16 games/14 starts
Enters 2008 having gone 7-3 in his final 10 starts of 2007…Progressed during 2007 season in his 1st taste as a full-time starter and posted an 8-4 mark in his 12 starts…A dual threat with his legs and arm, accounting for 15 career TDs, 11 through the air and 4 on the ground...Posted wins against Super Bowl XLII champion NY Giants and AFC Championship participants San Diego during the 2007 season...During his rookie campaign in 2006, was 1 of 5 QBs in the 2006 class to start games, joining Vince Young in Tennessee, Matt Leinart in Arizona, Jay Cutler in Denver and Bruce Gradkowski in Tampa Bay…Ranked 2nd in completion percentage among his rookie classmates at 58.0%, trailing only Cutler’s 59.1%....Joined Young and Leinart as the only 3 rookie QBs to throw and rush for TDs on the season…Ran for a TD and threw for a pair of TDs in 2006...Started 1st career game at Green Bay (12/21) on an NFL Network Thursday Night Football game…Has a a wealth of experience in the Vikings coaching staff to tutor him between Brad Childress, Darrell Bevell and Kevin Rogers...Was the 5th QB selected in the 2006 NFL Draft...Only the 2nd player ever drafted from Alabama State by the Vikings.
2007Guided the Vikings offense to the #13 ranking in the NFL, a jump from #23 in 2006…Took over starting job and notched an 8-4 record in his 12 starts, with 2 of the losses coming in overtime games…Had a 7-3 record in his final 10 starts of the season…Key element to the Vikings 5- game win streak in November and December that raised the record to 8-6, converting 70.5% of his passes in that 5-game stretch…Battled through injuries that forced him to miss 4 games during the season…Led NFC QBs with 3 rushing TDs on the season…Threw 3 TD passes of 60+ yards during the season to 3 different players and won all 3 games…Connected with RB Adrian Peterson for a 60- yard TD on Peterson’s 1st career catch in the season opening win vs. Atlanta (9/9)…Hit WR Troy Williamson for a 60-yard TD at Chicago (10/14) and connected with WR Sidney Rice for a 60-yard TD at NY Giants (11/25), the big score coming on the 2nd play of the game…Set a Vikings record and matched an NFL record by converting a pair of 2-point conversions in the season finale at Denver (12/30), running in a pair of 2-pointers to cap a furious 4th-quarter comeback that forced the game to overtime…Connected on a season-long 71-yard pass to Robert Ferguson vs. Chicago (12/17) on Monday Night Football…Engineered a comeback win over Chicago (12/17) in his 1st Monday Night Football start, fighting back from a 10-point 1st-half deficit…Posted 1st career game with no sacks or interceptions in win at San Francisco (12/9)…Had career-best 139.2 passer rating at NY Giants (11/25) in an upset win over the eventual Super Bowl XLII Champions…Recorded 2nd straight game with a 100+ passer rating vs. Detroit (12/2) with a 110.4 mark.2006Started final 2 games of the regular season, becoming only the 3rd Vikings rookie QB to start a game in franchise history, joining Fran Tarkenton and Tommy Kramer...Became the 1st rookie QB to start for the Vikings in 30 years when he opened Thursday Night Football game on NFL Network at Green Bay (12/21)…Threw 2 TDs- hitting Mewelde Moore on a 35-yard screen pass vs. NY Jets (12/17) and connecting with Travis Taylor vs. St. Louis (12/31) in the season finale...Ran for his 1st career TD vs. St. Louis (12/31)…Tied for the longest pass completion of the Vikings season with a 50-yard pass to Moore vs. St. Louis (12/31)…Connected on 3 passes of 30+ yards in his limited action during the season, connecting with Moore for passes of 50 and 35t yards and hitting Taylor for a 31-yard pickup…Connected with Ciatrick Fason for his 1st career completion at Chicago (12/3) on a 4-yard pass.
Left school ranked 7th in Southwestern Athletic Conference history with 67 TD passes despite playing only 3 seasons in the league and ranks 9th in SWAC history with 7,839 yards...Ended ASU career ranked 2nd in TD passes and passing yards...Accounted for 79 career TDs (68 pass, 11 rush)...Threw a TD pass in final 16 straight games and in 19 of his final 20 college games...Posted 6 career 300-yard passing games...Competed with Jacksonville Jaguars 1st-round WR draft choice Matt Jones for time at QB when both played for Arkansas before transferring to ASU…Earned 2nd-Team All-SWAChonors as a senior…Was tabbed as the SWAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year...ASU’s captain and offensive MVP during senior year...Threw for 2,941 yards, the 3rdmost in ASU history...Gained 3,226 yards of offense (2,941 passing/285 rushing), the 3rd-most in school history...Threw 3+ TD passes in 7 of 11 games on the season and threw a TD in all 11 games…During junior season he guided the Hornets to SWAC title and a 10-2 mark, becoming only the 2nd QB in school history to lead a team to 10 wins...Named MVP of SWAC Championship VI and the Detroit Football Classic as a junior in 2004...In his ASU debut in 2003, led team to an 8-5 record, the SWAC Eastern Division title and a berth in SWAC Championship V...Started all 13 games and posted career-best 444 yards rushing and 5 TDs…In 2002 he saw time in 8 games for the Razorbacks in his final season with the team...Started 1st career collegiate game at Auburn...Threw 1st career TD pass vs. South Florida…As a freshman in 2001, he played in 3 games for the Razorbacks before shoulder injury sidelined him...Granted medical redshirt for season...Made college football debut against UNLV in 2001 season opener.2005 Earned 2nd-Team All-SWAC honors...Tabbed as the SWAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year...ASU’s captain and offensive MVP...Threw for 2,941 yards, the 3rd-most in ASU history...Gained 3,226 yards of offense (2,941 passing/285 rushing), the 3rd-most in school history...Threw 3+ TD passes in 7 of 11 games on the season and threw a TD in all 11 games...Averaged 293.2 yards of total offense per game, ranking 9th in Division I-AA....Hornets were off to a 6-1 start to the season before falling to 6-5, losing the final 4 games by a combined 14 points. 2004 Guided Hornets to SWAC title and a 10-2 mark, becoming only the 2nd QB in school history to lead a team to 10 wins...Named MVP of SWAC Championship VI and the Detroit Football Classic...Avenged a 2003 loss to Southern in SWAC title game with a 40-35 win, the 5th time on the season scoring 40+ points...Win over Southern also got revenge for a 42-41 loss in the 4th game of the season...Ranked 3rd in school history with 2,556 passing yards and 4th with 20 TD passes. 2003 In his ASU debut, led team to an 8-5 record, the SWAC Eastern Division title and a berth in SWAC Championship V...Started all 13 games and posted career-best 444 yards rushing and 5 TDs...Guided team to 48+ points in 4 games during the season...Threw for career-high 361 yards against Grambling. 2002 Saw time in 8 games for the Razorbacks in his final season with the team...Started 1st career collegiate game at Auburn...Threw 1st career TD pass vs. South Florida. 2001 Played in 3 games before shoulder injury sidelined him...Granted medical redshirt for season...Made college football debut against UNLV in season opener.
Majored in psychology...Joined teammates during the 2006 Holiday season as part of Dick’s Sporting Goods “Shop With a Viking” event, helping children from the Boys and Girls Club of the Twin Cities spend gift cards and hosting a pizza party afterward...Taught kids football as part of the Vikings Junior Player Development camp in St. Paul in summer 2006...Has career aspirations to coach or work with children to give back to the coaches who helped mentor him throughout his youth...An avid cook, hosts barbecues during offseason workouts to promote team building…Name is pronounced TAH-vahris... Attended same high school, Sidney Lanier High in Montgomery, AL, as Packers legend Bart Starr...Son, Tarvaris, was born in September 2007.
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