice. Saban had decided to bench Daunte until his shoulder recovered and he got more of the mobility back that he lost due to his knee injury.
On November 30, 2006, Culpepper underwent arthroscopic surgery on his previously injured knee to remove a piece of loose cartilage that was causing Culpepper difficulty. On December 12, 2006 Culpepper was placed on Injured Reserve, officially ending his 2006 season. Head coach Nick Saban stated that although Culpepper was making progress in his rehabilitation, he and the medical staff felt it would be difficult for Culpepper to play in the next three weeks.
On December 25, 2006, Steve Young appeared as a guest announcer during the Dolphins' second to last game and criticized Culpepper's work ethic. Culpepper saw this on TV from his box suite at Dolphin Stadium and immediately walked down to the ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
booth and waited for Steve Young to finish, then Daunte confronted Young about it and said he has not missed any meetings and that's not who he is. Young apologized and said though he heard Culpepper had been missing meetings he should have checked with Daunte first before repeating it. After the season coach Saban left for a head coaching job at the University of Alabama
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama is a public coeducational university located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, United States....
. On January 21, 2007 the South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Sun-Sentinel
The Sun Sentinel, owned by the Tribune Company, is the main daily newspaper of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S., and all of Broward County, but circulates throughout all of South Florida.-Overview:...
reported that despite public assertions by Saban, privately his decision to bench Culpepper actually had little to do with his knee and more to do with his head.
End of Culpepper era
In the absence of Culpepper, the Dolphins relied on quarterbacks Cleo LemonCleo Lemon
Cleo "Cleonardo" Lemon, Jr. is a Canadian football quarterback in the Canadian Football League who is currently a free agent. He most recently played for the Toronto Argonauts. He was signed by the Baltimore Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2002...
and Gibran Hamdan
Gibran Hamdan
Gibran Latif Hamdan is a former professional American football quarterback in the National Football League and NFL Europa. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the seventh round of the 2003 NFL Draft...
, untested players with one regular season start between them, in the Dolphins' initial minicamp under first-year coach Cam Cameron
Cam Cameron
-External links:...
. Both the players struggled to move the offense and the poor performance led to an April 15 report that stated a much-discussed trade for Kansas City
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
's Trent Green
Trent Green
Trent Jason Green is a retired professional American football quarterback. He was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the eighth round of the 1993 NFL Draft. He played college football at Indiana University....
was imminent,for Culpepper was unable to participate in the minicamp as he continued to recover from knee surgery. The weekend previous to the report, Culpepper revealed that the second surgery, which was designed to address scar tissue in the knee, was more serious than anyone originally divulged, and called for a rehabilitation period of 4–6 months. Culpepper said he has been told by Dr. James Andrews
James Andrews (physician)
James Rheuben Andrews, M.D., born 1942 in Homer, Louisiana, is an orthopedic surgeon who practices at the Andrews Institute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine in Gulf Breeze, Florida. He also practices in Birmingham, Alabama at the Andrews Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center located at St....
, his surgeon, to "begin to ease into things" after May 1.
On June 5, 2007 the Dolphins completed the long-awaited trade for Trent Green; a few hours before the Green trade became official, the Dolphins told Culpepper they "are going in a different direction at the QB position," according to Culpepper, who resisted that plan.
On June 7, Culpepper, acting as his own agent, asked to be released from his contract with the Dolphins. The Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
led a list of a few teams that were interested in signing him once he was on the free agent
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
market.
Culpepper was on the Dolphins' practice field for the start of a weekend minicamp on June 8, one day after asking for his release and two days after Miami completed a trade with Kansas City for Trent Green, who took over at quarterback. When Culpepper left the field and headed into the Dolphins training facility
Miami Dolphins Training Facility
The Miami Dolphins Training Facility is located on the Nova Southeastern University main campus in Davie, Florida. It is the headquarters location for the Miami Dolphins, as well as a location for frequent special events.-Architecture and features:...
, he walked off the field with a member of the Dolphins security staff. The team did not give an immediate explanation.
Informed by quarterbacks coach Terry Shea
Terry Shea
Terry Shea is a former college and NFL football coach. Currently, Shea does quarterback consulting work for future NFL draft prospects. Most recently he worked with Sam Bradford , Matthew Stafford and Josh Freeman . From 1964 to 1967, he was one of the quarterbacks on the University of Oregon's...
that he would not be permitted to take part in any team drills during the Dolphins' June 8–10 minicamp, Culpepper stated that he would seek intervention from the NFL Players Association to end the stalemate. In response, Dolphins officials stated they had no intention of releasing Culpepper, and would continue their efforts to trade him. In fact, head coach Cam Cameron told the Miami
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
media on June 9 that the team was "absolutely" prepared to take the situation into training camp as the club attempts to locate a trade partner. After being told he would not be allowed to practice, Culpepper told reporters that he would not restructure his contract to accommodate a trade, and said that he had already spoken to some teams that might be interested in him, such as the Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. He was finally released by the Dolphins on July 17. Culpepper was then rated number 8 in ESPN magazine's 2007 worst quarterback poll.
Oakland Raiders
Culpepper was first and most often linked to the Jacksonville JaguarsJacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, but Jaguars head coach Jack Del Rio
Jack Del Rio
Jack Del Rio is an American football coach and former player. Del Rio played both football and baseball for the University of Southern California Trojans, and then spent eleven years playing linebacker in the National Football League . He retired from playing in 1996 and went into coaching,...
said he did not feel Culpepper would be a good fit. Culpepper worked out for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
soon after his release, but was not acquired by the team. On July 31, Culpepper inked a one-year contract with the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, as an insurance policy by the Raiders as they struggled to sign number-one draft pick JaMarcus Russell
JaMarcus Russell
JaMarcus Trenell Russell is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. Russell played college football for the LSU Tigers where he finished 21–4 as a starter and was named MVP of the 2007 Sugar Bowl. The Oakland Raiders selected Russell with the first overall pick of the 2007...
, with whom they were undergoing contract negotiations. In 2007, Culpepper replaced the injured Josh McCown
Josh McCown
Joshua Treadwell McCown is an American football quarterback for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the third round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Sam Houston State.McCown has played for the Detroit Lions, Oakland...
for the Raiders matchup against his former team, the Miami Dolphins. Culpepper finished the game with two passing and three rushing touchdowns. Culpepper started a total of six games for Oakland until an off-field hamstring injury (suffered when he challenged Oakland CB Stanford Routt
Stanford Routt
Stanford Bermond Routt is an National Football League cornerback with the Oakland Raiders.-High school career:...
, a college sprinter, to a footrace during practice) sidelined him for the remaining portion of the season.
2008 retirement and comeback
Culpepper visited the Green Bay PackersGreen Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
on April 23 and April 24, 2008. He would later turn down the offer from the Packers, $1 million for a one year contract, claiming the deal was not good. He said he was in contact with a few other teams. In July 2008, it was reported that the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
were interested in signing Culpepper, but they never made an offer to him. He worked out with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
in August 2008, but the Steelers elected to sign Byron Leftwich
Byron Leftwich
Byron Antron Leftwich is an American football quarterback in the National Football League who currently plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars seventh overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Marshall University.Leftwich has also played...
instead to replace the injured Charlie Batch
Charlie Batch
Charles "Charlie" Batch is an American football quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions in the second round of the 1998 NFL Draft...
. On August 29, 2008, Culpepper then changed his mind and stated that he would consider a backup role in Green Bay if they were still interested in him, but the team did not put forth an offer.
On September 4, 2008, Culpepper announced his retirement. He expressed his frustrations with the NFL in a 506 word retirement letter. The main reason of his retirement was because he felt he could still be a starting quarterback in the NFL.
The Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
had spoken to Culpepper about coming out of retirement for the 2008 season after Brodie Croyle
Brodie Croyle
John Brodie Croyle is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League in the third round of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played college football for the University of Alabama from 2002 to 2005...
was declared out for the season with an injury. On October 23, Culpepper stated through an email to Adam Schefter that he would come out of retirement and give the NFL another shot. On October 27, Culpepper told the Chiefs that he would not make another meeting with the team due to a "better opportunity with another team".
Detroit Lions
On November 2, 2008, ESPN reported that he had agreed to terms on a two-year deal contract with the Detroit LionsDetroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
and would join the team the following week. After passing a physical, Culpepper officially signed with the Lions on November 3. The Lions assigned Culpepper number 11, the number Roy Williams
Roy Williams (wide receiver)
Roy Eugene Williams, Jr. is an American football wide receiver who is currently a member of the Chicago Bears. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions seventh overall in the 2004 NFL Draft...
had worn before he was traded to Dallas
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
on October 14. The signing of Culpepper made former Cowboys and Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
quarterback Drew Henson
Drew Henson
Drew Daniel Henson is a retired Major League Baseball third baseman and National Football League quarterback. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the sixth round of the 2003 NFL Draft. He played college football at Michigan....
expendable, and he was released on November 12, only to be re-signed two days later. Culpepper played 4 games with the Lions before suffering a shoulder injury. On December 28, 2008, the Lions became the first team in NFL history to go 0-16. Only one other team in NFL history has had a winless season (the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
The NFL Tampa Bay Buccaneers played their debut season in 1976, making league history as the first team to play an entire 14-game season without winning or tying a single game. They did not score until their third game and did not score a touchdown until their fourth. They lost by a touchdown or...
). Since signing with the Lions, the team has not won a game in which Culpepper played.
2009
In an interview with Sirius NFL Radio, former Detroit Lions WR Mike Furrey said he had heard through former Lions teammates that the Lions planned to make Culpepper the starter for the 2009 season.On February 16, 2009, the Lions reached an agreement with Culpepper for a restructured deal that would keep him on the team in the second year of his two-year contract. He had been due a $2.5 million roster bonus later in February prior to the restructuring.
On September 7, 2009, it was reported first overall draft pick Matthew Stafford
Matthew Stafford
John Matthew Stafford is an American football quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Lions first overall in the 2009 NFL Draft. He played college football at the University of Georgia....
was named the starter for the Lions regular season opener against the Saints. During preseason, Culpepper had suffered another injury (foot). Culpepper said he will respect Matthew Stafford as starter. However, he said he's not against a trade.
On December 14, 2009, Culpepper played in what the Detroit Free Press
Detroit Free Press
The Detroit Free Press is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, USA. The Sunday edition is entitled the Sunday Free Press. It is sometimes informally referred to as the "Freep"...
headlined as "Lions suffer one of their biggest defeats in history." Played in Baltimore, the Ravens won the game 48-3. In week 14, versus the Arizona Cardinals, Culpepper was benched in favor of third string QB Drew Stanton
Drew Stanton
Drew Emeric Stanton is a quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League. He played collegiately for the Michigan State Spartans.-Early life:...
after a poor performance.
Sacramento Mountain Lions
Culpepper signed with the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League on June 7, 2010. The signing reunited Culpepper with Dennis GreenDennis Green
Dennis "Denny" Green is an American football head coach for the Sacramento Mountain Lions of the United Football League...
, his former head coach in Minnesota. Culpepper was named UFL Offensive Player of the Week, twice in the 2010 season. His best game came in week 2 beating the Florida Tuskers 24-20, throwing for 374 yards and 2 passing touchdowns and one rushing touchdown. In April 2011, Culpepper was placed on the protected players list, for the 2011 UFL season.
2011
On August 14, 2011, the San Francisco 49ersSan Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
' head coach, Jim Harbaugh
Jim Harbaugh
James Joseph "Jim" Harbaugh is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League. Harbaugh agreed to a five-year deal with the San Francisco 49ers on January 7, 2011. Previously, he was the head coach at...
, announced that Culpepper was working out for the team on the following Monday to possibly add him to the 49ers roster. However, the 49ers opted to sign Culpepper's former Oakland Raider teammate Josh McCown instead.
Awards and honors
- 2001 Vikings Ed Block Courage AwardEd Block Courage AwardThe Ed Block Courage Award is an annual award presented to selected players in the National Football League , who are voted by their teammates as role models of inspiration, sportsmanship, and courage. Named in memory of Ed Block, a well-liked humanitarian and trainer for the Baltimore Colts, the...
- 2001 Best Breakthrough Athlete ESPY AwardBest Breakthrough Athlete ESPY AwardThe Best Breakthrough Athlete ESPY Award has been presented annually since 1993 to the sportsperson, irrespective of nationality, gender, or sport contested, adjudged to have made the greatest breakthrough in a major international individual sport or North American professional team sport...
- 2003 Extra Effort Award
- 2003 Korey StringerKorey StringerKorey Damont Stringer was an American football player who died from complications brought on by heat stroke, during training camp in Mankato, Minnesota while in training camp with the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.-College career:Stringer was born in Warren, Ohio and attended...
Good Guy Award - 2004 Korey StringerKorey StringerKorey Damont Stringer was an American football player who died from complications brought on by heat stroke, during training camp in Mankato, Minnesota while in training camp with the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League.-College career:Stringer was born in Warren, Ohio and attended...
Good Guy Award - 2007 Week 4 AFCAmerican Football ConferenceThe American Football Conference is one of the two conferences of the National Football League . This conference and its counterpart, the National Football Conference , currently contain 16 teams each, making up the 32 teams of the NFL....
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
Culpepper appeared in an episode of George LopezGeorge Lopez (TV series)
"The George Lopez Show" redirects here. For the late-night program hosted by the same comedian, see Lopez Tonight.George Lopez is an American sitcom starring comedian George Lopez...
, along with Donovan McNabb
Donovan McNabb
Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played...
. In the episode Culpepper is trying to recruit Jason McNamara, to play for Central Florida competing against McNabb who wants Jason to go to Syracuse
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
.
Culpepper also appeared in the movie 50 First Dates
50 First Dates
50 First Dates is a 2004 American romantic comedy film directed by Peter Segal and written by George Wing. The film stars Adam Sandler as a woman-chasing veterinarian and Drew Barrymore as an amnesiac, along with Rob Schneider, Sean Astin, Lusia Strus, Blake Clark, and Dan Aykroyd.Most of the film...
in the huddle and throwing a touchdown pass to Jim Kleinsasser
Jim Kleinsasser
Jim Carter Kleinsasser is an American Football player who currently plays fullback, H-back, and tight end for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League. Sometimes referred to as Jim Clank Clank.-High school:...
when Sean Astin
Sean Astin
Sean Astin is an American film actor, director, voice artist, and producer better known for his film roles as Mikey Walsh in The Goonies, the title character of Rudy, and Samwise Gamgee in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. In television, he appeared as Lynn McGill in the fifth season of 24...
and Drew Barrymore
Drew Barrymore
Drew Blyth Barrymore is an American actress, film director, screenwriter, producer and model. She is a member of the Barrymore family of American actors and granddaughter of John Barrymore. She first appeared in an advertisement when she was 11 months old. Barrymore made her film debut in Altered...
were watching a football game.
NFL Career statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Starts | Passing Yards | TD | INT | Rating |
| 1999 | MIN | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 2000 | MIN | 16 | 16 | 3,937 | 33 | 16 | 98.0 |
| 2001 | MIN | 11 | 11 | 2,612 | 14 | 13 | 83.3 |
| 2002 | MIN | 16 | 16 | 3,853 | 18 | 23 | 75.3 |
| 2003 | MIN | 14 | 14 | 3,479 | 25 | 11 | 96.4 |
| 2004 | MIN | 16 | 16 | 4,717 | 39 | 11 | 110.9 |
| 2005 | MIN | 7 | 7 | 1,564 | 6 | 12 | 72.0 |
| 2006 | MIA | 4 | 4 | 929 | 2 | 3 | 77.0 |
| 2007 | OAK | 7 | 6 | 1,331 | 5 | 5 | 78.0 |
| 2008 | DET | 5 | 5 | 786 | 4 | 6 | 63.9 |
| 2009 | DET | 8 | 5 | 945 | 3 | 6 | 64.8 |
| Overall | 105 | 100 | 24,153 | 149 | 106 | 87.8 |
UFL Career Statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Starts | Passing Yards | TD | INT | Rating |
| 2010 | SAC | 8 | 8 | 1,944 | 10 | 12 | 74.4 |
| Overall | 8 | 8 | 1,944 | 10 | 12 | 74.4 |
See also
- Most consecutive games with at least five touchdown passes
- Madden NFL Cover AthletesMadden NFLMadden NFL is an American football video game series developed by Electronic Arts Tiburon for EA Sports. The game series is named after Pro Football Hall of Famer John Madden, a well-known former Super Bowl-winning coach of the Oakland Raiders and color commentator...
- Madden Curse