Stu's Hunt Down: Ex-Gopher and ex-Viking Thomas Tapeh

With the Packers on a bye week, commenter RandBallsStu (branding!) returns to his offseason content staple by providing a Hunt Down. In this feature, he tracks down a former Minnesota sports figure about whom you might have otherwise forgotten. Stu? -------------

The Hunt Down

Name: Thomas Tapeh

Claim to Fame, Minnesota: the native of Liberia moved to Minnesota as a child and played football for St. Paul Johnson, the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota Vikings. Per Wikipedia, he's the only person to ever score a touchdown in the Metrodome as a high schooler, a college athlete and a professional. Current Star Tribune digital sports editor Michael RandBall profiled him waaaaaaaay back in 1999 for the Strib if you'd like to know more. And yes, he was a part of the 2003 Minnesota-Michigan game (12 carries, 31 yards and a touchdown) that haunts anyone who witnessed it.

Claim to Fame, Everywhere Else: the running back spent the balance of his NFL career as a fullback for the Philadelphia Eagles before finishing it with the Purple.

Where He Is Now: the head coach of your Woodrow Wilson Tigers in Camden, N.J.

Is He on Twitter: maybe?

Has He Ever Been in a Twitter Feud with Patrick Reusse: no.

Glorious Randomness: you all know that St. Paul Johnson gave us legendary SCSU head hockey coach Herb Brooks, comedian/celebrity diver Louie Anderson and Supreme Court Chief Justice Warren Burger, but Woodrow Wilson High School gave us a Heisman Trophy winner (Mike Rozier) and a notorious spree killer (Howard Unruh).