Gary Ray Kerkorian (January 14, 1930 – May 22, 2000) was an American professional football player who was a quarterback for four seasons in the National Football League (NFL).
| No. 17, 18 | |
 Kerkorian, circa 1951 | |
| Date of birth | January 14, 1930 |
|---|---|
| Place of birth | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Date of death | May 22, 2000 (aged 70) |
| Place of death | Fresno, California, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| Position(s) | Quarterback |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (180 cm) |
| Weight | 185 lb (84 kg) |
| US college | Stanford |
| NFL draft | 1952 / round: 19 / pick: 222 |
| Drafted by | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1952 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1954–1956 | Baltimore Colts |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Career stats | |
| |
College career
editBorn into an Armenian family, Kerkorian attended Inglewood High School in Los Angeles County, 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.[1] He is a member of the Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame.[2]
NFL career
editHe was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1952 NFL draft, and saw duty as both a quarterback and placekicker.
He was traded to 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.[3][4]) The following year, the Colts acquired rookie Johnny Unitas, and Kerkorian slipped to third string.
Rugby League
editBetween 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.[5]
After football
editKerkorian left football after the 1955 season to attend law school at Georgetown University.[1] After an injury to Unitas in 1958, the Colts called Kerkorian back from law school as a possible replacement, but he did not play.[6]
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.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Stanford Legend Gary Kerkorian Dies at Age 70". GoStanford.com. May 25, 2000. Archived from the original on January 20, 2013. Retrieved August 7, 2007.
- ^ "The Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame". Stanford Athletics website. Archived from the original on August 27, 2008. Retrieved August 7, 2007.
- ^ Frei, Terry (April 22, 1993). "Shaw tops a list of greats". The Oregonian. p. D01.
- ^ "PIL Hall of Fame 2005 Inductees" (PDF). Portland Interscholastic Hall of Fame. October 2005. Retrieved August 7, 2007.
- ^ "U. S. Rugby Team Victor Over Australians, 19-13". New York Times. June 14, 1953. p. S10.
- ^ "Colts Call Kerkorian". New York Times. November 5, 1958. p. 53.