RIP Roman Gabriel

By John Turney 

Art Credit: Dan Stromme

Former quarterback Roman Gabriel wasn't just one of the best quarterbacks of the 1960s. He was legendary, going 41-11-4 during a four-year run with the Los Angeles Rams when they won two division championships and Gabriel had more rushing touchdowns than any of the team's backs.

He was an accurate passer, an effective runner and a natural-born winner. What he wasn't ... and never has been ... was a Hall-of-Fame candidate, though that never seemed to bother him.

"I never gave it a whole bunch of thought," he said in a 2018 interview with the Talk of Fame Network, "especially when it took my good friend, Kenny Stabler, to die to get in."

Sadly, Gabriel joined Stabler on Saturday, passing away at the age of 83. His death was announced by his son, Roman Gabriel III.

"We mourn the loss of Rams' legend and football pioneer, Roman Gabriel." the Rams' said on X (formerly Twitter). "We extend our condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time."

At 6-feet-4, 225 pounds, Gabriel was large for a quarterback of his era -- or any era, for that matter -- and was so imposing that one opponent called him "a tackle playing quarterback." But he was more than big. He was talented, too. Strong and tough, he had the arm to throw deep outs and accurate bombs better than most quarterbacks.

He was also inspirational. As the NFL's first Filipino-American quarterback, he once said he hoped to become a role model for "a lot of the young people" ... and he did. He not only impacted Filipino youngsters but legions of Rams' fans who -- to this day -- name Gabriel as their favorite Rams' player. 

In short, Gabriel was as iconic as the Rams' horn on his helmet. He just had this thing, this imperceptible thing,  that stuck with people. He was as charismatic as he was successful, and he was successful.

In 1969, he was the NFL MVP and a consensus All-Pro. He was also a four-time Pro Bowler.

He spent 11 seasons with the Rams where he was their all-time leading passer in nearly every passing statistic and holds the career record for most touchdown passes with 154. But by 1973, he was gone from L.A., traded in a blockbuster deal to Philadelphia where he spent the last five years of his career.

He was successful there, too, voted the league's Comeback Player of the Year in his first season with the Eagles, while leading the NFL in pass completion and yards passing and tying for the league lead in touchdown passes.

All told, Gabriel ended his 16-year career with 2,366 completions for 29,444 yards and 201 TD passes. He also had 149 interceptions, which may seem like a lot. But it's not. In fact, as late as Week 11 in 1983, Gabriel held the NFL record for lowest interception percentage.

It was 3.3 percent.

Born in 1940 in Wilmington, N.C., Gabriel played at the same high school as Sonny Jurgensen -- New Hanover in Wilmington -- where, as a 6-4, 210-pound senior, he was allowed to do something no New Hanover quarterback ... not even including Jurgenson ... had been.

Throw on third downs. 

It was a smart move. Gabriel was named an All-American. He was also the conference MVP in basketball on a team that won the state title and all-conference in baseball as a senior.

Despite numerous collegiate offers, including one from Notre Dame, Gabriel chose to stay close to home and play for North Carolina State where he was a two-time ACC Player of the Year and two-time All-American.

As a sophomore, he led the nation with a 60.4 completion percentage, a mark that stood as a school record until 1974. As a junior and senior, he set so many school and ACC passing records that still remain in the top 20 in career passing yards, completions, completion percentage and touchdowns.

Then it was on to the pros, where he was the second-overall pick in the 1962 NFL draft and the first-overall choice in the AFL lottery. 

Gabriel chose the Rams and was a part-time starter in his first four seasons there, going 11-11-1 -- a record so superior to the others (a combined 4-27-2) that when George Allen was hired as the Rams' coach in 1966, he named Gabriel as his starter.

That was another smart decision. But the Rams got lucky. They almost lost him. 

Prior to Allen joining the team, the Raiders' Al Davis signed Gabriel to a four-year, $400,000 contract from 1967-70, a move that -- along with others -- pushed the NFL and AFL to negotiate a merger and kept Gabriel in L.A. where he was given a significant raise.

That was smart, too. Because under Gabriel's direction, the team not only improved immediately, going 8-6 in 1966, but it beat the Packers and Colts in back-to-back weeks at the end of the 1967 season to win a division and finish 11-1-2. Gabriel threw three touchdown passes in each game and was named the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Week after both wins.

Though the Rams would lose in the playoffs to the Super Bowl-bound Packers, Gabriel was elected to his first Pro Bowl, was chosen a Pro Bowler again in 1968 and, in 1969, led the Rams to an 11-0 start when he was the AP and NEA MVP, UPI Player of the Year and was chosen to his third Pro Bowl.

In those first four years under Allen, Gabriel was the Rams' short-yardage and goal-line threat, scoring 18 rushing touchdowns -- more than any running back on the team -- and converting countless first downs on third- or fourth-and-short situations.

However, knee and arm injuries caught up to him in the early 1970s, and by 1972 his production was limited. That prompted the Rams to bring in Chargers' quarterback John Hadl which, in turn, prompted them to trade Gabriel. 

Initially, he wanted to join his former coach, George Allen, in Washington, but he'd unloaded all the teams's draft picks on other players. So the Redskins had no draft capital to compete with Philadelphia, which sent Pro Bowl receiver Harold Jackson, Tony Baker and three high draft choices to the Rams for Gabriel.

Through devotion to Kung Fu, acupuncture and daily paraffin baths for his sore arm, Gabriel regained his functionality and performed so well in his first season with the Eagles that he was named to the Pro Bowl and chosen the league's Comeback Player of the Year.

But that was it.

The next few years, he slumped as a passer, eventually became a backup and completed his final pass in 1977 to local hero Vince Papale after stepping in for an injured Ron Jaworski.

After retiring, Gabriel worked as a color commentator for CBS Sports, was the head coach at Cal Poly Pomona and head coach of the Raleigh–Durham Skyhawks of the World League of American Football. In between, he was an offensive coordinator for the Boston Breakers of the USFL. 

He also did some acting throughout his career, co-starring in a film with John Wayne and getting spots on "Gilligan Island" and "Perry Mason." He appeared on national television plugs for various companies, too, and co-owned a car dealership with Hall-of-Fame teammate Merlin Olsen. 

Later in his life, he spent countless hours raising money for various charities.

Gabriel was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1989 and in 2013 was chosen to The Professional Football Researchers Association's Hall of Very Good. He's also been inducted into the N.C. State Hall of Fame and the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.

But Canton? Nope. Not even close. He's never been a modern-era or senior finalist or semifinalist, a snub that seemed to annoy his fans more than it did Gabriel.

"I'm really pleased with my life," he said in 2018. "I'm in the Wilmington (N.C.) Hall of Fame, my hometown. I'm in Wilmington's Walk of Fame. I'm in my college's Hall of Fame. And the North Carolina Hall of Fame.

"Some things are good, and some things happen. If it happens, it happens. And it would be great. But I don't think about it."