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Daunte Culpepper (born January 28, 1977 in Ocala, Florida) is an American football player and the current starting quarterback for the Miami Dolphins. He was a former player for the Minnesota Vikings prior to a trade in 2006.
Early Life
Daunte was born in a jail and raised by a foster mother, Emma Culpepper. They lived in Ocala, Florida, where he attended Vanguard High School.
NFL Career
Culpepper was drafted by the Vikings in the first round of the 1999 NFL Draft (11th overall) out of the University of Central Florida. He was the fourth quarterback chosen after Tim Couch (1st), Donovan McNabb (2nd), and Akili Smith (3rd). His large build (6'4", 260 lb) and quick feet are considered a great advantage at his position, allowing him to avoid tackles while passing or running.
In his first year, Culpepper saw limited playing time and did not throw a pass.
In 2000, he was named the starting quarterback. He won the first seven games of the year, and helped the Vikings finish 11-5 and lead the Vikings to the NFC Championship game, where they were routed by the New York Giants, 41-0. During the season he passed for 3937 yards, 33 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions. He also rushed for 470 yards and seven touchdowns. At the end of the year he was selected to his first Pro Bowl.
Daunte struggled over the next two years, 2001 and 2002, while the Vikings were 5-11 in 2001 and 6-10 in 2002.
Culpepper made a comeback in 2003, leading to Vikings to a 9-7 record, although they missed the playoffs. He passed for 3479 yards, 25 touchdowns, and only 11 interceptions, which helped him earn his second trip to the Pro Bowl.
In 2004, if not for Peyton Manning, Daunte would have likely been named NFL MVP. He enjoyed his best statistical season as a professional and though the Vikings were only 8-8, they reached the playoffs for the second time with Culpepper. Passing for a league-leading 4717 yards, and Viking-record 39 touchdowns, and only 11 interceptions. Culpepper was named to his third career Pro Bowl. Culpepper also broke Dan Marino's NFL record for combined passing and rushing yards, amassing 5,123 total yards.
His first two games of the 2005 season were a disappointment, as the Vikings went 0-2 while Culpepper threw no touchdown passes, eight interceptions, and fumbled twice, but Culpepper rebounded in the third week, throwing for 300 yards and 3 touchdowns while beating the New Orleans Saints 33-16 at home. But in week 4 the Vikings stumbled again as Daunte threw 2 interceptions and lost a fumble in Atlanta, where they lost 30-10. After returning from a bye week in week five, the Vikings were determined to win following a party boat scandal that occurred during the off week. Going into Soldier Field to face the 1-3 Chicago Bears, Daunte started out smooth, with a high completion percentage and drives leading to the redzone, but in the second half, things fell apart. The Bears scored 3 touchdowns and Daunte threw 2 interceptions as the Vikings went on to lose 28-3. On October 30, he suffered a knee injury during a 38-13 loss to the Carolina Panthers. Culpepper sustained damage to the three major ligaments in the knee: the anterior cruciate, posterior cruciate and medial collateral. He was placed on injured reserve, and is currently undergoing rehabilitation treatment in Florida.
On December 14, 2005 Culpepper and three other players were charged in a party boat scandal with indecent conduct, disorderly conduct and lewd or lascivious conduct, according to court papers. The maximum penalty they could face is 90 days in jail.
Culpepper is currently in negotiations with the Zygmund Wilf, the new owner of the Vikings, in regards to his current contract. Rumors have recently surfaced that Culpepper is unhappy with his status in Minnesota due to the emergence of Brad Johnson following his injury. Although Wilf denies it, the possibility that Culpepper will be traded before the 2006 season has become more realistic as of late.
College career
Although he had a love for baseball, Culpepper committed to the University of Central Florida to play football as quarterback. At UCF, he rewrote mostly all quarterback records (more than 30 in all). He also set an NCAA record for single-season completion percentage at .736, breaking a 15-year-old mark set by Steve Young (.713) and 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, 24 rushing).
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. |
