05/11/26 09:25:00
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05/11 21:24 CDT Craig Morton, who became the first quarterback to start Super
Bowl for two franchises, dies at 83
Craig Morton, who became the first quarterback to start Super Bowl for two
franchises, dies at 83
By PAT GRAHAM
AP Sports Writer
DENVER (AP) --- Craig Morton, who spent 18 years in the NFL and became the
first quarterback to start the Super Bowl for two franchises --- the Dallas
Cowboys and Denver Broncos --- has died. He was 83.
Morton died Saturday in Mill Valley, California, the Broncos confirmed through
his family.
Morton is one of only four QBs to start the NFL's biggest game with two
organizations. The other three --- Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Kurt Warner
--- all ended up with at least one win. Morton's only Super Bowl ring came as a
backup.
His first Super Bowl start was in a turnover-plagued Super Bowl V to end the
1970 season --- a 16-13 loss by the Cowboys to the Colts. Morton threw the
Cowboys' first touchdown pass in a title game.
Seven years later, and after an unsuccessful stint with the New York Giants,
Morton led the Broncos to a matchup against his former team. He threw for 39
yards and four interceptions before getting pulled for Norris Weese in a 27-10
loss, which marked the first of four straight Super Bowl defeats for Denver.
Known for his strong arm, Morton turned in a college football Hall of Fame
career at California, where he played for coach Marv Levy and assistant Bill
Walsh. Morton went fifth in the 1965 NFL draft to the Cowboys. Oakland also
took him in the 10th round of the AFL draft.
He joined a Cowboys team coached by Tom Landry that had veteran Don Meredith at
QB. Morton played in four games that season. He then split time with
up-and-coming Roger Staubach in 1970-71, the year the Cowboys went to their
first Super Bowl.
The next season, Morton and Staubach also split time --- at some points, even
alternating every play. But ultimately, it was Staubach who took over the
starting job, then led the Cowboys to the Super Bowl and a 24-3 win over Miami.
Staubach was the MVP of that game and it wasn't hard to imagine the end of
Morton's time in Dallas.
The Cowboys dealt their backup to the Giants in 1974 for a package that
included a pick Dallas would use to take defensive lineman Randy White, who
became a Super Bowl MVP and Pro Football Hall of Famer.
Morton struggled in New York, but enjoyed a renaissance after getting traded to
Denver before the 1977 season --- the season that put the Broncos on the map.
The veteran QB became the final piece for a Broncos team under a new coach, Red
Miller, who inherited a strong defense that would become known as the Orange
Crush.
Morton led the Broncos to a 12-2 record and playoff wins over the Steelers and
Raiders. He famously spent the week in the hospital with a hip injury before
spearheading the win over rival Oakland.
Four years later --- and after the Broncos had toyed unsuccessfully with
finding his replacement --- Morton teamed with a new coach, his former Cowboys
teammate Dan Reeves. In 1981, Morton threw for 3,195 yards and 21 TDs, both
career highs.
He retired after starting three games in the strike-shortened 1982 season.
Denver would trade for John Elway, who supplanted Morton as the franchise's
most famous and revered No. 7.
Morton threw for 27,908 yards over his career with 183 touchdowns and 187
interceptions. Morton ranked in the top 20 all-time in yards passing and TD
passes when he retired following the 1982 season.
He was voted into the Broncos' Ring of Fame in 1988, along with two other
standouts from that '77 team --- Haven Moses and Jim Turner.
___
AP National Writer Eddie Pells and AP Pro Football Write Josh Dubow contributed
to this report.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
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