King Corcoran
Encyclopedia
James Sean Patrick "King" Corcoran (1943–2009) was an American football
quarterback
in the Atlantic Coast Football League
, Seaboard Football League
, World Football League
, and briefly in the American Football League
. Corcoran played college football
, mostly as a back-up, for the Maryland Terrapins
. He gained notoriety for his flamboyant dress and playboy lifestyle, which earned him the reputation of being a "poor man's Joe Namath
".
to an Irish
Catholic
family. His father, a truck driver, died in 1966, after which Corcoran never saw his mother, who died in 2008. According to Corcoran, he gained the nickname "King" as a high school senior. A driving rainstorm hit during the first half of an important game, but when it let up at half time, Corcoran appeared wearing a clean uniform and sunglasses and the manager holding his helmet. Someone from the crowd yelled, "Hail to the King," and a melee erupted. Corcoran said, "I was ink now, I was someone . . . I went from a nothing quarterback to second-string all-state in two weeks. It was the turning point in my life." According to The Washington Times
, Corcoran was recruited by Notre Dame
, Miami
, and Maryland
. Corcoran claimed students at Notre Dame did not party and those at Miami did so too much. He chose to attend Maryland because he felt it offered a balance between a social life and the opportunity to play football.
He attended the University of Maryland
starting in 1961. He played as a back-up quarterback behind Dick Shiner
and Alan Pastrana
, but rarely started
because of disagreements with the coaching staff. An injury benched Corcoran for the 1963 season. In his later life, Corcoran claimed to have led the Maryland to a 27–22 victory over Navy
led by future Pro Football Hall of Fame
r Roger Staubach
in 1964, but he did not actually play in that game. Corcoran's greatest college football accomplishment was leading the Maryand's 1961 freshman team to an undefeated season, including a 29–27 victory over the Navy Plebes under Staubach. At Maryland, Corcoran first developed his reputation for brashness, and he referred to himself as "The King". The Washington Post
described him as such:
's Denver Broncos
, but was ultimately cut from the team. According to The Washington Post, he was allegedly caught by the coach in bed with six women. Corcoran then signed with the Waterbury Orbits of the Atlantic Coast Football League
. In 1967, Corcoran spent time on the AFL New York Jets
taxi squad, where he was described as a "poor man's Joe Namath". After being cut by the New York Jets
, Corcoran signed with the Lowell Giants, a farm team of the Boston Patriots. In 1968, he got his first taste of big-time football when he played two games for the parent club. In 1969, Corcoran signed a three-year, $125,000 contract with the Pottstown Firebirds. Corcoran would lead the Firebirds to back to back championships in 1969 and 1970. His last NFL experience was with the Philadelphia Eagles
, who released him in 1971. Corcoran then signed with the Norfolk Neptunes, leading them to an ACFL Championship. In 1972, Corcoran quit the Montreal Alouettes
of the Canadian Football League
because he did not want to serve as its third-string quarterback, joining the Chambersburg Cardinals
of the Seaboard Football League
later that year. In 1974, he signed with the Philadelphia Bell
of the newly formed World Football League
. He led the WFL in passing touchdowns in the league's only full season. Corcoran completed
280 of 545 passes
for 3,531 yards and 31 touchdown
s. He also threw 24 interceptions and suffered 20 sacks
.
After the WFL folded, Corcoran retired from professional football in 1975 and became involved in real estate
. In the 1980s, he took up polo
, and despite having had no prior experience with horses, was an adequate amateur competitor. He married and had children, but they eventually moved to Florida without him. Corcoran later spent some time in Las Vegas
as a singer and performed with Engelbert Humperdinck
. Some of Corcoran's business dealings were of questionable legality, and he had been embroiled in legal troubles since the 1970s. He was convicted of fraud for selling property he did not own, and in 1997, Corcoran spent six months in a federal prison for tax evasion. He moved frequently and spent his last years in various locations in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area
. At the time of his death, he was living at a friend's house in Takoma Park, Maryland
. He died of cardiac arrest
on June 19, 2009 at Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma Park.
King Corcoran was inducted into the American Football Association's Semi Pro Football Hall of Fame 1982
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
in the Atlantic Coast Football League
Atlantic Coast Football League
The Atlantic Coast Football League was a minor football league that operated from 1962 to 1973. Until 1969, many of its franchises had working agreements with NFL and AFL teams to serve as farm clubs. The league paid a base salary of $100 per game and had 36 players on each active roster.For the...
, Seaboard Football League
Seaboard Football League
The Seaboard Football League was a minor American football league that operated from 1971 to 1974. It folded after the 1974 season as a result of the founding of the World Football League, which deprived the league of talent....
, World Football League
World Football League
The World Football League was a short-lived gridiron football league that played in 1974 and part of 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest the WFL reached was placing a team – the Hawaiians – in Honolulu, Hawaii. The...
, and briefly in the American Football League
American Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
. Corcoran played college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
, mostly as a back-up, for the Maryland Terrapins
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
. He gained notoriety for his flamboyant dress and playboy lifestyle, which earned him the reputation of being a "poor man's Joe Namath
Joe Namath
Joseph William "Joe" Namath , nicknamed "Broadway Joe" or "Joe Willie", is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the University of Alabama under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and his assistant, Howard Schnellenberger, from 1962–1964, and professional football in the...
".
Early life and college
Corcoran was born on July 6, 1943 in Jersey City, New JerseyJersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
to an Irish
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
family. His father, a truck driver, died in 1966, after which Corcoran never saw his mother, who died in 2008. According to Corcoran, he gained the nickname "King" as a high school senior. A driving rainstorm hit during the first half of an important game, but when it let up at half time, Corcoran appeared wearing a clean uniform and sunglasses and the manager holding his helmet. Someone from the crowd yelled, "Hail to the King," and a melee erupted. Corcoran said, "I was ink now, I was someone . . . I went from a nothing quarterback to second-string all-state in two weeks. It was the turning point in my life." According to The Washington Times
The Washington Times
The Washington Times is a daily broadsheet newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. It was founded in 1982 by Unification Church founder Sun Myung Moon, and until 2010 was owned by News World Communications, an international media conglomerate associated with the...
, Corcoran was recruited by Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football
Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame. The team is currently coached by Brian Kelly.Notre Dame competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level, and is a founding member of the Bowl Championship Series coalition. It is an...
, Miami
Miami Hurricanes football
The Miami Hurricanes football program competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference of the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the University of Miami. The program began in 1926 and has won five AP national championships...
, and Maryland
Maryland Terrapins football
The Maryland Terrapins football team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision competition. The Terrapins compete within the Atlantic Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
. Corcoran claimed students at Notre Dame did not party and those at Miami did so too much. He chose to attend Maryland because he felt it offered a balance between a social life and the opportunity to play football.
He attended the University of Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
starting in 1961. He played as a back-up quarterback behind Dick Shiner
Dick Shiner
Richard Earl "Dick" Shiner is a former professional American football quarterback who played in eleven National Football League seasons from 1964-1974 for six different teams. He played college football at the University of Maryland...
and Alan Pastrana
Alan Pastrana
Charles Alan Pastrana is a former American football quarterback. He played college football for the University of Maryland from 1965 to 1968. In 1966, he set the Atlantic Coast Conference record for single-season passing touchdowns with 17. At Maryland, Pastrana also played on the lacrosse team...
, but rarely started
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
because of disagreements with the coaching staff. An injury benched Corcoran for the 1963 season. In his later life, Corcoran claimed to have led the Maryland to a 27–22 victory over Navy
Navy Midshipmen football
The Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
led by future Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
r Roger Staubach
Roger Staubach
Roger Thomas Staubach is a businessman, Heisman Trophy winner and legendary Hall of Fame former quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1969 until 1979. Staubach was instrumental in developing the Cowboys into becoming one of the best teams of the 1970s and led the team to nine of the Cowboys'...
in 1964, but he did not actually play in that game. Corcoran's greatest college football accomplishment was leading the Maryand's 1961 freshman team to an undefeated season, including a 29–27 victory over the Navy Plebes under Staubach. At Maryland, Corcoran first developed his reputation for brashness, and he referred to himself as "The King". The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
described him as such:
"[H]e was flamboyant, brash and utterly unforgettable. He was a showman, an unapologetic playboy, an egomaniacal self-promoter who traveled with his own PR agent. And, not least of all, he was a lady-killer on an epic scale. Not for nothing was he called the "poor man's Joe Namath," after the Hall of Fame New York Jets quarterback and notorious skirt chaser."
Professional career
In 1967, he spent some time in camp with the American Football LeagueAmerican Football League
The American Football League was a major American Professional Football league that operated from 1960 until 1969, when the established National Football League merged with it. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence...
's Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, but was ultimately cut from the team. According to The Washington Post, he was allegedly caught by the coach in bed with six women. Corcoran then signed with the Waterbury Orbits of the Atlantic Coast Football League
Atlantic Coast Football League
The Atlantic Coast Football League was a minor football league that operated from 1962 to 1973. Until 1969, many of its franchises had working agreements with NFL and AFL teams to serve as farm clubs. The league paid a base salary of $100 per game and had 36 players on each active roster.For the...
. In 1967, Corcoran spent time on the AFL New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
taxi squad, where he was described as a "poor man's Joe Namath". After being cut by the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Corcoran signed with the Lowell Giants, a farm team of the Boston Patriots. In 1968, he got his first taste of big-time football when he played two games for the parent club. In 1969, Corcoran signed a three-year, $125,000 contract with the Pottstown Firebirds. Corcoran would lead the Firebirds to back to back championships in 1969 and 1970. His last NFL experience was with the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, who released him in 1971. Corcoran then signed with the Norfolk Neptunes, leading them to an ACFL Championship. In 1972, Corcoran quit the Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
of the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
because he did not want to serve as its third-string quarterback, joining the Chambersburg Cardinals
Chambersburg Cardinals
The Chambersburg Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.-1946:The team was founded on the basis of local players returning from WWII, they were looking to return back to a life they once remembered...
of the Seaboard Football League
Seaboard Football League
The Seaboard Football League was a minor American football league that operated from 1971 to 1974. It folded after the 1974 season as a result of the founding of the World Football League, which deprived the league of talent....
later that year. In 1974, he signed with the Philadelphia Bell
Philadelphia Bell
The Philadelphia Bell was a franchise in the World Football League, which operated in 1974 and a portion of a season in 1975. The Bell played their home games at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia. The team logo was a representation of the Liberty Bell....
of the newly formed World Football League
World Football League
The World Football League was a short-lived gridiron football league that played in 1974 and part of 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest the WFL reached was placing a team – the Hawaiians – in Honolulu, Hawaii. The...
. He led the WFL in passing touchdowns in the league's only full season. Corcoran completed
Completion (American football)
A completion is a term used in American football when a receiver successfully catches a pass. The three possible outcomes of a pass thrown are completion, incompletion, and interception, respectively....
280 of 545 passes
Forward pass
In several forms of football a forward pass is when the ball is thrown in the direction that the offensive team is trying to move, towards the defensive team's goal line...
for 3,531 yards and 31 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s. He also threw 24 interceptions and suffered 20 sacks
Quarterback sack
In American football and Canadian football, a sack occurs when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage before he can throw a forward pass, or when the quarterback is tackled behind the line of scrimmage in the "pocket" and the intent of what he was going to do is unclear...
.
After the WFL folded, Corcoran retired from professional football in 1975 and became involved in real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
. In the 1980s, he took up polo
Polo
Polo is a team sport played on horseback in which the objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Sometimes called, "The Sport of Kings", it was highly popularized by the British. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a...
, and despite having had no prior experience with horses, was an adequate amateur competitor. He married and had children, but they eventually moved to Florida without him. Corcoran later spent some time in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
as a singer and performed with Engelbert Humperdinck
Engelbert Humperdinck (singer)
Engelbert Humperdinck is a British pop singer, best known for his hits including "Release Me " and "After the Lovin'" as well as "The Last Waltz" .-Early life:...
. Some of Corcoran's business dealings were of questionable legality, and he had been embroiled in legal troubles since the 1970s. He was convicted of fraud for selling property he did not own, and in 1997, Corcoran spent six months in a federal prison for tax evasion. He moved frequently and spent his last years in various locations in the Baltimore-Washington metropolitan area
Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area
The Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area is a combined statistical area consisting of the overlapping labor market region of the cities of Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C.. The region includes Central Maryland, Northern Virginia, and Jefferson County in the Eastern Panhandle of West...
. At the time of his death, he was living at a friend's house in Takoma Park, Maryland
Takoma Park, Maryland
Takoma Park is a city in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is a suburb of Washington, D.C., and part of the Washington Metropolitan Area. Founded in 1883 and incorporated in 1890, Takoma Park, informally called "Azalea City," is a Tree City USA and a nuclear-free zone...
. He died of cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...
on June 19, 2009 at Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma Park.
King Corcoran was inducted into the American Football Association's Semi Pro Football Hall of Fame 1982
Media
An episode of the Rockford Files "The No-Cut Contract" guest starring Rob Reiner as QB "King" Sturtevant is a clear tongue and cheek reference to Corcoran. "King" is a QB playing in the lower leagues, unsuccessful womanizer, and all round character.External links
- The Day The Money Ran Out, Sports IllustratedSports IllustratedSports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
, December 1, 1975. - Letters, Sports Illustrated, August 30, 2004.
- Gaining a Cleathold, TimeTime (magazine)Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
, August 26, 1974. - Corcoran's American Football League statistics