Earl Morrall was arguably the greatest backup quarterback of all time. A first-round draft pick by the 49ers out of Michigan State in 1956, Morrall spent most of his career as a journeyman. By the late 1960s, he signed with Don Shula’s Baltimore Colts.
In 1968, he replaced an injured Johnny Unitas and led the Colts to Super Bowl III, only to lose in an upset to the New York Jets at the Orange Bowl. Two years later, he replaced an injured Unitas again in the Super Bowl and helped Baltimore beat Dallas in Super Bowl V, also at the Orange Bowl.
But he is most famous for his heroics with the 1972 Miami Dolphins. Signed by Shula at the age of 38, Morrall was considered at the time washed up and the last of the flat top crew cut players. When Bob Griese went down with a broken ankle, Morrall stepped up and led the Dolphins to 11 straight victories during the Perfect Season. Despite being replaced by Griese in the AFC Championship Game against the Steelers, Morrall’s heroics did not go unnoticed. He was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
Following his playing career, he served as a quarterback coach at the University of Miami under former Shula assistant Howard Schnellenberger. While at UM, he helped develop a string of talented young quarterbacks, including Jim Kelly, Mark Richt, Bernie Kosar, and Vinny Testaverde.
Earl Morrall passed away on April 25, 2014. He was 79 years old.
Credit: Ghosts of the Orange Bowl
