Ken O'Brien

Last updated

Ken O'Brien
No. 7, 8, 15
Position: Quarterback
Personal information
Born: (1960-11-27) November 27, 1960 (age 63)
Rockville Centre, New York, U.S.
Height:6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)
Weight:210 lb (95 kg)
Career information
High school: Jesuit (Carmichael, California)
College: Sacramento State, UC Davis
NFL draft: 1983  / Round: 1 / Pick: 24
Career history
As a player:
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
As a coach:
  • UC Davis (1997)
    Quarterbacks coach
  • USC (1998–1999)
    Quarterbacks coach
Career highlights and awards
Career NFL statistics
Passing attempts:3,602
Passing completions:2,110
Completion percentage:58.6
TD–INT:126–99
Passing yards:25,094
Passer rating:80.4
Player stats at NFL.com  ·  PFR

Kenneth John O'Brien Jr. (born November 27, 1960) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles. One of the six quarterbacks in the famed quarterback class of 1983, O'Brien was the first quarterback in the franchise history of the Jets to finish with the highest passer rating in a season. He held the team record for most consecutive pass completions (17) in a game. In 1997, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Contents

High school and college career

O'Brien played for Jesuit High School in Carmichael, California.

O'Brien started his collegiate football career in 1978 at Sacramento State as a reserve. He played at the University of California, Davis under coach Jim Sochor. In his senior year, 1982, he was an NCAA Division II All-American. He led UCD to a 10–0 regular season mark and to the Division II championship game. He was ranked #2 in total offense and #3 in passing efficiency in Division II. He also won the Babe Slater Award for being the most outstanding male athlete at UC Davis.

O'Brien was selected as All-Far Western Conference QB three times and was selected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997.

Professional career

The New York Jets selected O'Brien as the 24th pick in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft, shocking observers who expected the team to choose quarterback Dan Marino, a future member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, who was selected three picks later by the Miami Dolphins. The Jets fans who attended the draft, held in New York City, were surprised and outraged by the choice; O'Brien was so obscure that New York television reporter Sal Marchiano twice mangled his name while reporting on fan reaction to the draft. (O'Brien said after his retirement, "Who blames [the fans], right? Who, in New York, has heard of Cal, University of California, Davis? Nobody ... I'm not sure I would have reacted any differently. Heck, some of my cousins grew up as Jets fans. They were probably doing the same thing.") [1] Don Shula, who coached the division rival Miami Dolphins (which drafted Dan Marino later in the round) famously asked "Who's he?" [2]

In 1985, O'Brien was the highest-rated quarterback in the NFL, finishing the season with a rating of 96.2 while having the lowest interception rate; he was selected to the Pro Bowl that year. [3] The Jets went 11–5 that year to reach the postseason for the first time since 1982. He went 13-of-17 for 149 yards against the New England Patriots with a touchdown and an interception as the Jets lost 26–14. [4] O'Brien later led the NFL with the lowest interception rate in 1987 and 1988.

On September 21, 1986, O'Brien engaged in a famous duel with Dan Marino when the Jets played the Miami Dolphins. The eventual 51–45 victory saw a combined total of combined for 927 yards and ten passing touchdowns, with O'Brien throwing for 479 with four touchdowns. [5] On November 2 of that same year, he set history against the Seattle Seahawks. He threw for 431 yards while going 26-for-32 to become the first quarterback to achieve a perfect passer rating (158.3) while throwing for 400 yards. This would not be done again until Nick Foles in 2013. [6] O'Brien did a second game with a perfect rating in the December 23, 1990 game against the New England Patriots by going 11-of-12 for 210 yards with two touchdowns.

O'Brien threw 25 touchdown passes for the second-straight season and helped the Jets post a 10–6 record in 1986, but a sore arm bothered him down the stretch, which saw the team lose five games in a row to stumble into the playoffs. Pat Ryan (who won two games as starter) started in the wild-card round versus Kansas City, which they won. [7] O'Brien only came in action for the divisional round game versus Cleveland when Ryan got hurt early. O'Brien went 11-of-19 for 134 yards while being sacked six times with no touchdowns as the Browns won in double overtime. [8]

O'Brien went to the Pro Bowl twice, in 1985 and 1991. He returned to the playoffs in the latter year as the Jets faced the Houston Oilers. He went 21-of-31 for 221 yards with a touchdown and three interceptions as the Jets lost 17–10. He retired after spending the 1993 season with the Philadelphia Eagles where he started only four games and mostly served as a backup for Randall Cunningham and Bubby Brister. [9] Despite his occasional flashes with over 25,000 passing yards, O'Brien had a quarterback record of 50–59–1 as a starter, which saw him start over ten games for a team seven times while having a winning record just three times.

NFL career statistics

Legend
Pro Bowl selection
Led the league
BoldCareer high

Regular season

YearTeamGamesPassing
GPGSRecordCmpAttPctYdsAvgTDIntLngRtg
1984 NYJ 1051–411620357.11,4026.9674974.0
1985 NYJ 161611−529748860.93,8888.02589696.2
1986 NYJ 15148−630048262.23,6907.725208385.8
1987 NYJ 12125−723439359.52,6966.91385982.8
1988 NYJ 14126−5–123642455.72,5676.11575078.6
1989 NYJ 15124−828847760.43,3467.012185774.3
1990 NYJ 16166–1022641155.02,8556.913106977.3
1991 NYJ 16168–828748958.73,3006.710115376.6
1992 NYJ 1031–2559856.16426.6565567.6
1993 PHI 540−47113751.87085.2434167.4
Career12911050–59–12,1103,60258.625,0947.0128989680.4

Coaching career

After retiring, O'Brien had a stint as an assistant coach for the University of Southern California, where he coached Heisman Trophy winner and former Cincinnati Bengals, Oakland Raiders, and Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer. [10]

Personal life

O'Brien and his wife Stacey have four children, with his first grandchild coming in 2018. As of 2019, O'Brien works at IWP Wealth Management in Manhattan Beach, California. [11]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chad Pennington</span> American football player (born 1976)

James Chadwick Pennington is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. He played college football for the Marshall Thundering Herd, winning the Sammy Baugh Trophy as a senior, and was selected by the New York Jets in the first round of the 2000 NFL Draft. Pennington spent his first eight seasons with the Jets and was a member of the Miami Dolphins in his last three.

Charles Carroll "Tony" Eason IV is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons, primarily with the New England Patriots. He played college football for the Illinois Fighting Illini. Taken 15th overall by the Patriots in the 1983 NFL Draft, he was one of the six quarterbacks selected during the first round. Eason served as New England's primary starter from 1984 to 1986, where he helped the team make their Super Bowl debut in Super Bowl XX. Competing as the starter with Steve Grogan throughout his Patriots tenure, Eason was released during the 1989 season. He spent his final two seasons as a backup with the New York Jets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan Fitzpatrick</span> American football player (born 1982)

Ryan Joseph Fitzpatrick is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons. Fitzpatrick started at quarterback for nine teams, the most in league history. He is also the only NFL player to have a passing touchdown with eight different teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">A. J. Feeley</span> American football player (born 1977)

Adam Joshua Feeley is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon Ducks and was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the fifth round of the 2001 NFL Draft. He played in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins and St. Louis Rams, as well as his two stints with the Eagles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Beck (gridiron football)</span> American football player (born 1981)

John Dalton Beck 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 BYU Cougars, and was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 2007 NFL draft. In addition to the Dolphins, Beck played professionally for the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, Washington Redskins, and Houston Texans, as well as the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL).

Carl Richard Todd is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for the New York Jets and New Orleans Saints of the National Football League (NFL) from 1976 to 1986. Like former Jets quarterback Joe Namath and Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler, he played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide under coach Paul "Bear" Bryant. Todd was selected by the Jets in the first round of the 1976 NFL draft with the sixth overall pick.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Matt Moore (American football)</span> American football player and executive (born 1984)

Matthew Erickson Moore is a former American football quarterback. He was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2007, and also played for the Carolina Panthers, Kansas City Chiefs, and Miami Dolphins. He played college football at UCLA and Oregon State.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dolphins–Jets rivalry</span> National Football League rivalry

The Dolphins–Jets rivalry is a rivalry between the Miami Dolphins and the New York Jets in the National Football League (NFL). The teams both play in the AFC East division, and play two scheduled games each season as a result. They have often competed for divisional supremacy, and have played several classic games. Currently, the Dolphins lead the series 60–56–1, while the Dolphins have won the lone postseason meeting, defeating the Jets in the 1982 AFC Championship.

The 1990 New England Patriots season was the team's 31st, and 21st in the National Football League (NFL). It was the first for head coach Rod Rust, who was looking to improve on the 5-11 mark from the year before that cost Raymond Berry, who had led the Patriots to the playoffs twice in his tenure, his job.

The 1986 New York Jets season was the 27th season for the team and the seventeenth in the National Football League. It began with the team trying to improve upon its 11–5 record from 1985 and return to the playoffs under head coach Joe Walton. The Jets finished the season with a record of 10–6, qualifying for the top Wild Card spot in the playoffs despite losing their last five games of the season. They defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 35–15 in the wild-card round, but lost to the Cleveland Browns in the divisional round. The loss to the Browns is infamous in Jets history. Leading 20–10 in the 4th quarter, the Jets collapsed when Mark Gastineau hammered Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar seconds after he released a pass; Gastineau was flagged for roughing the passer and the Browns rallied to force overtime and win 23-20 early in the game's second overtime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Marino</span> American football player (born 1961)

Daniel Constantine Marino Jr. is an American former football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons with the Miami Dolphins and currently works for the same team since 2014 as a special advisor. He played college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers, earning first-team All-American honors in 1981. Marino was the last quarterback taken in the first round of the famed quarterback class of 1983. He held or currently holds dozens of NFL records associated with the quarterback position, and despite never being on a Super Bowl-winning team, he is recognized among the greatest quarterbacks in American football history.

The 1983 Miami Dolphins season was the 18th season in football for the Miami Dolphins and they sought to return to the Super Bowl after losing to the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl XVII. It was also a turning point in the team's history, as in the 1983 NFL Draft a young quarterback slipped to deep in the opening round, being passed over by such teams as division rivals New York who drafted Ken O'Brien and New England who drafted Tony Eason. With the 27th pick, the Dolphins decided to take a chance on Dan Marino. In the draft's eighth round the Dolphins also selected receiver Mark Clayton.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1984 Miami Dolphins season</span> 19th season in franchise history; third Super Bowl loss

The 1984 Miami Dolphins season was the team's 19th season, and 15th in the National Football League (NFL). It was also the 15th season with the team for head coach Don Shula. The Dolphins sought to build on a spectacular 1983 season where they went 12–4 with rookie quarterback Dan Marino.

The 2000 Miami Dolphins season was the franchise's 31st season in the National Football League, the 35th overall and was their first under new head coach Dave Wannstedt who was named the fourth head coach in franchise history on January 16, 2000, the same day that Jimmy Johnson announced his retirement from coaching. For the first season since 1982, Dan Marino was not on the opening day roster, as he announced his retirement prior to the season. Believed by many as the greatest Miami Dolphin of all time, Marino led the Dolphins to ten playoff appearances, one of which ended in Super Bowl XIX, and is the winningest quarterback to have not won a Super Bowl. Jay Fiedler, who left the Jacksonville Jaguars, succeeded Marino as starting quarterback. Damon Huard remained a backup quarterback and started for Fiedler in one game during the season.

The 1996 Miami Dolphins season was the team's 31st overall and 27th as a member of the National Football League (NFL). The Dolphins failed to improve upon their previous season's output of 9–7, winning only eight games. The team failed to qualify for the postseason.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ryan Tannehill</span> American football player (born 1988)

Ryan Timothy Tannehill III is an American football quarterback for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Texas A&M Aggies, playing wide receiver until his junior year, and was selected eighth overall by the Miami Dolphins in the 2012 NFL draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luke Falk</span> American football player (born 1994)

Lucas Andrew Falk is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at Washington State, and was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He was also a member of the Miami Dolphins, New York Jets and Saskatchewan Roughriders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tua Tagovailoa</span> American football player (born 1998)

Tuanigamanuolepola Donny Tagovailoa is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide and was named the Offensive MVP of the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship during his freshman season. Tagovailoa won the Maxwell and Walter Camp Awards as a sophomore. He is the brother of Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike White (quarterback)</span> American football player (born 1995)

Michael White is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played his first two years of college football at South Florida and his last two at Western Kentucky. White was selected in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, where he spent one season, before joining the New York Jets the following year. A backup during his first three seasons, White did not see any playing time until 2021 in relief of injured starter Zach Wilson. He later replaced Wilson as the starter near the end of the 2022 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mac Jones</span> American football player (born 1998)

Michael McCorkle "Mac" Jones is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL). Jones played college football at the University of Alabama, where he set the NCAA season records for passer rating and completion percentage as a junior en route to winning the 2021 College Football Playoff National Championship. He was selected by the Patriots in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

References

  1. ↑ "Elway to Marino". 30 for 30. Season 2. April 23, 2013. ESPN.
  2. ↑ Dave, Hyde (June 4, 2009). "Say what? Top 50 Miami Dolphins quotes of all time". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
  3. ↑ "Ken O'Brien Career Stats". NFL.com. Retrieved May 19, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Wild Card - New England Patriots at New York Jets - December 28th, 1985". Pro-Football-Reference.com .
  5. ↑ "Miami Dolphins at New York Jets - September 21st, 1986". Pro-Football-Reference.com .
  6. ↑ "Eagles vs. Raiders - Box Score - November 3, 2013 - ESPN".
  7. ↑ "Wake-Up Call for the Jets".
  8. ↑ "Ken O'Brien Playoffs Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com .
  9. ↑ "1993 Philadelphia Eagles Statistics & Players". Pro-Football-Reference.com .
  10. ↑ "Chat Reel: Carson Palmer". Sports Illustrated. August 15, 2001. Retrieved April 8, 2010.
  11. ↑ "Where are they now?". Archived from the original on February 24, 2023. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.