Gabriel remains the franchise’s leader in passing touchdowns. Roman Gabriel, the 1969 NFL MVP, died Saturday at the age of 83.
Gabriel’s son, Roman III, revealed his father’s death on social media, stating that he “passed away peacefully” at home from natural causes. Gabriel excelled at North Carolina State, winning the ACC Player of the Year award twice.
After becoming the first ACC quarterback to throw for 1,000 yards in consecutive seasons, the Rams selected him with the second choice in the NFL Draft during their inaugural season in Los Angeles. They chose Hall of Fame defensive tackle Merlin Olsen as the next pick.
Gabriel played his first 11 seasons with the Rams and is still the franchise’s all-time leader in passing touchdowns.
with 154. His 22,223 yards rank third behind Jim Everett and Marc Bulger.
“We grieve the passing of Rams great and football pioneer Roman Gabriel. We send our heartfelt sympathies to his family and friends during this difficult time,” the Rams wrote in a tweet on X, formerly Twitter.
From 1967 to 1969, he made three consecutive Pro Bowl appearances, but it was the 1969 season that set him apart from the league’s other quarterbacks.
He tossed an NFL-high 24 touchdown passes and led the Rams to an 11-3 record, but they were defeated in the divisional round by the Minnesota Vikings.
In 1973, the Rams traded Gabriel to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he spent the remaining five seasons of his career, the last two backing up Ron Jaworski.
In his first season with the Birds, he led the NFL in passing yards with 3,219 and 23 touchdowns, earning Pro Football Weekly’s Comeback Player of the Year award.
He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1989. Gabriel has also acted in television and films. His filmography included the 1968 film “Skidoo,” starring Jackie Gleason, and the 1969 film “The Undefeated,” starring John Wayne and Rock Hudson.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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