This is a series based on the question posed above: players that are worthy of induction into the Hall of Fame but for some reason have not been.
He had a stellar NFL career, he put up Hall of Fame caliber numbers. This forgotten guy is the answer to several trivia questions. Three questions NFL trivia fans:
Who is the greatest backup QB in NFL history?
What two-time league MVP as a QB isn’t in the Hall of Fame?
What QB, who was a part of two of the biggest events in NFL history and possesses three Super Bowl rings, isn’t in the Hall of Fame?
Earl Morrall—QB, six different teams, 1956–1976
He was a highly-touted athlete who led his Muskegon Michigan high school football team to a state championship in 1951. He set off a determined recruitment by several top colleges, whose efforts to recruit him caused his high school principal, George A. Manning, to complain that Morrall’s education was suffering.
He eventually chose Michigan State and played three seasons for the Spartans, leading them to a 9-1 regular season record in 1955. He capped his senior year with a victory over the UCLA Bruins in the 1956 Rose Bowl game.
Earl Morrall played shortstop and third base on the Michigan State baseball team and played in the College Baseball World Series. He caught the attention of MLB scouts and was poised to be drafted to play Major League Baseball, but chose to play football in the NFL.
He was drafted No. 2 overall in the 1956 draft by the San Francisco 49ers. He was traded on September 16, 1957 along with guard Mike Sandusky to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for linebacker Marv Matuszak and two first-round draft picks.
Marv Matuszak was a two-time Pro Bowl player and AFL All-Star during his 12-year career. He is also the father of defensive end John Matuszak, who helped the Oakland Raiders win two Super Bowls.
Despite the high cost of the transaction, the Steelers traded Morrall just over a year later to the Detroit Lions in order to obtain future Hall of Famer Bobby Layne. Morrall would play six seasons for the Lions, having his best season in 1963 by throwing for 24 touchdowns and 2,621 yards.
The following year, he suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in an October 18 game against the Chicago Bears. He spent the offseason rehabilitating from his injury before he was dealt to the New York Giants as part of a three-team transaction on August 30, 1965.
Taking a leadership role during a Giants’ rebuilding phase, Morrall threw for 2,446 yards and 22 touchdowns that season, yet he found himself seeing spot duty over the course of the next two years.
He was traded on August 25, 1968 to the Baltimore Colts for an undisclosed draft choice.
Starting quarterback John Unitas, considered by some to be the best quarterback ever, went down with a elbow injury on his throwing arm in the final preseason game. Earl Morrall became the starter.
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