The Denver Broncos are mourning the loss of the starting quarterback who led them to a Super Bowl appearance.
The team announced the death of Craig Morton on Monday, May 11th. He died at age 83 on Saturday, May 9, in Mill Valley, California, according to his family.
The cause of death has not been disclosed.
Selected fifth overall in the 1965 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, Morton played for three teams during his 18-year career, including a stint with the New York Giants. The California native was drafted in the 10th round of the 1965 AFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders, but never played for them.
Morton played more than half of his career in Dallas and started for the Cowboys in Super Bowl V to end the 1971 season, recording three interceptions in a 16–13 victory over the Baltimore Colts. He often split time, even platooning with future Hall of Famer Roger Staubach in the early 1970s, but was ultimately traded (at his request) to the Giants in 1974. Dallas got New York’s first-round pick back in 1975 as part of the package, which was eventually taken by another future Canton defensive tackle, Randy White.
After an unforgettable tenure with the Giants, Morton was once again suspended. This time, he moved to the Broncos in 1977. That season, led by Morton’s offense and a stifling “Orange Crush” defense, Denver made the playoffs for the first time in club history and advanced to the Super Bowl, coincidentally facing Staubach, White, and Dallas. Morton had another memorable Super Sunday against his former team. Four of 15 passes were intercepted, resulting in a 27-10 rout. Morton came off the bench in place of Norris Weese, and White and Harvey Martin were named co-MVPs of Super Bowl XII, the only time the award had ever been shared.
Still, Morton accomplished so much in his six seasons in the Mile High City that he was inducted into the Broncos’ Ring of Fame in 1988. He led Denver to two AFC West titles and retired with the most passing yards (11,895), most passing touchdowns (74), most pass attempts (1,594) and most completions (907) in franchise history — Hall of Famers John Elway and Peyton Manning subsequently displacing him on the club’s passing charts. Morton’s 41 regular season wins are the third-most in Broncos history.
Overall, Morton finished his career as a starter with 27,908 yards and 183 TDs and an 81-62-1 regular season record.
Morton is survived by his wife, Kim, his sister, children and grandchildren, according to the Broncos.
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