Kyler Murray
A rare two-sport superstar who chose football and became an electrifying, undersized quarterback rewriting the NFL's expectations for the position.
Born 1997 (age 29)·American football player·Birthday: August 7·Generation Z
Biography
Kyler Murray's athletic career is the stuff of modern legend. In high school, he went 42-0 as a starting quarterback and was a baseball phenom. He initially followed his father's baseball legacy to Texas A&M but soon transferred to Oklahoma to play football. There, in one scintillating season, he won the Heisman Trophy, throwing for over 4,000 yards and running for 1,000 more. His unique dilemma made headlines: he was a first-round pick in both the NFL and MLB drafts. Choosing football, he was selected first overall by the Arizona Cardinals. Despite his compact frame, his arm talent, video-game elusiveness, and deep-ball accuracy made him an instant offensive force and a two-time Pro Bowler, challenging long-held prejudices about quarterback size.
Generation Z
1997–2012
Born into smartphones, social media, and school shootings. The most diverse generation in history. Pragmatic about money, fluid about identity, anxious about the climate. They do not remember a world before the internet.
Kyler was born in 1997, placing them squarely in the Generation Z. The events that shaped this generation — social media, climate anxiety, and a pandemic — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Kyler Was Born
The biggest hits of 1997
#1 Movie
Titanic
Best Picture
Titanic
#1 TV Show
ER
Kyler's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1997Born
Princess Diana dies in Paris car crash; Harry Potter published
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $104,100Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Candle in the Wind 1997" — Elton JohnBest Picture: Titanic
2002Started school
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2010Became a teenager
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2013Could drive
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
2015Could vote
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
2018Turned 21
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 29 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Heisman Trophy in 2018 after a historic season at the University of Oklahoma.
- Selected first overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2019 NFL Draft.
- Named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2019.
- Became the first player ever drafted in the first round of both the NFL and MLB drafts.
Did You Know?
His father, Kevin Murray, was a standout quarterback at Texas A&M and was drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in baseball.
He is listed at 5'10", making him one of the shortest starting quarterbacks in modern NFL history.
He signed a contract with the Oakland Athletics for nearly $5 million before committing to football.
In his Heisman season, he averaged over 11 yards per pass attempt, a remarkably efficient figure.
“I’ve always been the shortest guy on the field. I’ve had to fight for everything I’ve ever had.”
