Brian Griese
A quarterback who rose from third-string obscurity to lead Michigan to a national title, carving out a solid decade-long NFL career.
Born 1975 (age 51)·American football player and coach·Birthday: March 18·Generation X
Biography
Brian Griese earned Rose Bowl MVP honors in 1997, guiding an undefeated Michigan Wolverines team to a national championship after years buried on the depth chart. Drafted by Denver in the post-Elway era, he made a Pro Bowl in 2000, demonstrating a sharp, intelligent style. He started for multiple NFL teams, respected for his football IQ and preparation. Now a coach and broadcaster, he passes that readiness to the next generation.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Brian was born in 1975, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Brian Was Born
The biggest hits of 1975
#1 Movie
Jaws
Best Picture
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Brian's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1975Born
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1980Started school
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1988Became a teenager
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Could drive
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1993Could vote
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Turned 21
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2005Turned 30
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 40
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 50
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 51 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Quarterbacked the University of Michigan to an undefeated season and the 1997 national championship.
- Named MVP of the 1998 Rose Bowl after completing 18 of 30 passes for 251 yards and three touchdowns.
- Selected to the Pro Bowl in 2000 as a member of the Denver Broncos.
- Threw for over 19,000 yards and 119 touchdowns during his 11-year NFL career.
Did You Know?
His father, Bob Griese, is a Hall of Fame quarterback for the Miami Dolphins.
He and his father are one of only two father-son duos to each win a college football national championship as starting quarterbacks.
He founded Judi's House, a nonprofit in Denver supporting grieving children and families, in memory of his mother.
“You prepare for the opportunity long before the opportunity arrives.”
