 Krause with theIowa Hawkeyes in 1963 | |||||||||||
| No. 26, 22 | |||||||||||
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| Position | Safety | ||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||
| Born | (1942-02-19)February 19, 1942 (age 83) Flint, Michigan, U.S. | ||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||||
| Weight | 200 lb (91 kg) | ||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||
| High school | Bendle (Burton, Michigan) | ||||||||||
| College | Iowa (1960–1963) | ||||||||||
| NFL draft | 1964: 2nd round, 18th overall pick | ||||||||||
| AFL draft | 1964: 12th round, 89th overall pick | ||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||
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Paul James Krause (born February 19, 1942) is an American former professionalfootball player who was asafety in theNational Football League (NFL) for theMinnesota Vikings and theWashington Redskins.[1] Gifted with a great frame, speed and range, Krause established himself as a defensive force against opposingwide receivers. He led the league with 12interceptions as a rookie before going on to set the NFL career interceptions record with 81[2] and was inducted into thePro Football Hall of Fame in 1998.[3] Krause was selected eight times to thePro Bowl during his 16 seasons in the NFL and is considered to be among the greatest safeties in NFL history.
Krause attended and playedhigh school football atBendle High School inBurton, Michigan, and earned all-state honors in basketball, football, baseball and track.[4] Known for once scoring 78 points in a basketball game, he was one of the few in his high school to ever receive an athletic scholarship.[5]
Krause attended and playedcollege football at theUniversity of Iowa. He was a two-way starter as awide receiver,running back, anddefensive back.[5] As a senior in 1963, he tied the Iowa record with six touchdown pass receptions[4] and was selected for theSenior Bowl, the East-West Shrine game, the Coaches' All-American game and the College All-Star game.[5] He finished his college career with 42 receptions for 718 yards, 49 carries for 263 yards, and 8 touchdowns.[6]
Krause also played baseball at Iowa. As a sophomore, he earnedAll-American honors and was selected into the major leagues, but he turned down the offer.[5] Krause's chances to play professional baseball were ended when he injured his shoulder in his junior year playing football against theUniversity of Michigan.[4]
Krause was drafted in the second round of the1964 NFL draft by theWashington Redskins. In his rookie season, he led the NFL in interceptions with 12, including interceptions in seven straight games, and was named to the All-NFL first team.[7] He was named to his first of eight Pro Bowls and was second only to teammateCharley Taylor for theNFL Rookie of the Year award.[7]
Although he intercepted 28 passes in his first four seasons with the Redskins, he was traded to theMinnesota Vikings forlinebackerMarlin McKeever and a seventh-round draft choice in the1968 NFL draft.[7]
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Krause played with the Vikings until he retired after the1979 season. During that time, he was one of 11 players to play in all four of the Vikings Super Bowl appearances (Super Bowl IV,VIII,IX, andXI). He also recorded an interception in the 1969 NFL Championship Game.[7] Krause recorded an interception in Super Bowl IV and a fumble recovery in Super Bowl IX.[7][8]
Krause was often referred to as the Vikings "center fielder" because of his success as an interscholasticbaseball player and his ability to catch interceptions.[9][10]
He currently holds the all-time interception record in theNFL with 81, which he returned for 1,185 yards and three touchdowns. He set the record in 1979 against theLos Angeles Rams, in the second quarter of a 27–21 overtime loss with his 81st interception coming in the final quarter.[4] The previous record of 79 was held byEmlen Tunnell, another former Hawkeye who played for theNew York Giants and theGreen Bay Packers from1948 to1961.[4][7]
Krause recovered 19 fumbles, returning them for 163 yards and three touchdowns. Krause only missed two games due to injuries in 16 seasons.[7]
In 1994, Krause was elected to the Board of County Commissioners forDakota County, Minnesota. He served for twenty years and he did not seek re-election in 2014.[11]
Currently, Krause is involved in real estate development and insurance, and he owns several restaurants,[4] including the Dairy Delite inLakeville, Minnesota.[12] He previously owned a golf course in Elk River, Minnesota.
Krause was named to the Iowa Sports Hall of Fame in 1985,[4] thePro Football Hall of Fame in 1998,[7] and theBoys & Girls Clubs ofSarasota County Sports Hall of Fame on May 7, 2004.[13]
The current scoreboard at Father Aagason Field (the former Holy Redeemer Field) in Burton, Michigan, was named in his honor, and was erected through funds fromMeijer, Bendle High School boosters and Holy Redeemer Catholic Church parishoners.
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Led the league | |
| NFL record | |
| Bold | Career high |
| General | Interceptions | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | GP | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD |
| 1964 | WAS | 14 | 12 | 140 | 11.7 | 35 | 1 |
| 1965 | WAS | 14 | 6 | 118 | 19.7 | 43 | 0 |
| 1966 | WAS | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1967 | WAS | 13 | 8 | 75 | 9.4 | 32 | 0 |
| 1968 | MIN | 14 | 7 | 82 | 11.7 | 29 | 0 |
| 1969 | MIN | 14 | 5 | 82 | 16.4 | 77 | 1 |
| 1970 | MIN | 14 | 6 | 90 | 15.0 | 40 | 0 |
| 1971 | MIN | 14 | 6 | 112 | 18.7 | 31 | 0 |
| 1972 | MIN | 14 | 6 | 109 | 18.2 | 35 | 1 |
| 1973 | MIN | 14 | 4 | 28 | 7.0 | 24 | 0 |
| 1974 | MIN | 14 | 2 | 53 | 26.5 | 45 | 0 |
| 1975 | MIN | 14 | 10 | 201 | 20.1 | 81 | 0 |
| 1976 | MIN | 14 | 2 | 21 | 10.5 | 19 | 0 |
| 1977 | MIN | 14 | 2 | 25 | 12.5 | 25 | 0 |
| 1978 | MIN | 16 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1979 | MIN | 16 | 3 | 49 | 16.3 | 18 | 0 |
| Career | 226 | 81 | 1,185 | 14.6 | 81 | 3 | |
Krause is married to his wife, Pam, and has two daughters and one son.[4]
In 1995, Pam Krause was severely injured in a car accident near their home in Lakeville, Minnesota when she was hit by a truck.[5] She spent five and a half months in a coma, but survived and is recuperating.[5]
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