The Denver Broncos are mourning the passing of the first quarterback to lead them to the Super Bowl.
The team announced the death of Craig Morton on Monday, May 11. He died at the age of 83 on Saturday, May 9, in Mill Valley, California, according to his family.
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No cause of death was revealed.
The fifth overall pick of the 1965 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys, Morton played for three teams during his 18-year career, which also included a hitch with the New York Giants. A Cal product, he was also drafted in the 10th round of the 1965 AFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders but never played for them.
Morton played more than half his career with Dallas and started for the Cowboys in Super Bowl 5 to cap the 1971 season − throwing three interceptions in a game the Baltimore Colts won 16-13. He frequently split time and even platooned with future Hall of Famer Roger Staubach in the early 1970s before eventually being traded (at his request) to the Giants in 1974. Dallas recouped New York’s first-round pick in 1975 as part of the package, a selection ultimately used on another future Canton resident, defensive tackle Randy White.
After a forgettable tenure with the Giants, Morton was dealt again − this time going to the Broncos in 1977. That season, led by Morton on offense and its suffocating “Orange Crush” defense, Denver reached the playoffs for the first time in club history and advanced to the Super Bowl, coincidentally against Staubach, White and Dallas. Morton had another forgettable Super Sunday versus his former team, four of his 15 passes intercepted in a 27-10 rout. Morton was benched for Norris Weese midway through the game, and White and Harvey Martin were named co-MVPs of Super Bowl 12 − the only time the award has ever been shared.
Malcolm Emmons
Yet Morton did plenty of good during his six seasons in the Mile High City and was inducted into the Broncos’ Ring of Fame in 1988. He guided Denver to two AFC West crowns and retired with the most passing yards (11,895), passing touchdowns (74), pass attempts (1,594) and completions (907) in franchise history − Hall of Famers John Elway and Peyton Manning later displacing him on the club’s passing charts. Morton’s 41 regular-season wins remain the third most in Broncos history.
Overall, Morton finished his career with 27,908 yards and 183 TDs through the air and a 81-62-1 regular-season record as a starter.
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Per the Broncos, Morton is survived by his wife, Kym, his sister, his children and grandchildren.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Craig Morton, Super Bowl quarterback for Broncos, Cowboys, dies at 83
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