Craig Morton
| Craig Morton | |
|---|---|
|
Position (s): Quarterback |
Jersey numbers: 14, 15, 7 |
| born February 5, 1943 in Flint , Michigan | |
| Career information | |
| Active : 1965 - 1982 | |
| NFL Draft : 1982 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5 | |
| AFL Draft : 1965 / Round: 10 / Pick: 75 by the Oakland Raiders | |
| College : University of California | |
| Teams | |
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| Career statistics | |
| Games | 203 |
| Gaining space through a pass | 27,908 yards |
| TD - INT | 183-187 |
| QB rating | 73.5 |
| Stats at NFL.com | |
| Stats at pro-football-reference.com | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| College Football Hall of Fame | |
Larry Craig Morton (born February 5, 1943 in Flint , Michigan , USA ), nickname : "The Ghost" , is a former American American football player . He played in the National Football League (NFL) with the Dallas Cowboys , New York Giants and Denver Broncos as a quarterback .
Player career
College career
Craig Morton studied at the University of California from 1962 to 1964 . In college he played quarterback football for the California Golden Bears . Morton was the team's starting quarterback for all three game years . In his senior year at college, he was voted All-American for his athletic performance .
Professional career
Morton was drafted fifth in the first round by the Dallas Cowboys in 1965 . The Oakland Raiders from the American Football League (AFL) also showed interest in Morton and drew him in the 10th round in 75th place in the AFL draft . Morton signed a professional contract with the Dallas team trained by Tom Landry . Landry put Morton as backup for quarterback Don Meredith . It was only after Meredith retired after the 1968 season that Morton was used as a starter. In his first season as a regular player, he led his team into the play-offs , but where they failed in the first round at the Cleveland Browns . Also in 1970 he moved with the team in the play-offs. After a 5-0 win over the Detroit Lions , a 17:10 win over the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game , Morton and his team were in the Super Bowl . Opponents of the cowboys were the Baltimore Colts trained by Don McCafferty , who were able to prevail against the cowboys in Super Bowl V with 16:13. While Morton showed an attractive performance in the regular season , his performance in the finals was not very convincing. Only 23 of his 66 passes were caught, his two touchdowns were matched by four interceptions .
In 1969, the Cowboys signed Roger Staubach, a young quarterback who was initially unable to prevail against Morton. However, Morton won only one of four games in 1971 and Staubach then replaced him as starting quarterback. He led the team in the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco and after a 14: 3 victory over the team from California in the Super Bowl VI against the Miami Dolphins . The team of coach Don Shula had to admit defeat to the Cowboys with 24: 3 in the game. In the 1972 season, Morton was able to take up his traditional position again during the season after a serious shoulder injury from Staubach. He led the Cowboys back into the play-offs but was replaced by Staubach again in the finals. Craig Morton joined the New York Giants during the 1974 season. Until 1976 he was the regular quarterback for the New York City team .
In 1977 Morton was signed by the Denver Broncos. He immediately took on the role of starting quarterback under coach Red Miller . After a season with twelve wins and two defeats, Morton was able to move into the play-offs with the Denver team . After a 34:21 win over the Chuck Noll- supervised Pittsburgh Steelers in the Divisional Play-Off game, he and his team won the AFC Championship Game against the Oakland Raiders 20:17. Morton had two touchdowns each in both games. In Super Bowl XIII , the Broncos then met the Cowboys. Morton had a bad day, threw four interceptions and thus played a major role in the 27:10 defeat of his team. In 1978 and 1979, Morton led his team into the play-off round again, but where they were always eliminated in the first round. He did not win a title until the end of his career in 1982.
After the career
Craig Morton is a partner in a restaurant in San Francisco .
Honors
Craig Morton was once voted All-Pro . The Denver Broncos honor him at Invesco Field at Mile High for the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame . He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame , the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame, and the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame.
Web links
- Craig Morton at college
- Craig Morton in the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame (PDF; 27 kB)
- Craig Morton at the Denver Broncos
Individual evidence
- ↑ 1969 annual statistics of the cowboys
- ↑ 1970 annual statistics of the cowboys
- ↑ Statistics NFC Championship Game 1970
- ↑ Statistics Super Bowl V
- ↑ 1971 annual statistics of the cowboys
- ↑ Statistics NFC Championship Game 1971
- ↑ Statistics Super Bowl VI
- ↑ 1977 annual statistics of the Broncos
- ↑ Statistics Divisional Play-Off Game Broncos vs. Steelers, 1977
- ↑ Statistics AFC Championship Game 1977
- ↑ Statistics Super Bowl XIII
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Morton, Craig |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Morton, Larry Craig |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American football player |
| DATE OF BIRTH | February 5, 1943 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Flint , Michigan , USA |