Warren Moon
Encyclopedia
Harold Warren Moon is a former American professional gridiron football
quarterback
who played for the Canadian Football League
's Edmonton Eskimos
and the National Football League
's Houston Oilers
, Minnesota Vikings
, Seattle Seahawks
and Kansas City Chiefs
. He is currently a broadcaster for the Seattle Seahawks
.
Moon is one of only two people to be enshrined in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in the United States and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame
(former coach Bud Grant
, who coached the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
to four Grey Cup titles and the Minnesota Vikings
to four Super Bowl appearances, is the other). Moon is also the first modern African-American quarterback to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Moon held the record for most passing yardage in professional football (CFL + NFL career) until surpassed by Damon Allen
on September 4, 2006, held the record for most passing touchdowns in professional football until surpassed by Brett Favre
on November 22, 2007, held the record for most pass completions in professional football until surpassed by Brett Favre on December 23, 2007, and held the record for most pass attempts in professional football history until surpassed by Brett Favre on December 14, 2008.
, California
, as the middle child amongst six sisters. His father, Harold, was a laborer and died of liver disease when Moon was seven years old. His mother, Pat, was a nurse, and Warren learned to cook, sew, iron and housekeep to help take care of the family. He decided early on that he could play only one sport in high school because he had to work the rest of the year to help the family. He chose not only to play football but to be a quarterback since he found that he could throw a football longer, harder, and straighter than anyone he knew.
He enrolled at Alexander Hamilton High School
, using the address of one of his mother's friends to gain the advantages of a better academic and athletic reputation than his neighborhood high school could offer. He had little playing time until his junior year, when he took over as varsity starting quarterback. In his senior season, they reached the city playoffs, and Moon was named to the all-city team.
high school quarterbacks. Moon decided to attend West Los Angeles College
in 1974–75 where he was a record-setting quarterback. After Moon showed his ability at West L.A., only a handful of four-year colleges showed interest in signing him. Offensive Coordinator Dick Scesniak of the University of Washington
, however, was eager to sign the rifle-armed Moon. Moon was adamant that he play quarterback and considered himself to be perhaps a slightly above-average athlete who was either too small, too slow, or not strong enough to play other positions. The Huskies went 11–11 in Moon's first 2 seasons as a starter; but during his senior year, Moon led the Don James coached Huskies to a 27–20 win over the favored Michigan Wolverines
in the 1978 Rose Bowl
and was named the game's Most Valuable Player
on the strength of two short touchdown
runs and a third quarter 28-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Robert "Spider" Gaines.
. Moon signed with the Edmonton Eskimos
, where he and Tom Wilkinson
shared signal-calling duties and helped lead the Eskimos to an unprecedented five consecutive Grey Cup
victories in 1978
, 1979
, 1980
, 1981
and 1982
. Moon won the offensive Grey Cup Most Valuable Player
award in the 1980 and 1982 games. In his final CFL season of 1983
, Moon threw for a league record 5,648 yards, and won the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award
. Throughout his CFL career, Moon amassed 1,369 completions on 2,382 attempts (57.4 completion percentage) for 21,228 yards and 144 touchdown passes. He also led his team to victory in 9 of 10 postseason games. He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame
in 2001 and the Edmonton Eskimos Wall of Honour. In 2006, he was ranked fifth on a list of the greatest 50 CFL players
presented by Canadian sports network TSN
.
(who were coached by Hugh Campbell, his former coach in Edmonton). However, with the NFL field being so much shorter and narrower than the CFL's, Moon had a difficult adjustment period. Even so, he still threw for a franchise record 3,338 yards in his first season with Oilers in 1984. It was only in 1986 when Oilers head coach Jerry Glanville
found ways to best utilize Moon's strong arm that he began having success. In 1987, a season shortened by a players' strike that eliminated the third week of the regular NFL season, the Oilers posted a 9–6 record. It was the Oilers' first winning season since 1980, when Bum Phillips
was the head coach and Ken "The Snake" Stabler
was the quarterback. Moon then passed for 237 yards and a touchdown while leading the Oilers to a 23–20 overtime win over the Seattle Seahawks
in the wildcard round of the playoffs in his first NFL postseason game.
Before the start of the 1989 season, Moon was given a five-year, $10 million contract extension, which made him the highest paid player in the National Football League at that time. In 1990, Moon led the league with 4,689 passing yards. He also led the league in attempts (584), completions (362), and touchdowns (33), and tied Dan Marino
's record with nine 300-yard games in a season. That included throwing for 527 yards against Kansas City on December 16, 1990, the second most passing yard ever in a single game. The following year, he again led the league in passing yards 4,690. At the same time, he joined Marino and Dan Fouts
as the only quarterbacks to post back-to-back 4,000-yard seasons. Moon also established new NFL records that season with 655 attempts and 404 completions. In 1991, Moon threw for a career-high 655 passes.
In 1992, Moon played only 11 games due to injuries, but still managed to lead the Oilers to a 10–6 record, including a victory over the Buffalo Bills
in the final game of the season. Moon and the Oilers then faced the Bills again in the first round of the AFC playoffs. Aided by Moon's 222 passing yards and 4 touchdowns in the first half, Houston built up a 28–3 halftime lead, and then increased it to 35–3 when Buffalo quarterback Frank Reich
's first pass of the third quarter was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. But the Bills managed to storm back with 5 unanswered second half touchdowns to take a 38–35 lead with time running out in the final period. Moon managed to lead the Oilers on a last second field goal drive to send the game into overtime, but threw an interception in the extra period that set-up Buffalo kicker Steve Christie
's game winning field goal. It was the largest comeback victory in NFL history and is now known in NFL Lore simply as The Comeback
. Moon finished the game with 36 completions for 371 yards and 4 touchdowns, with 2 interceptions. His 36 completions remain an NFL postseason record.
1993 was the Houston Oilers' best season with Warren Moon under center — and it would also be his last season with the team. The Oilers went 12–4 and won the AFC Central division crown, but lost to Joe Montana
and the Kansas City Chiefs
28–20 in the divisional round of the playoffs.
As a Houston Oiler, Moon set a franchise record for wins with 70, which stood until Steve McNair
broke it in 2004, long after the team had become the Tennessee Titans
.
He was traded to the Minnesota Vikings after the season, where he passed for over 4,200 yards in each of his first two seasons, but missed half of the 1996 season with a broken collarbone. The Vikings' starting quarterback job was given to Brad Johnson
and Moon was released after he refused to take a $3.8 million pay cut to serve as Johnson's backup. Moon then signed with the Seattle Seahawks
as a free agent. On September 14, 1997, Moon became the first player over 40 years old in NFL history to score a touchdown. After a two year stint in the Pacific northwest
, an aging Moon signed as a free agent with the Kansas City Chiefs
as a backup in 1999. He played in only three games in 2 years with the Chiefs before announcing his retirement in January 2001.
Combining his NFL and CFL stats, Moon's numbers are nearly unmatched in professional football annals: 5,357 completions in 9,205 attempts for 70,553 yards and 435 touchdowns. Even if his Canadian League statistics are discounted, Warren Moon's career is still exceptional: 3,988 completions for 49,325 yards, 291 touchdown passes, 1,736 yards rushing, and 22 rushing touchdowns. Warren Moon also held individual NFL lifetime records for most fumbles recovered 56 and most fumbles made 162, but this was surpassed by Brett Favre in 2010. Moon was in the top 5 all-time when he retired for passing yards, passing touchdowns, pass attempts, and pass completions.
During his NFL career, Warren Moon was named to nine Pro Bowl
games (1988–1995, 1997). Moon currently works as a broadcaster for the Seattle Seahawks on both TV and radio. On the radio, he is co play-by-play announcer with former Seattle Seahawks
receiver Steve Raible
, who is the lead play-by-play announcer and evening anchor/sports anchor for KIRO-TV
in Seattle. He was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in 2006, becoming both the first Canadian Football Hall of Fame
r, first undrafted quarterback and the first African-American quarterback to be so honored. Moon was elected in his first year of eligibility. The Tennessee Titans
retired his number at halftime on October 1 vs the Dallas Cowboys
. Moon also holds the little known record for being the oldest player to throw a touchdown pass in overtime (38 years, 359 days).
team. Warren and Felicia have three other children. They divorced in 2002. Moon married Mandy Ritter in 2005. They have a son Ryken. Further details are available in Moon's biography Never Give Up on Your Dream: My Journey.
Moon appeared in the film Any Given Sunday
in a cameo role as the head coach from New York.
On April 6, 2007, Moon was arrested for suspicion of DUI
after being stopped for speeding in Kirkland
, a suburb of Seattle. The charges were later reduced to first-degree negligent driving after Moon registered breath-alcohol levels of 0.068 and 0.067 at the police station in the hours following his arrest. Moon pleaded guilty to the negligent driving charge and was sentenced to 40 hours of community service, a $350 fine and drug and alcohol awareness classes.
In March 2011, Moon stepped back in the limelight while working as a "mentor" to Cam Newton
, who became the Overall #1 2011 NFL Draft Pick to the Carolina Panthers
. Moon publicly stated that Newton was being unfairly criticized for character flaws, lack of experience, and low football IQ and that the only reason that Newton was being targeted by football analysts and sports-writers was because he is African-American.
Gridiron football
Gridiron football , sometimes known as North American football, is an umbrella term for related codes of football primarily played in the United States and Canada. The predominant forms of gridiron football are American football and Canadian football...
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...
who played for 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....
's Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
and the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's Houston Oilers
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
, Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
and Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
. He is currently a broadcaster for the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
.
Moon is one of only two people to be enshrined in both the 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...
in the United States and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame
Canadian Football Hall of Fame
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit corporation, located in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates great achievements in Canadian football. It is an open to the public institution. It includes displays about the Canadian Football League, Canadian university football and Canadian...
(former coach Bud Grant
Bud Grant
Harry Peter "Bud" Grant, Jr is the former longtime American football head coach of the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League for eighteen seasons. Grant was the second and fourth head coach of the team...
, who coached the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
to four Grey Cup titles and the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
to four Super Bowl appearances, is the other). Moon is also the first modern African-American quarterback to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Moon held the record for most passing yardage in professional football (CFL + NFL career) until surpassed by Damon Allen
Damon Allen
Damon Allen is a former professional quarterback in the Canadian Football League, most recently with the Toronto Argonauts. He is currently second in all-time professional football passing yards and second in all-time CFL passing yards after he was surpassed for first place by the Montréal...
on September 4, 2006, held the record for most passing touchdowns in professional football until surpassed by Brett Favre
Brett Favre
Brett Lorenzo Favre is a former American football quarterback who spent the majority of his career with the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He was a 20-year veteran of the NFL, having played quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons , Green Bay Packers , New York Jets and Minnesota...
on November 22, 2007, held the record for most pass completions in professional football until surpassed by Brett Favre on December 23, 2007, and held the record for most pass attempts in professional football history until surpassed by Brett Favre on December 14, 2008.
Early years
Moon was born in Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, as the middle child amongst six sisters. His father, Harold, was a laborer and died of liver disease when Moon was seven years old. His mother, Pat, was a nurse, and Warren learned to cook, sew, iron and housekeep to help take care of the family. He decided early on that he could play only one sport in high school because he had to work the rest of the year to help the family. He chose not only to play football but to be a quarterback since he found that he could throw a football longer, harder, and straighter than anyone he knew.
He enrolled at Alexander Hamilton High School
Alexander Hamilton High School (Los Angeles, California)
Alexander Hamilton High School is a public high school within the Westside of Los Angeles, California, United States. It is in the Los Angeles Unified School District.-History:...
, using the address of one of his mother's friends to gain the advantages of a better academic and athletic reputation than his neighborhood high school could offer. He had little playing time until his junior year, when he took over as varsity starting quarterback. In his senior season, they reached the city playoffs, and Moon was named to the all-city team.
College career
He was recruited by a number of colleges, but some wanted to convert Moon to another position as was the norm for many major colleges recruiting blackAfrican American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
high school quarterbacks. Moon decided to attend West Los Angeles College
West Los Angeles College
West Los Angeles College is a community college located in Culver City, California. It opened in 1969 and serves approximately 10,000 students....
in 1974–75 where he was a record-setting quarterback. After Moon showed his ability at West L.A., only a handful of four-year colleges showed interest in signing him. Offensive Coordinator Dick Scesniak of the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
, however, was eager to sign the rifle-armed Moon. Moon was adamant that he play quarterback and considered himself to be perhaps a slightly above-average athlete who was either too small, too slow, or not strong enough to play other positions. The Huskies went 11–11 in Moon's first 2 seasons as a starter; but during his senior year, Moon led the Don James coached Huskies to a 27–20 win over the favored Michigan Wolverines
1977 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1977 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1977 college football season. The team's head coach was Bo Schembechler...
in the 1978 Rose Bowl
1978 Rose Bowl
The 1978 Rose Bowl was a college football bowl game played on January 2, 1978. It was the 64th Rose Bowl Game. The Washington Huskies, champions of the Pacific-8 Conference, defeated the Michigan Wolverines, champions of the Big Ten Conference, 27–20...
and was named the game's Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
on the strength of two short 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:...
runs and a third quarter 28-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Robert "Spider" Gaines.
College statistics
| Year | Comp | Att | Comp % | Passing | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 81 | 175 | 46.3 | 1,106 | 6 | 8 |
| 1977 | 125 | 222 | 56.3 | 1,772 | 12 | 9 |
Canadian Football League
Despite his collegiate success, Warren Moon went undrafted in the National Football League. Many pundits believe that it was because Moon was black and refused to switch positions — Moon has stated in interviews that before the draft some scouts advised him to switch to tight end. With no takers in the NFL, he turned to the Canadian Football LeagueCanadian 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....
. Moon signed with the Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
, where he and Tom Wilkinson
Tom Wilkinson (football player)
Tom Wilkinson was a football quarterback for several teams in the Canadian Football League.He was born in Iowa on January 4, 1943 but moved to Wyoming with his parents in 1945. Tom Wilkinson played high school football in the small town of Greybull, Wyoming. He is the second of three professional...
shared signal-calling duties and helped lead the Eskimos to an unprecedented five consecutive Grey Cup
Grey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
victories in 1978
66th Grey Cup
The 66th Grey Cup was played on November 26, 1978 before 54,695 fans at Exhibition Stadium at Toronto. The Edmonton Eskimos won against the Montreal Alouettes with a close 20-13 victory.- Box Score :First QuarterEdmonton - FG – Dave Cutler 37 yards...
, 1979
67th Grey Cup
The 67th Grey Cup was played on November 25, 1979 before 65,113 fans at the Olympic Stadium at Montreal. The Edmonton Eskimos won against the Montreal Alouettes by the score 17 to 9.-Box Score:First Quarter...
, 1980
68th Grey Cup
The 68th Grey Cup was played on November 23, 1980 before 54,661 fans at the Exhibition Stadium at Toronto. The Edmonton Eskimos demolished the Hamilton Tiger-Cats by the score 48 to 10, in one of the Grey Cup's most lopsided victories.-Scoring:...
, 1981
69th Grey Cup
The 69th Grey Cup was played on November 22, 1981 at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Quebec in front of 52,487 fans. The 1981 Grey Cup game is considered to be one of the ten best Grey Cup games of all time...
and 1982
70th Grey Cup
The 70th Grey Cup, also known as the "Rain Bowl", was the 1982 Grey Cup Canadian Football League championship game between the Toronto Argonauts and the Edmonton Eskimos. The Eskimos defeated the Argonauts 32-16 on the Eskimos' way to their fifth straight Grey Cup...
. Moon won the offensive Grey Cup Most Valuable Player
Grey Cup Most Valuable Player
The Grey Cup's Most Valuable Player award is awarded annually to the player deemed to have the best performance in the Grey Cup Game, the Canadian Football League's championship game.-Grey Cup Most Valuable Player Award winners:...
award in the 1980 and 1982 games. In his final CFL season of 1983
1983 CFL season
The 1983 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 30th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 26th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1983:...
, Moon threw for a league record 5,648 yards, and won the CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award
CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award
The Most Outstanding Player Award is annually awarded to the best player in the Canadian Football League. The Most Outstanding Player award can be compared to the National Football League's Most Valuable Player, otherwise known as the "MVP" award...
. Throughout his CFL career, Moon amassed 1,369 completions on 2,382 attempts (57.4 completion percentage) for 21,228 yards and 144 touchdown passes. He also led his team to victory in 9 of 10 postseason games. He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame
Canadian Football Hall of Fame
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit corporation, located in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates great achievements in Canadian football. It is an open to the public institution. It includes displays about the Canadian Football League, Canadian university football and Canadian...
in 2001 and the Edmonton Eskimos Wall of Honour. In 2006, he was ranked fifth on a list of the greatest 50 CFL players
TSN Top 50 CFL Players
The TSN Top 50 CFL Players was a list of the greatest fifty Canadian Football League players, as selected by a panel of sixty former CFL players, then-current and former coaches, executives, and media members in 2006. The panel was assembled by sports television network TSN in partnership with the...
presented by Canadian sports network TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
.
CFL statistics
| Year | Team | G | Passing Att.-Comp. |
Yards | Pct. | TD | Int. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | Edmonton | 15 | 173–89 | 1,112 | 0.514 | 5 | 7 |
| 1979 | Edmonton | 16 | 274–149 | 2,382 | 0.544 | 20 | 12 |
| 1980 | Edmonton | 16 | 331–181 | 3,127 | 0.547 | 25 | 11 |
| 1981 | Edmonton | 15 | 378–237 | 3,959 | 0.627 | 27 | 12 |
| 1982 | Edmonton | 16 | 562–333 | 5,000 | 0.592 | 36 | 16 |
| 1983 | Edmonton | 16 | 664–380 | 5,648 | 0.572 | 31 | 19 |
| Totals | 94 | 2,382–1,369 | 21,228 | 0.575 | 144 | 77 | |
National Football League
Moon's decision to enter the NFL touched off a bidding war for his services, won by the Houston OilersTennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
(who were coached by Hugh Campbell, his former coach in Edmonton). However, with the NFL field being so much shorter and narrower than the CFL's, Moon had a difficult adjustment period. Even so, he still threw for a franchise record 3,338 yards in his first season with Oilers in 1984. It was only in 1986 when Oilers head coach Jerry Glanville
Jerry Glanville
Jerry Glanville is a former American football player and current head coach of the Hartford Colonials of the United Football League, former NASCAR driver and owner, and sportscaster in the United States. He served the head coach of the Houston Oilers from 1986 to 1990 and the Atlanta Falcons from...
found ways to best utilize Moon's strong arm that he began having success. In 1987, a season shortened by a players' strike that eliminated the third week of the regular NFL season, the Oilers posted a 9–6 record. It was the Oilers' first winning season since 1980, when Bum Phillips
Bum Phillips
Oail Andrew "Bum" Phillips is a retired American football coach and the father of Wade Phillips, the Defensive Coordinator for the Houston Texans...
was the head coach and Ken "The Snake" Stabler
Ken Stabler
Kenneth "Kenny" Michael Stabler , is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Oakland Raiders , the Houston Oilers , and the New Orleans Saints...
was the quarterback. Moon then passed for 237 yards and a touchdown while leading the Oilers to a 23–20 overtime win over the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
in the wildcard round of the playoffs in his first NFL postseason game.
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
's record with nine 300-yard games in a season. That included throwing for 527 yards against Kansas City on December 16, 1990, the second most passing yard ever in a single game. The following year, he again led the league in passing yards 4,690. At the same time, he joined Marino and Dan Fouts
Dan Fouts
Daniel Francis Fouts is a retired Hall of Fame American football quarterback in the National Football League. Fouts played his entire professional career with the San Diego Chargers from 1973 through 1987...
as the only quarterbacks to post back-to-back 4,000-yard seasons. Moon also established new NFL records that season with 655 attempts and 404 completions. In 1991, Moon threw for a career-high 655 passes.
In 1992, Moon played only 11 games due to injuries, but still managed to lead the Oilers to a 10–6 record, including a victory over the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the final game of the season. Moon and the Oilers then faced the Bills again in the first round of the AFC playoffs. Aided by Moon's 222 passing yards and 4 touchdowns in the first half, Houston built up a 28–3 halftime lead, and then increased it to 35–3 when Buffalo quarterback Frank Reich
Frank Reich
Frank Michael Reich, Jr. is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League for the Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, New York Jets, and the Detroit Lions. For a time, he had the distinction of having led his team to the biggest comeback victory ever in both the collegiate...
's first pass of the third quarter was intercepted and returned for a touchdown. But the Bills managed to storm back with 5 unanswered second half touchdowns to take a 38–35 lead with time running out in the final period. Moon managed to lead the Oilers on a last second field goal drive to send the game into overtime, but threw an interception in the extra period that set-up Buffalo kicker Steve Christie
Steve Christie
Geoffrey Stephen Christie is a former Canadian American football placekicker in the National Football League, who, as a member of the Buffalo Bills, became known for his ability to kick clutch field goals, even in poor weather.-Early career:Christie, who grew up in nearby Oakville, Ontario,...
's game winning field goal. It was the largest comeback victory in NFL history and is now known in NFL Lore simply as The Comeback
The Comeback (American football)
The Comeback was a NFL playoff game between the Buffalo Bills and the Houston Oilers played January 3, 1993. It featured the Bills recovering from a 32-point deficit to win in overtime, and it remains the largest comeback in NFL history...
. Moon finished the game with 36 completions for 371 yards and 4 touchdowns, with 2 interceptions. His 36 completions remain an NFL postseason record.
1993 was the Houston Oilers' best season with Warren Moon under center — and it would also be his last season with the team. The Oilers went 12–4 and won the AFC Central division crown, but lost to Joe Montana
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
and the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
28–20 in the divisional round of the playoffs.
As a Houston Oiler, Moon set a franchise record for wins with 70, which stood until Steve McNair
Steve McNair
Stephen LaTreal McNair was an American football quarterback who spent the majority of his NFL career with the Tennessee Titans....
broke it in 2004, long after the team had become the Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
.
He was traded to the Minnesota Vikings after the season, where he passed for over 4,200 yards in each of his first two seasons, but missed half of the 1996 season with a broken collarbone. The Vikings' starting quarterback job was given to Brad Johnson
Brad Johnson (American football)
James Bradley Johnson is a former National Football League Super Bowl-winning quarterback. He was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the ninth round of the 1992 NFL Draft. He played college football at Florida State.-Early years:Brad went to Charles D...
and Moon was released after he refused to take a $3.8 million pay cut to serve as Johnson's backup. Moon then signed with the Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
as a free agent. On September 14, 1997, Moon became the first player over 40 years old in NFL history to score a touchdown. After a two year stint in the Pacific northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
, an aging Moon signed as a free agent with the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
as a backup in 1999. He played in only three games in 2 years with the Chiefs before announcing his retirement in January 2001.
Combining his NFL and CFL stats, Moon's numbers are nearly unmatched in professional football annals: 5,357 completions in 9,205 attempts for 70,553 yards and 435 touchdowns. Even if his Canadian League statistics are discounted, Warren Moon's career is still exceptional: 3,988 completions for 49,325 yards, 291 touchdown passes, 1,736 yards rushing, and 22 rushing touchdowns. Warren Moon also held individual NFL lifetime records for most fumbles recovered 56 and most fumbles made 162, but this was surpassed by Brett Favre in 2010. Moon was in the top 5 all-time when he retired for passing yards, passing touchdowns, pass attempts, and pass completions.
During his NFL career, Warren Moon was named to nine Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
games (1988–1995, 1997). Moon currently works as a broadcaster for the Seattle Seahawks on both TV and radio. On the radio, he is co play-by-play announcer with former Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
receiver Steve Raible
Steve Raible
Steve Carl Raible is a former NFL wide receiver and currently an anchor for KIRO 7 in Seattle, Washington.He was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and attended college at Georgia Tech. An original member of the Seattle Seahawks as a second round selection in the 1976 NFL Draft , he played wide...
, who is the lead play-by-play announcer and evening anchor/sports anchor for KIRO-TV
KIRO-TV
KIRO-TV, virtual channel 7, is the CBS affiliate television station in Seattle, Washington. It broadcasts on digital channel 39. The station's offices and broadcasting center are located near Seattle Center in Belltown, and its transmitter is located on Queen Anne Hill...
in Seattle. He was elected into the 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...
in 2006, becoming both the first Canadian Football Hall of Fame
Canadian Football Hall of Fame
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit corporation, located in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates great achievements in Canadian football. It is an open to the public institution. It includes displays about the Canadian Football League, Canadian university football and Canadian...
r, first undrafted quarterback and the first African-American quarterback to be so honored. Moon was elected in his first year of eligibility. The Tennessee Titans
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Previously known as the Houston Oilers, the team began play in 1960 as a charter...
retired his number at halftime on October 1 vs the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
. Moon also holds the little known record for being the oldest player to throw a touchdown pass in overtime (38 years, 359 days).
NFL statistics
| Year | Team | G | Passing Att.-Comp. |
Yards | Pct. | TD | Int. | Sacks-Lost | Passer Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Houston | 16 | 450–259 | 3,338 | 0.576 | 12 | 14 | 47–371 | 76.9 |
| 1985 | Houston | 14 | 377–200 | 2,709 | 0.531 | 15 | 19 | 46–366 | 68.5 |
| 1986 | Houston | 15 | 488–256 | 3,489 | 0.525 | 13 | 26 | 41–332 | 62.3 |
| 1987 | Houston | 12 | 368–184 | 2,806 | 0.500 | 21 | 18 | 25–198 | 74.2 |
| 1988 | Houston | 11 | 294–160 | 2,327 | 0.544 | 17 | 8 | 12–120 | 88.4 |
| 1989 | Houston | 16 | 464–280 | 3,631 | 0.603 | 23 | 14 | 35–267 | 88.9 |
| 1990 | Houston | 15 | 584–362 | 4,689 | 0.620 | 33 | 13 | 36–252 | 96.8 |
| 1991 | Houston | 16 | 655–404 | 4,690 | 0.617 | 23 | 21 | 23–174 | 81.7 |
| 1992 | Houston | 11 | 346–224 | 2,521 | 0.647 | 18 | 12 | 16–105 | 89.3 |
| 1993 | Houston | 15 | 520–303 | 3,485 | 0.583 | 21 | 21 | 34–218 | 75.2 |
| 1994 | Minnesota | 15 | 601–371 | 4,264 | 0.617 | 18 | 19 | 29–235 | 79.9 |
| 1995 | Minnesota | 16 | 606–377 | 4,228 | 0.622 | 33 | 14 | 38–277 | 91.5 |
| 1996 | Minnesota | 8 | 247–134 | 1,610 | 0.543 | 7 | 9 | 19–122 | 68.7 |
| 1997 | Seattle | 15 | 528–313 | 3,678 | 0.593 | 25 | 16 | 30–192 | 83.7 |
| 1998 | Seattle | 10 | 258–145 | 1,632 | 0.562 | 11 | 8 | 22–140 | 76.6 |
| 1999 | Kansas City | 1 | 3–1 | 20 | 0.333 | 0 | 0 | 0–0 | 57.6 |
| 2000 | Kansas City | 2 | 34–15 | 208 | 0.441 | 1 | 1 | 5–46 | 61.9 |
| Totals | 208 | 6,823–3,988 | 49,325 | 0.584 | 291 | 233 | 458–3,415 | 80.9 | |
| Playoff Totals | 10 | 403–259 | 2,834 | 0.643 | 17 | 14 | n/a-n/a | 85.8 | |
Awards
- 9× Pro BowlPro BowlIn professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
selection (19881989 Pro BowlThe 1989 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on January 29, 1989 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final score was NFC 34, AFC 3. Randall Cunningham of the Philadelphia Eagles was the game's MVP. The referee was Ben Dreith. It was the last Pro Bowl game played in the month of January for two...
, 19891990 Pro BowlThe 1990 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 4, 1990 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final Score was NFC 27, AFC 21. There were 50,445 people in attendance. Jerry Gray of the Los Angeles Rams was the game's MVP. The referee was Johnny Grier....
, 19901991 Pro BowlThe 1991 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 3, 1991 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final Score was AFC 23, NFC 21. There were 50,345 people in attendance. Jim Kelly of the Buffalo Bills was the game's MVP. The referee was Gordon McCarter....
, 19911992 Pro BowlThe 1992 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 2, 1992 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final Score was NFC 21, AFC 15. Michael Irvin of the Dallas Cowboys was the game's MVP....
, 19921993 Pro BowlThe 1993 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 7, 1993 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. The final score was AFC — 23, NFC — 20. Steve Tasker of the Buffalo Bills was the game's MVP. This was the first Pro Bowl to go into overtime...
, 19931994 Pro BowlThe 1994 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 6, 1994 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final Score was NFC 17, AFC 3. Andre Rison of the Atlanta Falcons was the game's MVP...
, 19941995 Pro BowlThe 1995 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 5, 1995, at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final Score was AFC 41, NFC 13. Marshall Faulk of the Indianapolis Colts was the game's MVP. The coaches were Dallas’ Barry Switzer and Bill Cowher of the Steelers. The game was viewed by 49,121 at...
, 19951996 Pro BowlThe 1996 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 4, 1996 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final score was NFC 20, AFC 13. Jerry Rice of the San Francisco 49ers was the game's MVP after he had 2 clutch catches, including the final one which won the game. He finished with six catches for 82...
, 19971998 Pro BowlThe 1998 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 1, 1998 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final score was AFC 29, NFC 24. Warren Moon of the Seattle Seahawks, invited to participate because of an injury to John Elway, was the game's MVP. The referee was Gary Lane...
) - 3× All-ProAll-ProAll-Pro is a term mostly used in the NFL for the best players of each position during that season. It began as polls of sportswriters in the early 1920s...
selection (1988, 1989, 1990) - 5× Grey CupGrey CupThe Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
champion (66th66th Grey CupThe 66th Grey Cup was played on November 26, 1978 before 54,695 fans at Exhibition Stadium at Toronto. The Edmonton Eskimos won against the Montreal Alouettes with a close 20-13 victory.- Box Score :First QuarterEdmonton - FG – Dave Cutler 37 yards...
, 67th67th Grey CupThe 67th Grey Cup was played on November 25, 1979 before 65,113 fans at the Olympic Stadium at Montreal. The Edmonton Eskimos won against the Montreal Alouettes by the score 17 to 9.-Box Score:First Quarter...
, 68th68th Grey CupThe 68th Grey Cup was played on November 23, 1980 before 54,661 fans at the Exhibition Stadium at Toronto. The Edmonton Eskimos demolished the Hamilton Tiger-Cats by the score 48 to 10, in one of the Grey Cup's most lopsided victories.-Scoring:...
, 69th69th Grey CupThe 69th Grey Cup was played on November 22, 1981 at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Quebec in front of 52,487 fans. The 1981 Grey Cup game is considered to be one of the ten best Grey Cup games of all time...
, 70th70th Grey CupThe 70th Grey Cup, also known as the "Rain Bowl", was the 1982 Grey Cup Canadian Football League championship game between the Toronto Argonauts and the Edmonton Eskimos. The Eskimos defeated the Argonauts 32-16 on the Eskimos' way to their fifth straight Grey Cup...
) - 2001 Enshrined on Eskimos' Wall of Fame
- 1990 NEA NFL MVP
- 1990 NFL Offensive Player of the Year
- 1990 UPI AFL-AFC Player of the YearUPI AFL-AFC Player of the YearFrom 1960 to 1969, the United Press International gave the annual AFL Player of the Year award in the American Football League, whose teams in 1970 became the American Football Conference of the new National Football League ....
- 1989 Man of the YearWalter Payton Man of the Year AwardThe Walter Payton Man of the Year award is given annually by the National Football League honoring a player's volunteer and charity work, as well as his excellence on the field. Prior to 1999, it was called simply the NFL Man of the Year Award...
- 1997 Pro Bowl MVP
- 1982 Grey Cup MVP
- 1980 Grey Cup MVP
- 1983 CFL Most Outstanding PlayerCFL's Most Outstanding Player AwardThe Most Outstanding Player Award is annually awarded to the best player in the Canadian Football League. The Most Outstanding Player award can be compared to the National Football League's Most Valuable Player, otherwise known as the "MVP" award...
- 1983 Jeff Nicklin Memorial TrophyJeff Nicklin Memorial TrophyThe Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy is a trophy awarded to the Canadian Football League West Division's Most Outstanding Player, chosen from the nominees from each team in the division...
- 1978 Rose Bowl MVP
- 1977 Pac 8 Player of the Year
- Oilers/Titans Career Passing Yards Leader with 32,685
- Tennessee Titans #1 Retired
- Hall of Fame (inducted in 2006)
Personal life
Moon married the former Felicia Fontenot Hendricks on March 8, 1981. Felicia and Warren's daughter, Blair, was a member of Tulane's Women's VolleyballVolleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
team. Warren and Felicia have three other children. They divorced in 2002. Moon married Mandy Ritter in 2005. They have a son Ryken. Further details are available in Moon's biography Never Give Up on Your Dream: My Journey.
Moon appeared in the film Any Given Sunday
Any Given Sunday
Any Given Sunday is a 1999 American drama film directed by Oliver Stone depicting a fictional professional American football team. The film features an ensemble cast, consisting of Al Pacino, Cameron Diaz, Dennis Quaid, Jamie Foxx, James Woods, LL Cool J, Matthew Modine, John C...
in a cameo role as the head coach from New York.
On April 6, 2007, Moon was arrested for suspicion of DUI
DUI
DUI is a three letter acronym that may stand for:* Driving under the influence * Democratic Union for Integration — the largest ethnic Albanian party in the Republic of Macedonia* Data Use Identifier...
after being stopped for speeding in Kirkland
Kirkland, Washington
Kirkland is a city in King County, Washington, United States. It is a suburb of Seattle on the Eastside . The population was 48,787 at the 2010 census makes it the 9th largest city in King County and the 20th largest city in the state...
, a suburb of Seattle. The charges were later reduced to first-degree negligent driving after Moon registered breath-alcohol levels of 0.068 and 0.067 at the police station in the hours following his arrest. Moon pleaded guilty to the negligent driving charge and was sentenced to 40 hours of community service, a $350 fine and drug and alcohol awareness classes.
In March 2011, Moon stepped back in the limelight while working as a "mentor" to Cam Newton
Cam Newton
Cameron Lemark Newton is a former American football safety. He played college football at Furman University, then played two seasons in the NFL, one each for the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers. He was cut from the Panthers before the 2007 season...
, who became the Overall #1 2011 NFL Draft Pick to the Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers
The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. They are currently members of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Panthers, along with the Jacksonville Jaguars, joined the NFL as expansion...
. Moon publicly stated that Newton was being unfairly criticized for character flaws, lack of experience, and low football IQ and that the only reason that Newton was being targeted by football analysts and sports-writers was because he is African-American.
External links
- Pro Football Hall of Fame: Member profile
- Canadian Football League Hall of Fame Bio by CFL.CA
- Canada's Sports Hall of Fame profile
- http://www.sports1marketing.com