Craig Morton
He quarterbacked two different teams to the Super Bowl in the same season, a unique and paradoxical NFL feat.
Born 1943 (age 83)·American football player·Birthday: February 5·The Silent Generation
Biography
Craig Morton's NFL journey is a tale of resilience and an odd piece of football history. A standout at the University of California, he was drafted as the quarterback of the future for Tom Landry's Dallas Cowboys. He led them to a Super Bowl appearance following the 1970 season, but the arrival of Roger Staubach ignited a famous quarterback controversy that Morton ultimately lost. Traded to the New York Giants, he endured some difficult years on struggling teams. His career found a stunning second act with the Denver Broncos in 1977. That year, he engineered a remarkable turnaround, leading the Broncos to their first-ever Super Bowl. In a twist, his opponent was his old team, the Dallas Cowboys, making him the first quarterback to start a Super Bowl for two different franchises. Though he never won the championship ring, his comeback story and that singular season secured his place in the league's lore.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Craig was born in 1943, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Craig Was Born
The biggest hits of 1943
#1 Movie
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Best Picture
Casablanca
Craig's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1943Born
Allies invade Sicily; Battle of Stalingrad ends
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,290Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"I've Heard That Song Before" — Harry JamesBest Picture: Casablanca
1948Started school
Israel declares independence; Berlin Blockade begins
Gas: $0.26/galHome: $7,450Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Twelfth Street Rag" — Pee Wee HuntBest Picture: Hamlet
1956Became a teenager
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1959Could drive
Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $12,400Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"The Battle of New Orleans" — Johnny HortonBest Picture: Ben-Hur
1961Could vote
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1964Turned 21
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1973Turned 30
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 40
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 50
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
2003Turned 60
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 70
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 80
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 83 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Started at quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl V and for the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XII, a unique distinction.
- Named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year in 1977 after leading the Broncos to their first AFC Championship and Super Bowl berth.
- Was the fifth overall pick in the 1965 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys after earning All-American honors at the University of California.
- Played 18 seasons in the NFL, a testament to his durability and adaptability at the quarterback position.
Did You Know?
He was the first quarterback in NFL history to start a Super Bowl for two different teams.
Morton played under the innovative but demanding coach Tom Landry in Dallas for nine seasons.
In the 1977 AFC Championship Game, he outdueled his former Cowboys teammate, quarterback Roger Staubach, to win the conference title.
He finished his career with over 27,000 passing yards and 183 touchdown passes.
“I got to start a Super Bowl for two different teams.”
