May 17, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; NFL former quarterback Randall Cunningham at the 2015 Pac-12 Championships at Drake Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
6. Randall Cunningham
People thought Randall Cunningham was over-the-hill when he joined the Vikings in 1997 after spending a year out of football. They were wrong.
Cunningham signed with Minnesota in ’97 as backup to Brad Johnson and ended up starting the team’s playoff game against the Giants, a game the Vikings won largely thanks to Cunningham’s late heroics (and a little help from the refs).
Cunningham became the starter in 1998 just two games into the season and, along with rookie sensation Randy Moss, led the Vikings on one of the greatest offensive tears in history.
The Vikings finished that season 15-1 and looked on their way to the Super Bowl when they melted down late against the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC title game.
Cunningham’s improbable run with the Vikings came to an end in 1999 when he was benched in favor of Jeff George.
Overall, Cunningham went 16-7 as Vikings starter and amassed a 2-2 playoff record. Not too shabby.