CARD: Upper Deck Legends 1997
ACQUIRED: EBay, 2020
CAREER SNAPSHOT:
- Had a marvelous journey as a quarterback playing through 18 seasons for 3 leagues and 8 teams from 1952-69.
- Played for Kentucky from 1949-51.
- In an era not renown for passing, threw for 1627 yards (114/203) and 23 TDs to 12 INT in 1950.
- 4th pick of the 1952 NFL draft by the Green Bay Packers.
- Joined CFL Ottawa Rough Riders in 1954, playing there through 55, and also again in 59.
- Returned to NFL for a one year stint with the Browns in 56.
- Again, played for Packers in 57 and 58.
- After one year stint with the CFL again in 59, played for the Oakland Raiders in 1960.
- After middling success with Oakland, was traded as part of a blockbuster deal to the Boston Patriots.
- Played for the Patriots from 1961-67.
- At time of departure from Boston, owned all the franchise’s passing records and many AFL ones as well.
- Retired after winning Super Bowl III as Joe Namath‘s backup in Super Bowl III.
- Had extensive coaching career.
- Passed away in 2017 at the age of 87 after a battle with cancer.
NOTES:
In an age of more sexy names, I really hadn’t considered the legacy of Babe, compared to guys like Tom Brady (of course), or even Drew Bledsoe or Steve Grogan for that matter. -That being said Babe paved the way for those guys.
AFL/NFL
| ATT | CPD | YDS | PCT | TD | INT | RAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3330 | 1552 | 22681 | 46.6 | 178 | 220 | 59.6 |
| RUSH | YDS | AVG | TD | LG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 383 | 1522 | 4.0 | 23 | 33 |
CFL
*Stats not available pre-1959
| ATT | CPD | YDS | PCT | TD | INT | RAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 52 | 23 | 373 | 44.2 | 4 | 4 | N/a |
| RUSH | YDS | AVG | TD | LG |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 20 | 5.0 | 0 | 15 |
| P | YDS | AVG | LG |
|---|---|---|---|
| 65 | 2497 | 38.4 | 58 |