Tim Van Galder

{{Short description|American football player (1944–2022)}}

{{for|the Australian cognitive scientist|Tim van Gelder}}

{{Use American English|date=January 2022}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2022}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| image =

| caption =

| position = Quarterback

| number = 16

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1944|05|26}}

| birth_place = Racine, Wisconsin, U.S.

| death_date = {{Death date and age|2022|1|26|1944|05|26}}

| death_place = St. Charles, Missouri, U.S.

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 4

| weight_lbs = 200

| draftyear = 1966

| draftround = 6

| draftpick = 88

| afldraftyear = 1966

| afldraftround = Red Shirt 2

| afldraftpick = 13
(by the Houston Oilers){{cite web|url=http://www.profootballarchives.com/1966AFLDraft.html|title=1966 AFL Draft|access-date=March 23, 2017|archive-date=February 25, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170225184716/http://profootballarchives.com/1966AFLDraft.html|url-status=dead}}

| high_school = Madison West

| college = Iowa State

| pastteams =

• St. Louis Cardinals ({{NFL Year|1967}}, {{NFL Year|1971|1972}})
• Cincinnati Bengals ({{NFL Year|1973}})
• New York Jets ({{NFL Year|1973}})

|highlights =

• 2× Second-team All-Big Eight (1965, 1966)

| statlabel1 = TD–INT

| statvalue1 = 1–7

| statlabel2 = Passing yards

| statvalue2 = 434

| statlabel3 = Passer rating

| statvalue3 = 34.5

| pfr =

| pfrcoach =

| cfl =

| afl =

| HOF =

| CollegeHOF =

}}

Thomas Scott "Tim" Van Galder (May 26, 1944 – January 26, 2022) was an American professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) with the St. Louis Cardinals (1967, 1971–1972) and the New York Jets (1973). He played college football and baseball at Iowa State University and the New Mexico Military Institute. While at Iowa State he earned all Big Eight Conference honors in both sports. He was later a sportscaster on St. Louis television.

Van Galder was born in Racine, Wisconsin on May 26, 1944. Although drafted in 1966 by the Cardinals he spent most of his first 3 seasons on their taxi squad, only being briefly activated but not playing in 1967.{{cite news|title=Jets trade Maynard to Cards; Bengals' Carter on reserve list|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22737346/the_daily_reporter_dover_oh_11_sep/|accessdate=August 12, 2018|date= September 11, 1973|newspaper=The Daily Reporter|page=12|via=newspapers.com}} His first NFL action came on opening day of 1972 when he started at quarterback for the Cardinals and led them to a 10–3 victory over the Baltimore Colts.{{cite web|title=St. Louis Cardinals at Baltimore Colts - September 17th, 1972|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/boxscores/197209170clt.htm|publisher=pro-football-reference.com|accessdate=August 12, 2018}} He started 4 more games for the Cardinals that season but the Cardinals did not win any of them; he missed several games with a concussion suffered in game 3, and he ended the season with a 34.5 quarterback rating on 79 passes (with 7 interceptions).{{Cite news |last=Barnhart |first=Jim |date=July 29, 1973 |title=Gregarious Van Galder retains optimism |page=17 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22738105/the_pantagraph_29_jul_1973_p_17/ |via=newspapers.com |accessdate=August 12, 2018}}{{cite web|title=Tim van Galder|url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/V/VanGTi00.htm|publisher=pro-football-reference.com|accessdate=August 12, 2018}}

He was waived by the Cardinals and picked up by the Cincinnati Bengals before the 1973 season to replace the injured Virgil Carter as Ken Anderson's backup.{{cite news|title=Big Red Release Van Galder|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22738256/moberly_monitorindex_6_sep_1973_p11/|newspaper=Moberly Monitor-Index|accessdate=August 12, 2018|date=September 6, 1973|page=11|via=newspapers.com}}{{cite news|title=St. Louis Cardinals are Happy with Maynard|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22737926/the_messenger_11_sep_73_p_8/|newspaper=The Messenger|accessdate=August 12, 2018|date=September 11, 1973|page=8|via=newspapers.com}} The Bengals released him after an opening game loss in which Van Galder did not play and replaced him with Mike Ernst.{{cite news|title=Bengals go for First win against hapless Houston|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22738476/daily_reporter_22_sep_73_op13/|newspaper=Daily Reporter|date=September 22, 1973|accessdate=August 12, 2018|page=13|via=newspapers.com}} He was signed in October by the New York Jets to back up 3rd string quarterback Bill Demory after their top two quarterbacks, Joe Namath and Al Woodall, were hurt.{{cite news|title=Jets Sign Van Galder|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22738705/the_ithaca_journal_13_oct_73_p13/|newspaper=The Ithaca Journal|date=October 13, 1973|page=13|accessdate=August 12, 2018|via=newspapers.com}} The Jets released him after two games in which Van Galder did not play.{{cite news|title=Howfield Keeps Footing Despite Kicks from Cosell|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/22738895/daily_news_oct_25_73_p135/|author=Larry Fox|newspaper=The Daily News|date=October 25, 1973|page=135|accessdate=August 12, 2018|via=newspapers.com}}

In 1973, Van Galder became a sportscaster in St. Louis for KMOV, where he spent 13 years.{{cite news|first=Dan|last=Caesar|title=Former St. Louis quarterback, sportscaster Van Galder dies at 77|date=January 26, 2022|newspaper=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|url=https://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/former-st-louis-quarterback-sportscaster-van-galder-dies-at-77/article_353efd2f-f99e-562a-bd8e-304803468266.html|access-date=January 27, 2022}}

Van Galder died from cancer in St. Charles, Missouri, on January 26, 2022, at the age of 77.[https://thespun.com/nfl/former-nfl-quarterback-has-died-at-77 Former NFL Quarterback Has Died At 77]