Guy Benjamin

Last updated

Guy Benjamin
No. 7, 10
Position: Quarterback
Personal information
Born: (1955-06-27) June 27, 1955 (age 68)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Career information
College: Stanford
NFL Draft: 1978  / Round: 2 / Pick: 51
Career history
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
TD-INT:3-3
Passing yards:439
Passer rating:73.1
Pass attempts:68
Pass completions:39
Games played:19
Player stats at NFL.com  ·  PFR

Guy Emory Benjamin (born June 27, 1955) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for six seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Stanford Indians (now Cardinal), earning consensus All-American honors in 1977. Benjamin was selected in the second round of the 1978 NFL Draft. He won a Super Bowl as a backup quarterback with the San Francisco 49ers in 1981.

Contents

College career

Benjamin played high school football at James Monroe High School in North Hills, California and matriculated at Stanford University in 1974. He split starting time with Mike Cordova at first, but took over as full-time starter in 1976. In 1977, under coach Bill Walsh, Benjamin led Stanford to a 24–14 victory over LSU in the 1977 Sun Bowl and won both the Sammy Baugh Trophy (top passer in college football) and the W.J. Voit Memorial Trophy, (outstanding college football player on the Pacific Coast).

NFL career

Benjamin was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 1978 NFL Draft. He played two seasons behind Bob Griese and Don Strock, then spent one season as Archie Manning's backup with the New Orleans Saints. He was reunited with Bill Walsh when he joined the San Francisco 49ers in 1981, where he earned a Super Bowl ring as Joe Montana's backup in Super Bowl XVI. He retired in 1984 following surgery. [1]

After football

After leaving football, Benjamin directed Athletes United for Peace, an organization founded by Olympic athletes after the U.S. boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics. He also founded the Sports in Society Institute at the New College of California, and directed its degree-completion program for former student-athletes. [2]

He now lives in Hawaii, where he was offensive coordinator for the University of Hawaii football team for a while. In 1988, he was to be the head coach of the World Indoor Football League's Las Vegas Aces, but that league folded before it could get off the ground and the Aces' bid to join the Arena Football League was turned away, so that the Aces never played a game. He also coached the Hawaii Hammerheads of the Indoor Professional Football League to the league championship in 1999, the team's only season. He then became the first head coach of the IPFL's Portland Prowlers before returning to Hawaii, where he coached the minor league Hawaiian Islanders of the Arena Football League af2.

As of 2012, he is Executive Director of the Hawaii Medical College. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bill Walsh (American football coach)</span> American football coach (1931–2007)

William Ernest Walsh was an American professional and college football coach. He served as head coach of the San Francisco 49ers and the Stanford Cardinal, during which time he popularized the West Coast offense. After retiring from the 49ers, Walsh worked as a sports broadcaster for several years and then returned as head coach at Stanford for three seasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Francisco 49ers</span> National Football League franchise in Santa Clara, California

The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play their home games at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, located 38 miles (61 km) southeast of San Francisco. The team is named after the prospectors who arrived in Northern California in the 1849 Gold Rush.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Montana</span> American football player (born 1956)

Joseph Clifford Montana Jr. is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons, primarily with the San Francisco 49ers. Nicknamed "Joe Cool" and "the Comeback Kid", Montana is widely regarded as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. After winning a national championship at Notre Dame, Montana began his NFL career in 1979 at San Francisco, where he played for the next 14 seasons. With the 49ers, Montana started and won four Super Bowls and was the first player to be named the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player (MVP) three times. He also holds Super Bowl career records for most passes without an interception and the all-time highest passer rating of 127.8. In 1993, Montana was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs, where he played for his last two seasons, and led the franchise to its first AFC Championship Game. Montana was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Plunkett</span> American football player (born 1947)

James William Plunkett is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for sixteen seasons. He achieved his greatest professional success during his final eight seasons with the Raiders franchise, whom he led to two Super Bowl titles.

George Gerald Seifert is an American former football coach. He served as the head coach for the San Francisco 49ers and the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). Seifert owned the second-greatest winning percentage in NFL history by a head coach at the time of his resignation as the 49ers head coach, second to Guy Chamberlin. Among coaches with at least 100 wins, his winning percentage is fifth best in football history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Holmgren</span> American football player, coach, and executive (born 1948)

Michael George Holmgren is a former American football coach and executive. He began his NFL career as a quarterbacks' coach and later as an offensive coordinator with the San Francisco 49ers, where they won Super Bowls XXIII and XXIV. He served as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers from 1992 to 1998, where he won Super Bowl XXXI, and of the Seattle Seahawks from 1999 to 2008. His last role in the NFL was as team president of the Cleveland Browns from 2010 to 2012. Prior to his career in the NFL, Holmgren coached football at the high school and collegiate levels.

Steven Leroy DeBerg is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 years.

Larry Craig Morton is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons, primarily with the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos. He played college football for the California Golden Bears, receiving All-American honors, and was selected by the Cowboys fifth overall in the 1965 NFL Draft. Following nine seasons with the Cowboys, a quarterback controversy with Roger Staubach led to Morton joining the New York Giants for three seasons. He spent his final six seasons as a member of the Broncos, winning NFL Comeback Player of the Year and AFC Offensive Player of the Year in 1977.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Dutton (quarterback)</span> American football player (born 1975)

John Dutton is a former Arena Football League (AFL) quarterback. He was drafted out of University of Nevada, Reno in the 6th round of the 1998 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins. In 2005, he led the Crush to the ArenaBowl XIX title. In 2006, he was on the cover of the EA Sports first AFL video game, Arena Football, making him the first player to pose for the cover. He had been the backup quarterback for the San Jose SaberCats behind Mark Grieb. After Grieb's suffered a season-ending injury earlier in the year, Dutton quarterbacked the SaberCats to a 52–14 victory over the Arizona Rattlers in ArenaBowl XVI. He was named Offensive Player of the Game for his performance. In June 2009, Dutton was signed by the RiverCity Rage of the Indoor Football League (IFL). On February 12, 2010, it was announced that Dutton had been signed by the Cleveland Gladiators.

The 1989 NFL season was the 70th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announced his retirement. Paul Tagliabue was eventually chosen to succeed him, taking over on November 5.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Ulbrich</span> American football player and coach (born 1977)

Jeffery Wade Ulbrich is an American football coach and former linebacker who is the defensive coordinator for the New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Hawaii and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the 3rd round in the 2000 NFL Draft and played for the 49ers from 2000 to 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Lynch (American football)</span> American football player and executive (born 1971)

John Terrence Lynch Jr. is an American professional football executive and former player who is the general manager of the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played in the NFL as a strong safety for 15 seasons, primarily with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A nine-time Pro Bowl selection, Lynch earned a Super Bowl ring with the Buccaneers in Super Bowl XXXVII. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frankie Albert</span> American gridiron football player and coach (1920–2002)

Frank Cullen Albert was an American gridiron football player and coach. He played as a quarterback with the San Francisco 49ers in the National Football League (NFL). Albert attended Stanford University, where he led the 1940 football team to an undefeated season and the Rose Bowl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football</span> University of Hawaii football team

The Hawaii Rainbow Warriors football team represents the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa in NCAA Division I FBS college football. It was part of the Western Athletic Conference until July 2012, when the team joined the Mountain West Conference.

Kenneth Margerum is a former American college and professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons during the 1980s. Margerum played college football for Stanford University, and earned consensus All-American honors twice. He played professionally for the Chicago Bears and San Francisco 49ers of the NFL.

John Paye is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) and a high school basketball coach.

The San Francisco 49ers are the first major league professional sports franchise to be based in San Francisco, and one of the first professional sports teams based on the West Coast of the United States.

Daniel James Audick is a former American football offensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL) from 1977 through 1984. A second generation Lithuanian American, Dan was born into a large military family as the son of Col. Albert E. Audick, Sr. and Stella Audick. After his birth, he and his nine siblings moved to military bases in France, Virginia, Tennessee, Japan, Colorado, and Los Angeles, California. As a high school senior at Wasson High School in Colorado Springs, Audick earned All-State honors as an offensive lineman while contributing to the winning of what was then the AAA-Colorado high school football championship in 1971. In 2005, Audick was inducted with his teammates and coaches into the Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame. Audick was a scholarship student-athlete for the University of Hawaii Warrior football team from 1972 to 1977 and a team captain in the 1976 football season. Under the pioneering leadership of Coach Larry Price, he was one of the few former Warriors who made the transition from Division II Independent to Division IA Independent and who would go on to NFL careers and coaching careers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Jose State Spartans football</span> Football team of San Jose State University

The San Jose State Spartans football team represents San José State University in NCAA Division I FBS college football as a member of the Mountain West Conference.

The 1977 Sun Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game, part of the bowl schedule of the 1977 NCAA Division I football season. Played on Saturday, December 31, it matched the LSU Tigers of the Southeastern Conference and the Stanford Cardinals of the Pacific-8 Conference at the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas. It was the 44th edition of the Sun Bowl.

References

  1. Dominguez, Fernando. "Armed With Intelligence: Rejoining Walsh, Benjamin Took His Knowledge Back to College". LA Times. Retrieved September 11, 2021.
  2. "Guy Benjamin" (Press release). Athletes United for Peace. Archived from the original on 2007-10-07. Retrieved 2007-02-05.
  3. Kroichick, Ron (January 22, 2007). "Former 49ers feel discarded". ScrippsNews. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved February 5, 2007.