Craig Morton Larry Craig Morton ( born February 5 , 1943 , Flint , Michigan , United States ) is an American former professional football player . He played quarterback in the National Football League for 18 seasons , 1965 - 82 . Morton played for the Dallas Cowboys , New York Giants , and the Denver Broncos . He played college football at the University of California . Early life . Morton is a graduate of Campbell High School in Campbell , California , where he played football and baseball . As a pitcher he received offers from Major League Baseball teams to play in their minor league systems . His football coach at Campbell High School was self - promoter Hal Raley , and as a quarterback he was voted Northern California high school athlete of the year and was selected to play in the annual California Shrine High School football game . He would go on to play for the University of California under the direction of head coach and future Pro Football Hall of Fame r Marv Levy and assistant coach and future NFL Hall of Fame r Bill Walsh . He became a starter at quarterback in the sixth game of his sophomore season . Back then his nickname was " Big hummer " and his production dominated the Golden Bears offense output . As a sophomore in 1962 , he could only play in 5 games because of a knee injury , but still managed 905 passing yards , a 54 % completion rate and 9 touchdown s . As a junior in 1963 he already owned most of Cal ' s all - time quarterback records . In his 3 seasons as a starter he would never play on a winning team . His senior season in 1964 saw him complete 185 of 308 passes for 2 , 121 yards and 13 touchdown s , and even with a losing 3 - 7 record , he was recognized for his talent and contributions by being named first team All - America n over other winning quarterback s . He would also receive the W . J . Voit Memorial Trophy , given to the best player on the Pacific Coast and the Pop Warner Trophy , given to the best senior player . He finished his career with 4 , 501 passing yards ( a Pac - 8 record ) , and most of Cal ' s all - time passing records , including : In 1964 as the starting quarterback for the West , he would face Roger Staubach in the East – West Shrine Game , which would be a sign of things to come . He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame , the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame and the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame . Professional career . Dallas Cowboys . Morton was drafted by Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the 1965 NFL Draft ( fifth overall ) . He spent his first 4 seasons as the backup for Don Meredith , but still received opportunities to play due to different injuries suffered by Meredith . In 1969 he became the starter at quarterback after Meredith ' s surprising retirement , but suffered a separated right shoulder in the fourth game of the season , that would require surgery at the end of the year and that affected his passing percentage ( dropping from 71 . 1 % to 53 . 6 % ) . In 1970 , although he was bothered most of the season recuperating from offseason right shoulder and right elbow surgeries , he led the Cowboys to Super Bowl V where the team lost a close game to the Baltimore Colts . This result created one of the most famous quarterback controversies in NFL history , when in 1971 Tom Landry started alternating Morton with Roger Staubach , reaching an extreme point against the Chicago Bears , where they alternated on each play . After this famous game , Landry settled on Staubach and the Cowboys went on a 10 - game winning streak that included Super Bowl VI . Morton played all of the 1972 regular season because of a separated shoulder suffered by Staubach , but he was replaced by him during a playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers . Staubach entered a hopeless situation and would go on to throw two touchdown passes in the last 90 seconds to win the game 30 - 28 , eventually sealing Morton ' s fate with the team . After repeatedly asking for a trade , he signed a WFL contract with the Houston Texans , but would never play a down after he was traded to the New York Giants six games into the 1974 season , in exchange for their number one draft choice in 1975 ( used to draft Randy White ) and a second round draft choice in 1976 ( used to draft Jim Jensen ) . New York Giants . After acquiring Morton , the New York Giants traded their starting quarterback Norm Snead to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for a third - round draft choice in 1975 and a fourth in 1976 . During his time with the Giants , he struggled along with the team , and had a difficult time dealing with the fans and the media . He was traded to the Denver Broncos in 1977 in exchange for quarterback Steve Ramsey and a fifth - round draft choice . Denver Broncos . At age 34 he revived his career with the Denver Broncos , finishing the season as the second rated passer in the AFC . Although he was suffering in the playoffs from a swollen left hip that needed to be drained , he was able to overcome the injury and become the first quarterback in NFL history to start the Super Bowl for two different teams ( Dallas in Super Bowl V and Denver in Super Bowl XII ) , a feat that has only been equaled by Kurt Warner and Peyton Manning . Morton , however , holds the unique distinction of being the only quarterback to have started two different team ' s " inagural " Super Bowl appearances , for the Cowboys and Broncos , while Warner ' s Rams and Manning ' s Colts and Broncos had several past Super Bowl appearances in their franchise history . After the 1977 season , Morton was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year and selected All - AFC by the Sporting News . Morton ' s best statistical season came in his 17th season ( 1981 ) , when he threw for 3 , 195 yards and 21 touchdown s , compiling an excellent 90 . 5 passer rating and setting several records . He was a downfield passer not known for his mobility , and is one of the all time leaders in yards per completion . He also briefly held the record for the most passes completed in a row . He wore number 7 for the Broncos , and retired just before the arrival of John Elway in 1983 , who also wore the same number and has had it since retired in his honor . He still remains as the second all - time passing yards leader in team history with 11 , 895 and his regular - season record was 50 wins and 28 losses in five seasons . Morton was inducted into the Denver Broncos Ring of Fame in 1988 . Although Roger Staubach replaced him for the Dallas Cowboys in 1973 and would go on to great success , Morton played seven more NFL seasons than Staubach . The Cowboy teammates graduated from college the same year , but Staubach began his NFL career four years later following his active service in the U . S . Navy , and chose to retire after the 1979 season , while Morton played for three more seasons until 1982 . Personal life . Following his playing career , Morton served as head coach of the USFL ' s Denver Gold . He is currently a voter in the Harris Interactive College Poll , a component of college football ' s Bowl Championship Series . In 2008 , he co - authored a book ( with " Denver Post " writer Adrian Dater ) entitled " " Then Morton Said to Elway . . . " - The Best Denver Broncos Stories Ever Told . " The book was published by Triumph Books .