Gary Kerkorian

NFL player


DateOfBirth=January 14 1930
Birthplace=Los Angeles, California, United States
Height_ft=5
Height_in=11
Weight_lbs=185
DateOfDeath=death date and age|2000|5|22|1930|1|14
Deathplace=Fresno, California
Position= Quarterback
College=Stanford
DraftedYear=1952
DraftedRound=19 / Pick 222
(by the Pittsburgh Steelers)
Stats=y
DatabaseFootball=KERKOGAR01
PFR=
ProBowls=
Honors=
Awards=
Records=
years=1952
1954-1956
teams=Pittsburgh Steelers
Baltimore Colts

Gary Ray Kerkorian (January 14 1930–May 22 2000) was an American football quarterback who played four seasons in the National Football League.

College career

Kerkorian attended Inglewood High School in Los Angeles, and then was a quarterback at Stanford University, where he was a three-year starter. At the end of his senior season of 1951, he held every Stanford passing record and was named a first-team All-American, leading the Indians to a 9-1 record, the Pac-8 championship, and a Rose Bowl berth.cite web|url=http://gostanford.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/052600aaa.html|title=Stanford Legend Gary Kerkorian Dies at Age 70|publisher=GoStanford.com|date=May 25, 2000|accessdate=2007-08-07] He is a member of the Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame.cite web| title =The Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame| work =Stanford Athletics website| url =http://gostanford.cstv.com/trads/stan-trads-hof.html| accessdate =2007-08-07 ]

NFL career

He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1952 NFL Draft, and saw duty as both a quarterback and placekicker.

He was traded the Baltimore Colts, and emerged as the starting quarterback for the 1954 season, though the Colts' record was a dismal 3-9. The Colts won the lottery bonus pick for the 1955 NFL Draft, giving them the first overall draft pick. They selected George Shaw, a quarterback from the University of Oregon, and Kerkorian was soon relegated to backup duty. (Coincidentally, Shaw was the younger brother of Tom Shaw, whom Kerkorian had replaced as starting Stanford quarterback in 1949.cite news|title=Shaw tops a list of greats|work=The Oregonian|page=D01|date=April 22 1993|last=Frei|first=Terry] cite web|url=http://www.kpservices.us/SAMP/NEWSLTRS/2005-PILHOF-progLoRes.pdf|title=PIL Hall of Fame 2005 Inductees|publisher=Portland Interscholastic Hall of Fame|date=October 2005|accessdate=2007-08-07] ) The following year, the Colts acquired rookie Johnny Unitas, and Kerkorian slipped to third string.

Rugby

Between the 1952 and 1953 NFL seasons, Kerkorian toured with the United States national rugby league team to Australia, where he played the 5/8 position and kicked many goals.cite news|title=U. S. Rugby Team Victor Over Australians, 19-13|work=New York Times|date=June 14, 1953|page=S10]

After football

Kerkorian left football after the 1955 season to attend law school at Georgetown University. After an injury to Unitas in 1958, the Colts called Kerkorian back from law school as a possible replacement, but he did not play.cite news|title=Colts Call Kerkorian|date=November 5, 1958|work=New York Times|page=53]

Kerkorian worked as an attorney in California, and was named a Superior Court Judge in Fresno, California in 1990. He retired in January 2000, and died a few months later.

References