Jerry Tagge Jerry Lee Tagge ( born April 12 , 1950 ) is a former professional football player , a quarterback in the NFL , WFL , and CFL from 1972 - 79 . He is best known as the quarterback of the Nebraska Cornhusker teams which won national championships in 1970 and 1971 . Early life . Jerry Tagge was born at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha , Nebraska , the third child and second son of William Robert ( Billy ) Tagge and Lois Jurczyk Tagge . As a teenager in the mid - 1960s in Green Bay , Wisconsin , Tagge sold concessions at Lambeau Field , the home of the Green Bay Packers , then coached by Vince Lombardi . He graduated from Green Bay West High School in 1968 . College career . Tagge played college football at Nebraska under head coach Bob Devaney . In his sophomore year in 1969 , Tagge rose to second - string quarterback . His playing time increased until midway through his junior year when he took over the starting position from Van Brownson , leading the team to a 10 - 0 - 1 season and a matchup with LSU in the 1971 Orange Bowl . Tagge scored the game - winning touchdown in a 17 - 12 victory over the Tigers on a quarterback sneak , earning himself Most Valuable Player honors , and the Huskers the AP national championship for 1970 . Both # 1 Texas and # 2 Ohio State lost their bowl game s on New Year ' s Day . ( Through the 1973 season , the final UPI coaches ' poll was released in December , before the bowls . ) In his senior season in 1971 , Tagge quarterbacked the Huskers for the entire season , including the " Game of the Century " against the undefeated Oklahoma Sooners in Norman , a 35 - 31 victory on Thanksgiving Day . Nebraska would go on to crush undefeated Alabama 38 - 6 in the 1972 Orange Bowl , earning Tagge MVP honors for the second time . The Huskers finished 13 - 0 in 1971 and were a consensus choice , earning consecutive national titles . Nebraska had defeated the next three teams in the final AP poll : Oklahoma , Colorado ( 31 - 7 in Lincoln ) , and Alabama . Tagge then played in the Hula Bowl in Honolulu , leading the North to a 24 - 7 win over the South . Tagge was the first of three Nebraska Cornhuskers selected in the first round < br > of the 1972 NFL Draft ( RB Jeff Kinney - 23rd , DT Larry Jacobson - 24th ) . Pro career . Tagge ' s performance earned the notice of Dan Devine , head coach of the Green Bay Packers . On his recommendation , the Packers selected Tagge in the first round of the 1972 NFL Draft ( 11th overall ) . Tagge would not enjoy the success in his hometown that he had at Nebraska , completing only three touchdown passes in 17 games played during three seasons from 1972 - 74 . Following the 1974 season , Devine was replaced as head coach by Bart Starr , who released Tagge . Tagge left the NFL for the San Antonio Wings of the short - lived World Football League . Tagge played in the Wings ' final game of the 1975 season and he was intercepted five times . The Wings folded with the rest of the WFL on October 22 , 1975 . Tagge then moved north to Canada to the CFL , joining the BC Lions in 1977 . He finally saw plenty of playing time as a starter , and was awarded the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy in his first season . He played three seasons with BC , until a knee injury ended his career in 1979 . Post - football career and life . In 1981 , Tagge moved to St . Louis , where he sold apartment buildings . He also met his future wife , Betty , whom he married the following year . He returned to Nebraska in 1986 , initially selling life insurance , then founded Tagge - Rutherford Financial Services in Omaha , for which he serves as executive vice president . Career highlights . As the Nebraska Cornhuskers ' quarterback , he led his team to national titles in 1970 and 1971 , was named Orange Bowl Most Valuable Player ( MVP ) in 1971 and 1972 and shared honors as Hula Bowl MVP with Walt Patulski of Notre Dame , the first selection in the 1972 Draft . Additionally , Tagge was an All - American in 1971 and is a member of the University of Nebraska Hall of Fame . At Nebraska , Tagge threw for 5 , 071 yards , completing 377 of 637 passes ( 59 . 2 % ) , 32 for touchdowns . He was a first - round draft choice , 11th overall , of the Green Bay Packers in 1972 . In three years with the Packers , Tagge played 17 games completing 136 of 281 passes for 1583 yards , 3 TDs , and 17 interceptions . In 1975 he played briefly for the Wings in the WFL , where completed 18 of 34 passes for 265 yards , 1 TD , and 5 interceptions . In 1977 he moved north to Canada , where he was named a CFL all - star and winner of the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy and runner - up for the CFL ' s Most Outstanding Player Award . In 1977 , he completed 232 of 405 passes for 2787 yards , and in 1978 , he hit 243 of 430 passes for 3134 yards . He played part of the 1979 season before injuries forced him to retire . As a professional quarterback , Tagge had 718 completions in 1 , 304 attempts for 9 , 277 yards and 38 TDs .