Kurt Knoff
Encyclopedia
Kurt L. Knoff is a former American football
safety who played in the National Football League
for the Houston Oilers
and the Minnesota Vikings
.
A graduate of East Grand Forks High School in East Grand Forks
, Minnesota
, Knoff was named the Minnesota High School Athlete of the Year in 1972. He attended the University of Kansas
, excelling in football
. He was a 1975 All-American, who also played both baseball
and basketball
for the Jayhawks
. He was named to KU’s All-Time Best Football Team by the Lawrence Journal-World
.
One of the nicknames that Kurt Knoff earned (while a defensive back at KU), (and has endeared him for life with KU fans) was a play Kurt made that came to be known and spoken of as folk-lore.............simply known as "The Hit'. Kurt (in a game against Oklahoma State at Lawrence in '75) came from the defensive backfield running full steam headed into one of the great Oklahoma State All-American running backs, Terry Miller
. Terry was also running full speed up the side-line as he had swept around the defensive line of KU and appeared headed for a touchdown, when all of the sudden Kurt Knoff bolted up the field and ran head on into Terry Miller
in a horrible collision. The entire stadium gasped all at once when the impact occurred. If you couldn't see "The Hit" you could hear "The Hit". When the players separated on the field there lay both Terry Miller
and Kurt Knoff. They were both knocked-out from the impact. They both got up shortly after that to play out the remainder of the game, but for KU athletics, it was a moment defined. "The Hit" went on to signify for future fans and players, what 'leaving it out on the field' and 'giving it your all' signify.
Selected in the 2nd Round of the 1976 NFL Draft
by the Denver Broncos
, he did not sign with the team due to health concerns related to his knee. He eventually signed with the Houston Oilers, and played for the team in 1977 and 1978. He was picked up by the Minnesota Vikings during the 1979 season
, and intercepted
a pass
on his very first play with the team. Knoff spent a total of four years with the Vikings, retiring before the start of the 1983 season
.
During his professional football career, Knoff spent his summer pursuing an MBA degree from the University of Kansas
. He was able to parlay this degree into a successful post-football career as a commercial real estate broker
in Minneapolis – Saint Paul.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
safety who played in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for the Houston Oilers
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
and the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
.
A graduate of East Grand Forks High School in East Grand Forks
East Grand Forks, Minnesota
-K-12:The East Grand Forks School District enrolls over 1,000 students and operates two elementary schools , Central Middle School, and East Grand Forks Senior High School. There are also two private Christian schools. Sacred Heart School is a Roman Catholic elementary, middle, and high school...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, Knoff was named the Minnesota High School Athlete of the Year in 1972. He attended the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
, excelling in football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
. He was a 1975 All-American, who also played both baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
for the Jayhawks
Kansas Jayhawks
The sports teams at the University of Kansas are known as the Jayhawks. They are one of three schools in the state of Kansas that participate in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks are also a member of the Big 12 Conference...
. He was named to KU’s All-Time Best Football Team by the Lawrence Journal-World
Lawrence Journal-World
The Lawrence Journal-World is a daily newspaper published in Lawrence, Kansas by The World Company.-History:Though the Journal-World title only came into existence in 1911, according to the volume number of the current masthead of the paper, the paper dates itself back to 1858.The Simons family...
.
One of the nicknames that Kurt Knoff earned (while a defensive back at KU), (and has endeared him for life with KU fans) was a play Kurt made that came to be known and spoken of as folk-lore.............simply known as "The Hit'. Kurt (in a game against Oklahoma State at Lawrence in '75) came from the defensive backfield running full steam headed into one of the great Oklahoma State All-American running backs, Terry Miller
Terry Miller
Terry Miller was an American football running back in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks. He was an All-American at Oklahoma State University in 1976 and 1977 and finished second in the 1977 Heisman Trophy voting....
. Terry was also running full speed up the side-line as he had swept around the defensive line of KU and appeared headed for a touchdown, when all of the sudden Kurt Knoff bolted up the field and ran head on into Terry Miller
Terry Miller
Terry Miller was an American football running back in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks. He was an All-American at Oklahoma State University in 1976 and 1977 and finished second in the 1977 Heisman Trophy voting....
in a horrible collision. The entire stadium gasped all at once when the impact occurred. If you couldn't see "The Hit" you could hear "The Hit". When the players separated on the field there lay both Terry Miller
Terry Miller
Terry Miller was an American football running back in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks. He was an All-American at Oklahoma State University in 1976 and 1977 and finished second in the 1977 Heisman Trophy voting....
and Kurt Knoff. They were both knocked-out from the impact. They both got up shortly after that to play out the remainder of the game, but for KU athletics, it was a moment defined. "The Hit" went on to signify for future fans and players, what 'leaving it out on the field' and 'giving it your all' signify.
Selected in the 2nd Round of the 1976 NFL Draft
1976 NFL Draft
The 1976 National Football League Draft was an annual player selection meeting held on April 8–April 9, 1976. It lasted 17 rounds, with the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Seattle Seahawks making the first two selections. The expansion teams were also given a pair of extra picks at the end of...
by the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, he did not sign with the team due to health concerns related to his knee. He eventually signed with the Houston Oilers, and played for the team in 1977 and 1978. He was picked up by the Minnesota Vikings during the 1979 season
1979 Minnesota Vikings season
1979 was the 19th year of season play for the Minnesota Vikings and the 60th regular season of the National Football League. The Vikings finished with a record of seven wins and nine losses.-Schedule:-Standings:-Roster:-References:...
, and intercepted
Interception (football)
An interception, intercept or pick is a move in many forms of football, including Canadian and American football, as well as rugby league, rugby union, Australian rules football and Gaelic football, which involves a pass, either by foot or hand, being caught by an opposition player, who usually...
a pass
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
on his very first play with the team. Knoff spent a total of four years with the Vikings, retiring before the start of the 1983 season
1983 NFL season
The 1983 NFL season was the 64th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVIII when the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins.-Major rule changes:...
.
During his professional football career, Knoff spent his summer pursuing an MBA degree from the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
. He was able to parlay this degree into a successful post-football career as a commercial real estate broker
Real estate broker
A real estate broker, real estate agent or realtor is a party who acts as an intermediary between sellers and buyers of real estate/real property and attempts to find sellers who wish to sell and buyers who wish to buy...
in Minneapolis – Saint Paul.
Sources
- Ballew, Bill. Tough Enough to be Vikings: Minnesota's Purple Pride from A to Z. Asheville, North Carolina: Old Norse Publishing, 1999. (page 192)
- Black, Sam. "Preparation Pays Off for Former Viking Knoff." Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal. June 21, 2004
- Toplikar, Dave. "KU's All-Time Best Football Team." Lawrence Journal-World
External links
- Kurt Knoff Career Statistics from databasefootball.com
- "KU's All-Time Best Football Team" from the Lawrence Journal-WorldLawrence Journal-WorldThe Lawrence Journal-World is a daily newspaper published in Lawrence, Kansas by The World Company.-History:Though the Journal-World title only came into existence in 1911, according to the volume number of the current masthead of the paper, the paper dates itself back to 1858.The Simons family...
- "Preparation Pays Off for Former Viking Knoff" from the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal, June 21, 2004