Warren Moon

Harold Warren Moon was born on November 18, 1956, in Los Angeles. He grew up as the middle child among six sisters. After his father, a laborer, died of liver disease when Moon was seven, his mother Pat worked as a nurse, and Moon learned household skills like cooking and sewing to help care for the family. He chose to play only football in high school because he needed to work the rest of the year to support his household. Moon decided to become a quarterback after realizing he could throw a football farther, harder, and straighter than anyone he knew.

To attend Alexander Hamilton High School, Moon used a friend’s address to access a better academic and athletic environment than his local school offered. He saw little playing time until his junior year, when he became the varsity starting quarterback. As a senior in 1973, he made the all-city team and led his team to the city playoffs.

Moon began his college career at West Los Angeles College, setting records as a freshman quarterback in 1974, but few four-year schools pursued him. University of Washington offensive coordinator Dick Scesniak was eager to sign him. Moon insisted on playing quarterback, considering himself only a slightly above-average athlete without the size, speed, or strength for other positions. Under head coach Don James, Washington went 11–11 in Moon’s first two seasons as a starter. As a senior in 1977, he led the Huskies to the Pac-8 title and a 27–20 Rose Bowl upset over Michigan, earning MVP honors with two short touchdown runs and a 28-yard touchdown pass to Robert “Spider” Gaines.

Moon signed with the Edmonton Eskimos six weeks before the NFL draft. From 1978 to 1981, he shared quarterback duties with Tom Wilkinson, and the team won four straight Grey Cups. He became Edmonton’s starter midway through the 1980 season, winning his first Grey Cup Offensive MVP award in a 48–10 victory over Hamilton. In 1981, Moon started as the No. 1 quarterback while Wilkinson served as backup. During the Grey Cup, Edmonton trailed Ottawa 20–0 in the second quarter; Moon was replaced by Wilkinson but returned in the second half to lead three touchdown drives and a game-winning field goal with three seconds left, giving Edmonton a 26–23 win and a CFL-record fourth consecutive Grey Cup.

In 1982, Moon became the first professional quarterback to pass for 5,000 yards in a season, reaching exactly 5,000. He threw 36 touchdowns, an Edmonton record, and finished third in single-season CFL history. The Eskimos recovered from a 3–5 start to finish 11–5, winning the West Division for the sixth straight year. They reached the Grey Cup for the sixth consecutive season and won it for the fifth straight year, with Moon earning his second Grey Cup Offensive MVP award.

In his final CFL season, 1983, Moon set league records for completions (380), attempts (664), and yards (5,648), all since broken. On October 15 against Montreal, he threw for 555 yards, an Edmonton record and third-best in CFL history at the time. He was named a West All-Star quarterback, won the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy as the West Division’s Most Outstanding Player, and was named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Player. The Eskimos finished 8–8 and barely made the playoffs.

Moon’s six CFL seasons included five Grey Cup victories, leading the Houston Oilers to sign him in 1984. Over 17 NFL seasons, he was named Offensive Player of the Year in 1990 after leading the league in passing yards and touchdowns. He led the NFL in passing yards twice and earned nine Pro Bowl selections. Moon spent 10 seasons with the Oilers, leading them to seven playoff appearances, and made an eighth postseason run with the Minnesota Vikings before retiring in 2000. He also played for the Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs.

At retirement, Moon held several all-time professional passing records. Though his NFL postseason success was limited, his five consecutive Grey Cups from 1978 to 1982 remain a CFL record, and he was twice named Grey Cup MVP. In 2006, Moon was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as the first African-American quarterback and the first undrafted quarterback to receive the honor. He is also the only player inducted into both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.