Ken O'Brien
Encyclopedia
Kenneth John O'Brien is a former American football
quarterback
who played in the National Football League
for the New York Jets
and Philadelphia Eagles
. When he retired he was the only Jets quarterback to have ever been the top ranked passer in a season. He held the team record for most consecutive pass completions (17) in a game. O'Brien was one of the six quarterbacks in the famed Quarterback class of 1983 and in 1997 he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
.
.
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 a Division II All-America
n. 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 best offensive player in the Conference.
He was selected as All-Far Western Conference QB three times and was selected to the College Football Hall of Fame
in 1997.
. Taken in the 1983 NFL Draft
with the 24th pick of the first round by the New York Jets
out of UC Davis
, three picks before Dan Marino
. O'Brien amassed over 25,000 yards in his 11-year career. In 1985, he was the highest rated quarterback in the NFL. He also led the NFL with the lowest rate of interceptions in 1985, 1987, and 1988. After an 11-5 record in 1985, O'Brien helped his team open up with a 10-1 record in 1986. After ten games he was leading the NFL with a 111.1 rating (in fact he was the only NFL QB with a rating over 100). However his team lost the remaining five games because of his own broken finger and injuries to other key players (April 1990 Football Digest).
He retired after spending the 1993 season with the Philadelphia Eagles. He is the only quarterback to pass for 400 or more yards (431) in a game and earn a perfect NFL 158.3 rating. O'Brien also was the holder of another NFL record the lasted for 25 years when he combined for 927 (884 net) yards and 10 TDs passing with Dan Marino. The new record (achieved Septebmer 12th 2011) is 933 yards passing with 6 TDs (4 less TDs with 6 more yards) in a game that featured the New England Patriots vs the Miami Dolphins. O'Brien went to the Pro Bowl
two times, in 1985 and 1991.
September 21, 1986 Dolphins at Jets: This is one of the NFL's greatest games. Ken O'Brien would get his revenge from last years amazing passing game in which O'Brien passed for 393 yards in a losing effort to Marino's 362 yards and 50 yard game winning touchdown pass with less than a minute in regulation. His revenge wasn't going to be easy as he witnessed Marino throwing for 6 touchdown passes and 448 yards. O'Brien would return fire with 479 yards and 4 touchdowns, all to Wesley Walker
. With 5 seconds remaining and the score 38 to 45, Ken O'Brien threw a 21 yard bullet pass to help tie the game at 45. In overtime, on the Jets first drive, O'Brien hit Walker with a 43 yard touchdown pass for the win. It should be noted that the previous two years Dan Marino
(1984) and Ken O'Brien (1985) were the highest rated Quarterbacks in the NFL.
, where he coached Heisman Trophy
winner and current Oakland Raiders
Carson Palmer
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
who played in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
for the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
. When he retired he was the only Jets quarterback to have ever been the top ranked passer in a season. He held the team record for most consecutive pass completions (17) in a game. O'Brien was one of the six quarterbacks in the famed Quarterback class of 1983 and in 1997 he was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
.
High school & college career
He played for Jesuit High School in Carmichael, CaliforniaCarmichael, California
Carmichael is a census-designated place in Sacramento County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 61,762 at the 2010 census, up from 49,742 at the 2000 census.-Geography and geology:Carmichael...
.
O'Brien started his collegiate football career in 1978 at Sacramento State
California State University, Sacramento
California State University, Sacramento, popularly known as Sacramento State, is a public university located in the city of Sacramento, California. It is part of the California State University system...
as a reserve.
He played at the University of California, Davis
University of California, Davis
The University of California, Davis is a public teaching and research university established in 1905 and located in Davis, California, USA. Spanning over , the campus is the largest within the University of California system and third largest by enrollment...
under coach Jim Sochor
Jim Sochor
Jim Sochor is a former American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at the University of California, Davis from 1970 to 1988 during which time compiling a record of 156–41–5 and won 18 consecutive conference championships,...
. In his senior year, 1982, he was a Division II All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n. 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 best offensive player in the Conference.
He was selected as All-Far Western Conference QB three times and was selected to the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in 1997.
Professional career
O'Brien played quarterback for over a decade in the National Football LeagueNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
. Taken in the 1983 NFL Draft
1983 NFL Draft
The 1983 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 26–27, 1983...
with the 24th pick of the first round by the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
out of UC Davis
University of California, Davis
The University of California, Davis is a public teaching and research university established in 1905 and located in Davis, California, USA. Spanning over , the campus is the largest within the University of California system and third largest by enrollment...
, three picks before Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
. O'Brien amassed over 25,000 yards in his 11-year career. In 1985, he was the highest rated quarterback in the NFL. He also led the NFL with the lowest rate of interceptions in 1985, 1987, and 1988. After an 11-5 record in 1985, O'Brien helped his team open up with a 10-1 record in 1986. After ten games he was leading the NFL with a 111.1 rating (in fact he was the only NFL QB with a rating over 100). However his team lost the remaining five games because of his own broken finger and injuries to other key players (April 1990 Football Digest).
He retired after spending the 1993 season with the Philadelphia Eagles. He is the only quarterback to pass for 400 or more yards (431) in a game and earn a perfect NFL 158.3 rating. O'Brien also was the holder of another NFL record the lasted for 25 years when he combined for 927 (884 net) yards and 10 TDs passing with Dan Marino. The new record (achieved Septebmer 12th 2011) is 933 yards passing with 6 TDs (4 less TDs with 6 more yards) in a game that featured the New England Patriots vs the Miami Dolphins. O'Brien went to the Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
two times, in 1985 and 1991.
Quarterback Challenge
In 1990 the first Quarterback Challenge was introduced. Several top-rated Quarterbacks competed in several events with O'Brien emerging as the champion. The following year Dan Marino would win. However, in the accuracy challenge O'Brien would more than double the points of the next best quarterback by hitting all of the targets including a near perfect 50-yard pass that was close to the bull's eye.Notable Games
| Quarterback | Date | Team | Opponent | Result | CMP | ATT | YDS | TDS | INT | RATING | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ken O'Brien | 11/02/1986 | New York Jets | Seattle Seahawks | W 38-7 | 26 | 32 | 431 | 4 | 0 | 158.3 | NFL Record: Most yards passed with a perfect rating |
| Ken O'Brien | 12/23/1990 | New York Jets | New England Patriots | W 42-7 | 11 | 12 | 210 | 2 | 0 | 158.3 | 2nd career perfect game |
| Ken O'Brien | 11/17/1985 | New York Jets | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | W 62-28 | 23 | 30 | 367 | 5 | 1 | 142.6 | Most points since 1973 |
| Ken O'Brien | 09/07/1986 | New York Jets | Buffalo Bills | W 28-24 | 18 | 25 | 318 | 2 | 0 | 140.8 | |
| Ken O'Brien | 11/05/1989 | New York Jets | New England Patriots | W 27-26 | 22 | 29 | 386 | 2 | 0 | 140.4 | |
| Ken O'Brien | 11/09/1986 | New York Jets | Atlanta Falcons | W 28-14 | 26 | 33 | 322 | 3 | 0 | 137.6 | Completed 23 of his first 25 passes (92%) |
| Ken O'Brien | 09/08/1988 | New York Jets | Houston Oilers | W 45-3 | 17 | 26 | 260 | 3 | 0 | 136.7 | Didn't play 4th Quarter. 3TD first half. |
| Ken O'Brien | 09/21/1986 | New York Jets | Miami Dolphins | W 51-45 | 29 | 43 | 479 | 4 | 1 | 126.0 | Record for 25 years: 927 Combined yards passing. Marino had 448. |
September 21, 1986 Dolphins at Jets: This is one of the NFL's greatest games. Ken O'Brien would get his revenge from last years amazing passing game in which O'Brien passed for 393 yards in a losing effort to Marino's 362 yards and 50 yard game winning touchdown pass with less than a minute in regulation. His revenge wasn't going to be easy as he witnessed Marino throwing for 6 touchdown passes and 448 yards. O'Brien would return fire with 479 yards and 4 touchdowns, all to Wesley Walker
Wesley Walker
Wesley Darcel Walker is a former professional American football wide receiver for the New York Jets in 1977 - 1989....
. With 5 seconds remaining and the score 38 to 45, Ken O'Brien threw a 21 yard bullet pass to help tie the game at 45. In overtime, on the Jets first drive, O'Brien hit Walker with a 43 yard touchdown pass for the win. It should be noted that the previous two years Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
(1984) and Ken O'Brien (1985) were the highest rated Quarterbacks in the NFL.
Top 5 games by category (Minimum 10 pass attempts)
| Number | Rating | Points | Yards | TDs | % Com |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 158.3 11/02/1986 Seahawks |
62 11/17/1985 Buccaneers |
479 09/21/1986 Dolphins |
5 11/17/1985 Buccaneers |
91.7% 12/23/1990 Patriots |
| 2 | 158.3 12/23/1990 Patriots |
51 09/21/1986 Dolphins |
431 11/09/1986 Seahawks |
4 09/21/1986 Dolphins |
82.6% 10/06/1991 Browns |
| 3 | 142.6 11/17/1985 Buccaneers |
45 09/18/1988 Oilers |
393 11/10/1985 Dolphins |
4 11/02/1986 Seahawks |
81.3% 11/02/1986 Seahawks |
| 4 | 140.8 09/07/1986 Bills |
44 10/23/1988 Dolphins |
386 11/05/1989 Patriots |
3 1985-1992 Several |
78.8% 11/09/1986 Falcons |
| 5 | 140.4 11/05/1989 Patriots |
43 09/21/1987 Patriots |
370 12/08/1985 Bills |
3 1985-1992 Several |
75.0% 09/29/1991 Dolphins |
Every game with two 400 or more yard quarterbacks
| Rank | Quarterback | Date | Game | Attempts | Comp | Yards | TDs | INTs | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tom Brady Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,... Chad Henne Chad Henne Chad Steven Henne is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League.He graduated from Wilson Senior High School and attended the University of Michigan... |
9/12/2011 | New England Patriots: 38 Miami Dolphins: 24 |
48 49 |
32 30 |
517 416 |
4 2 |
1 1 |
121.6 93.6 |
| Total: | 62 Points | 97 | 62 | 933 | 6 | 2 | |||
| 2 | Ken O'Brien Dan Marino Dan Marino Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League... |
9/21/1986 | New York Jets: 51 Miami Dolphins: 45 |
43 50 |
29 30 |
479 448 |
4 6 |
1 2 |
126.0 112.3 |
| Total: | 96 Points | 93 | 59 | 927 | 10 | 3 | |||
| 3 | Matt Schaub Matt Schaub Matthew Rutledge Schaub is the starting quarterback for the Houston Texans. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia.-College career:... Donovan McNabb Donovan McNabb Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played... |
9/19/2010 | Houston Texans: 30 Washington Redskins: 27 |
52 38 |
38 28 |
497 426 |
3 1 |
1 0 |
114.0 119.0 |
| Total: | 57 Points | 90 | 66 | 923 | 4 | 1 | |||
| 4 | Dan Marino Dan Marino Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League... Drew Bledsoe Drew Bledsoe Drew McQueen Bledsoe is a former football quarterback in the National Football League, best known as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots from 1993-2001. During the 1990s, he was considered the face of the Patriots franchise... |
9/4/1994 | Miami Dolphins: 39 New England Patriots: 35 |
42 51 |
23 32 |
473 421 |
5 4 |
1 2 |
124.3 96.6 |
| Total: | 74 Points | 93 | 55 | 894 | 9 | 3 | |||
| 5 | Jim Kelly Jim Kelly James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers.... Steve Young |
9/13/1992 | Buffalo Bills: 34 San Francisco 49ers: 31 |
33 37 |
22 26 |
403 449 |
3 3 |
1 1 |
126.2 127.0 |
| Total: | 65 Points | 70 | 48 | 852 | 6 | 2 | |||
| 6 | Dan Fouts Dan Fouts Daniel Francis Fouts is a retired Hall of Fame American football quarterback in the National Football League. Fouts played his entire professional career with the San Diego Chargers from 1973 through 1987... Ken Anderson |
12/20/1982 | San Diego Chargers: 50 Cincinnati Bengals: 34 |
40 56 |
25 40 |
435 416 |
1 2 |
2 1 |
87.0 97.0 |
| Total: | 84 Points | 96 | 65 | 851 | 3 | 3 | |||
| 7 | Dan Fouts Dan Fouts Daniel Francis Fouts is a retired Hall of Fame American football quarterback in the National Football League. Fouts played his entire professional career with the San Diego Chargers from 1973 through 1987... Don Strock Don Strock Don Strock is a former professional football player who was the head coach of the Florida International University football team from 2002–2006.-College:Strock played college football at Virginia Tech, and graduated in 1973... |
1/2/1982 | San Diego Chargers: 41 Miami Dolphins: 38 The Epic in Miami The Epic in Miami is the name given to a National Football League AFC divisional playoff game between the San Diego Chargers and the Miami Dolphins that took place on January 2, 1982 in the Miami Orange Bowl... |
53 43 |
33 29 |
433 403 |
3 4 |
1 1 |
116.2 118.7 |
| Total: | 79 Points | 96 | 62 | 836 | 7 | 2 |
Quotes about O'Brien
- April 26, 1983 "Who's he?" - Don Shula when the Jets took Ken O'Brien with the 24th pick in the 1983 draft, leaving Dan Marino for the Dolphins.
- September 23, 1991 Jets at Bears: "When (Ken O'Brien) gets the time to throw the football, no one throws it any better than he does." - Frank GiffordFrank GiffordFrancis Newton "Frank" Gifford is a Hall of Fame former American football player and American sportscaster.-Early life:Gifford was born in Santa Monica, California, the son of Lola Mae and Weldon Gifford, an oil driller....
on ABC's Monday Night Football.
- October 20, 1986 Broncos at Jets: "You wanna throw the ball deep? Ken O'Brien, he'll never under throw it." - Frank Gifford on ABC's Monday Night Football.
- November 9, 1986 Jets at Falcons: "This kid is absolutely as hot of quarterback as I've ever seen in the NFL. He's so cool. He's got everything so much in control." - Bob TrumpyBob TrumpyBob Trumpy is a former professional American Football tight end who played for the American Football League's Cincinnati Bengals from 1968 to 1969, and for the NFL Bengals from 1970 through 1977...
on NBC.
- November 9, 1986: "I've been around a lot of tough, smart guys who won even though they couldn't throw the football that well. Billy KilmerBilly KilmerWilliam Orland Kilmer, Jr. was an American football quarterback in the National Football League for the San Francisco 49ers, the New Orleans Saints and the Washington Redskins...
with the Redskins, Fran TarkentonFran TarkentonFrancis Asbury "Fran" Tarkenton is a former professional football player, TV personality, and computer software executive....
with the Giants, they didn't have a lot of physical ability, they did it by being tough and smart. But in addition to being tough and smart, Kenny O'Brien can throw the football." -Joe WaltonJoe WaltonJoseph Frank Walton is an American football coach and former player who is currently the head coach of Robert Morris University. Walton played eight seasons in the National Football League and served as head coach of the New York Jets for seven seasons...
, New York Jets Head Coach.
Coaching career
After retiring, O'Brien had a stint as an assistant coach for the University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
, where he coached Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner and current Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer
Carson Palmer is an American professional football quarterback for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals first overall in the 2003 NFL Draft. He played collegiately at the University of Southern California and won the Heisman Trophy in 2002...
.
O'Brien in popular culture
O'Brien made a guest appearance on the television show Home Improvement in the episode "The Eve Of Construction", as part of Tim Taylor's "all-star" team of home builders, building for charity. As the episode aired March 9, 1994 it was just after O'Brien had played his final game. He stated that he played for 'whoever will take me', although Tim cites him as playing for the Eagles.See also
- List of NFL quarterbacks who have posted a perfect passer rating
- List of NFL quarterbacks who have posted a passer rating of zero
- List of NFL quarterbacks who have passed for 400 or more yards in a game