Earl Morrall

Earl Edwin Morrall was an American professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 21 seasons, both a starter and reserve. He started for six teams, most notably with the Baltimore Colts and the Miami Dolphins. He became known as one of the greatest backup quarterbacks in NFL history, having served in the capacity for two Hall of Fame quarterbacks in Johnny Unitas and Bob Griese. An injury to Unitas in 1968 saw Morrall step in to start the season that saw the Colts to a 13–1 record that saw them win their first NFL Championship in nine years before ineffective play in Super Bowl III saw him benched for Unitas. Two years later, in Super Bowl V, Morrall came off the bench for an injured Unitas and kept the Colts in the game before they ultimately won on a last-second field goal. In his first season with Miami in 1972, he came off the bench when Griese became injured early in the year, with Morrall winning all nine starts; Morrall started the first two playoff games, with Griese playing in each game before being named the starter for Super Bowl VII, where the Dolphins completed the only perfect season in NFL history.

17 May 1934

Born on the same birth date (17 May 1934): Friedrich-Wilhelm Kiel • Ronald Wayne

Born on the same birth day (17 May): Abigail Raye • Craig Ferguson • David Jarolím • David Townsend (musician) • Dennis Potter • Derek Hough • Edmund, Earl of Rutland • Francesco Pasquale Ricci • Frederick McKinley Jones • Giannis Taralidis • Jodie Taylor • Johnny Warren • Jordan Knight • Julius Sumner Miller • Passenger (singer) • Tessa Virtue

Born in the same month (May 1934): Alan Bennett • Alexei Leonov • Alketas Panagoulias • Bill Vander Zalm • Bob Northern • Friedrich-Wilhelm Kiel • Georges Moustaki • Jim Hutton • Jim Jeffords • Jim Lehrer • Jocasta Innes • Lennie Hoffmann, Baron Hoffmann • Peter Nero • Ruskin Bond • Shirley Horn • Victor Garland