RICH GANNON

I have always been a big Rich Gannon fan.  For a few years in the late '80s, "Gannon the Cannon" was a distant third on the Vikings quarterback depth chart behind veterans Wade Wilson and Tommy Kramer.  He was a pre-season phenom for at leas a couple of those years, with his powerful arm and great athleticism.  He was finally given a chance to play regularly in 1990, and eventually spent three years as the Viking primary starting quarterback.  He went 8-4 over his twelve starts in 1992, but was shipped to Washington after the season when the Vikings opted to sign the aging and injury prone Jim McMahon.

Following tenures in Washington and Kansas City, Gannon blossomed under Jon Gruden in Oakland.  He went to four consecutive Pro Bowls for the Raiders from 1999-2002.  He was a first-team NFL All-Pro selection in 2000 and 2002.  In 2002, he led the league with 4,689 passing yards, was named the AP NFL MVP, and led the Raiders to the Super Bowl.