Top 10 Backup Quarterbacks! | NFL Films

Gilbert Trent Dilfer wait a minute now he was a number one overall draft choice for crying out loud he got all that money as a spotter and then you're considering him a backup actually boomer he was drafted sixth overall and yes he had some success in Tampa but was released by the Bucs in 2000 and signed as a backup with the Baltimore Ravens the year the Ravens won the Super Bowl he was the backup quarterback to start the season 20 banks was the starter sometimes when you don't get handed over the keys to the car you're little put out by it he wasn't put out by it he just kept doing whatever he could do to make the team better and then he got handed over the keys he was ready to do the best he could [Music] our number 10 backup led the Ravens to seven straight wins and the franchise's first playoff berth manís we just needs a leader we didn't have one voice on that offense assigned I think train gave us that voice Bill burr took the Ravens to a Super Bowl but he's only number 10 on our list because he didn't get much credit why well I it's race fault ray Rod Woodson 20 Siragusa we had a lot of good players on defense so you just didn't want to screw it up he was there to manage the game manage the game man's the game [Music] you know everybody says oh all Trent did was manage a game well that's what you're supposed to do for crying out loud that's the job of the quarterback in Super Bowl 35 our number 10 backup was out to prove that the Ravens offense could hold its own we needed some points from the offense we needed them to step up to the plate and get up touchdown or two and once they got to the Super Bowl I'm gonna exploded [Music] probably without rain stepping up to the plate we don't win the Super Bowl Dilfer served as a backup for three other teams but never reached another Super Bowl so does he really belong on our list we always say that your guy isn't a great quarterback till I can win a Super Bowl well the guy was a Super Bowl you can't say well he isn't that good yeah this respect Trent Dilfer man everybody says Oh worst quarterback ever to win a Super Bowl which I guess mathematically speaking there has to be one right I mean if you're gonna do a list just kidding Trent you may not have been Tom Brady or Peyton Manning but he got the ring how is Tom Brady not number one seriously you just want to throw and get on TV huh Tom Brady's gonna go down as one of the great quarterbacks ball by [Applause] he's got a backup surely the bulk of Brady's success has been as a starter but he's our number nine backup because of the job he did coming off the bench in 2001 he didn't just say the season he saved franchise the quarterback for the New England favorite is Tom Brady he's a rookie from Michigan he was picked in the sixth round his rookie year his job was at throw me intercession on the look Taylor I can't stand it run it again follow up and run it again Brady look you never wanna throw an interception second one Tom Brady does not deserve to be considered on that list of great backup quarterbacks of all time because when he was a backup he wasn't great I got a chance to play the first time that year against Detroit on Thanksgiving Day I only threw three times again almost got intercepted run the other way the throat on target it's gone Tom Brady comes in let me tell you this kids turkeys in week two of the 2001 season life for Brady and the Patriots changed forever new and the Patriots fans bless Moe Lewis every day that they can [Applause] it was the hardest hit I've ever heard no disrespect to Tom but without drew getting hurt even had never seen the field blood so was eventually ready to return in that season but Brady had played so well drew was now the backup Tom Brady turns out to be something that no one thought that he could be [Music] the team begins to play around them they begin to respond [Applause] all of a sudden you're breathing a whole different kind of air it may have been amateur hour in the pregame tunnel but Brady's performance in Super Bowl 36 was definitely ready for primetime all right you can do better than that as a as a backup you know look at the guy he hadn't shaved his story bone from back up to starter is one of the Great's of all time [Music] another for Daisy back up I think he should be higher than number eight on the list honestly I mean the Doug Williams story is just an amazing story on multiple levels we came out a plan boy and was seen by The Buccaneer as the franchise quarterback and indeed he took it to the NFC Championship Game one year [Music] but then things went bad and the team sort of fell apart the crowd turned on him and he wound up leaving Tampa jumping to the USFL but two years later the USFL folded and Williams was out of a job that's when Joe Gibbs his old offensive coordinator in Tampa picked up the phone he called me to let me know that they were interested and could I come to Washington to be a backup quarterback I said Coates I said I don't have a job so I can be in it back up or first up or whatever up you want me to be when the 1987 season began our number eight backup was stuck behind Jay Freder on the depth chart Jay was a player with a lot of talent but he was very erratic and the 87 season Gibbs lifted him in a couple of games and Doug each time came in and led the team to wins Doug Williams going deep over the middle [Applause] the one thing impressed me about Doug Williams this guy could come off the bus and throw strikes he didn't need a lot of warmup time he was undefeated as a relief pitcher during the regular season but didn't win a start so that's kinda what made the decision to start him in the playoffs a pretty gutsy call by Joe Gibbs over the next three weeks Williams made his coach look like a genius guiding the skins to Super Bowl twenty-two [Applause] here was Doug Williams who hadn't started many games during the year here he goes to start in the Superbowl the first black quarterback started the game all the pressure that comes along with that and then he has a game for the ages [Applause] he's got Sanders in the clear five straight possessions five touchdowns bang bang bang bang bang I mean it's like the body roll look at that play oh look at that touchdown Williams locks it into the end zone he's got Didier touchdown holy we are seeing a virtuoso performance our number 8 backup played two more seasons with Washington but couldn't duplicate his Superbowl success so is he really worthy of our number eight spot what stands out the most about Doug Williams is the Super Bowl I don't know that without that there'd be a lot to remember about his career probably was bit over one-hit wonder is it a fluky game no because Doug Williams had Talent a lot of great history is pleased so whether it was a fluke or not who knows but Doug Williams made the most of his chance if you just wanted to collect a paycheck you know get yours in for your pension and everything beat Brett Barnes back up there's like a Favre quarterback treat where all these guys were stockpiled beneath them thoroughly number seven and they the group that played behind Brett Favre that's a real every backup that's been in Green Bay they don't get a chance to practice they don't play he takes every snap I don't want you thinking snap [Applause] you thought I was taller in this huh I thought you weren't taller than me about mr. Miyagi coming up talking to me Pat Morita was joined on those sidelines by a pair of Super Bowl champions three Heisman winners a handful of journeyman and a whole bunch of first-round busts and while the emphasis at our number seven spot is more about quantity than quality there are a select few who have managed to stand out from the pack these guys must have just rubbed up against the far greatness and were able to take it with them on what are their next stops work well you're up there real cold just thinking me I'll be right by that heater over there we knew Brunel was gonna be good Brett Farve he came from the Packers at a time when the Packers were a quarterback factory mark and Brett really had a little competition it never really got to the point where we seriously considered putting mark in but you know what he's gotta know he's up here Brunell was eventually traded to Jacksonville and led the Jags to two AFC title games but as a starter he never did manage to defeat the man he once backed up everybody gets to ask you about what a great mentor Favre is and you have to lie he was great to me I learned a lot from them I mean I was on the practice squad could have just been like whatever pal Bunco it to the left I'll go one two three four five those are the person he played behind in Green Bay never got much of a chance to play Hasselbeck made the most of his opportunity as a starter but in head-to-head matchups he's gone just one in five against his mentor when will you be ready to take over the background well ASAP I think for me Hasselbeck probably has the best body of work but I think from Aaron Rodgers is the best of the bunch to come out from behind him this is the start of a new era Aaron Rodgers takes over at quarterback I don't think the Packers of Miss Barbara they get going out and they drafted Aaron Rodgers he felt he was ready to play he's turned out to be a pro ballplayer [Applause] Rogers may have leg green bay to the playoffs in 2009 but like his backup brethren he just couldn't defeat that familiar face is destroying his former team Aaron Rodgers filled his shoes quite well but Brett Favre got the last laugh I always knew that I could trust them I always knew that he had my back the backup career of our number six quarterback actually started in college while Frank was my backup for three years at the University of Maryland and he was one of those confidants that I could always rely on the year after Esiason left Marilyn his college roommate was the backup as the Terps fell behind the Miami Hurricanes 31 to nothing at halftime they were playing so poorly that I turned the game off at halftime like enter the game in the second half and went on to lead the biggest comeback in college football history I came back and I said you're not gonna believe it Marilyn came back a new college roommate Frank Reich went in there and had this break game and I had to tell that I turned it off because I didn't think he was gonna play he gets to the NFL he's the caddy for Jim Kelly and he's never gonna overcome it back to Jim Kelly but he had a couple moments which if your backup player backup quarterback that's the best you can hope for Frank Reich had become an overnight hero in his first NFL start and he would carry a magic touch through two more weeks of guiding the Bills offense when Frank got his chance what Frank showed was that he actually was a very talented player and it was a revelation of so many fans his popularity started to just sort and then there were polls taken who should be the starting quarterback of the bills Frank was winning those things know we're gonna win today as Kelly's hurt and today Frank Wright's gonna take us to the promised land as much as I like Frank Wright probably not gifted enough throwing the football to be a starter for 16 weeks he was not as good a quarterback as Jim Kelly in the 1992 season finale Buffalo lost a Houston and lost Jim Kelly to injury the following week they would rely on Frank Reich to beat the Oilers in the playoffs the lights are on here at stadia they've been on since this morning you could pretty much turn him out on the bills right now and I was a guest host for NBC I say folks don't turn the TV off because I did this once the Frank Reich and he came back and won the game eight years ago I learned my lesson and that day I swore that I would never turn off the game as long as Frank Reich as plain a member Frank Reich is a senior at Maryland engineer one of the greatest comebacks in the history of college football maiming into a 32-point Club that guy I mean it was certainly running through my mind and that experience told me if there's no reason why it can't be done and it just seemed like you know the dam broke you got to give Frank rag a lot of credit for not giving up in the whole Buffalo team for not giving up [Applause] I'm just so proud I'm so - this is the greatest moment of my life and comeback of the ages Frank Wright makes this list just for one backup performance Frank Wright moon well up that list because of that game I bet you he was number 15 or something as far as backup quarterback I mean I know that there's some other backup quarterbacks I took their teams to Super Bowl but knowing Frank and what he's accomplished as a player he's number 1 of my eyes he's a guy to me that was the quintessential backup quarterback when he was born he had a tiny little clipboard in the hospital put in his cradle in 16 years as an NFL quarterback Don sprach started only 22 games nobody embraced the role of a backup more than number five on our list first of all he had the best tan in the NFL right he was George Hamilton before George Hamilton he was in Footloose and fancy-free tape guy he did not have any worry when he put calling me Don struck with his replacing injured legends Bob Griese and Earl Morrow but if there was a nervousness on the part of shock it never Don was as smart as any coach in fact he called a lot of plays [Music] she'll put his arm on my shoulder and he'd say and struck with leaned over and whispered sure lazier you know 70 halfback sure adoption yeah 70 halfback sure adoption a lot of place got into the game that way off the field straw did more for the Dolphins than just call plays he also mentored a legend you know Don had already been the backup behind a number of quarterbacks they realized that this is the finest quarterback that I've ever seen and if I can help him I'm glad to do it ask them you know if he can help me in any way I'd appreciate it he kind of took him under his wing helped me a lot one thing I told him was I said say try to learn something new every day not only about football about a life itself a lot of dance success goes to thought struck and I'm so dad would tell you the same thing too during his 14 years in Miami straw turned into the game's premier reliever rocket in 1981 SWAT split time with David Woodley yeah of course would struck together that was a good one in the 1981 divisional playoffs it was up to our number five backup to save his struggling counterpart [Applause] riding into the rescue was backup quarterback Don struck on the moment struck entered the game Miami was a completely different team struck through for more than 400 yards and four touchdowns but the Dolphins lost 41 to 38 in overtime and after leaving the Dolphins in 1987 strong was an assistant golf pro in 1988 when a rash of quarterback injuries in Cleveland forced him to treat his putter for a playbook God's tacos in the hollow he'd been in Cleveland two days he calls a play ready break and the guy said we don't have that play and he says run it anyway with a cheat sheet rigged to his left wrist bad the Browns had gone from the youngest to the oldest starter in the league he looks like a golf prize little out of shape little soft and smiling greatest guy in the world and saves our season in the last week of the 1988 season Cleveland needed to beat Houston to make the playoffs and it was struck who rallied the brown to get the wind strike fire is over the middle and you're thinking wow Don strop really he led the Browns to the playoffs talking about you know some of the best backup quarterbacks I would put down stock up there for what he accomplished just that season [Music] you think of backups who took advantage of an opportunity and Jeff Hostetler definitely comes to mind comes in and actually leads them to a Super Bowl championship plus he had a tremendous mustache his rookie year when I'm the defensive coordinator he throws the ball and he hits me right in the back of the head and he's like get out of the way and I just lost it I get out of the way you can't throw it over me I'm 510 you know why don't you go back to West Virginia throughout the beginning of his career our number four backup quarterback continues to struggle as a New York giant well it was highly frustrating pasta is playing behind a very good quarterback stellar was starting to grow impatient he wanted to do anything to get on the football field he played as a receiver and he played on a punt return team playing on a punt team all before he played quarterback 1990 season I've just had I remember coming home after Friday practice no reps again that's it I'm done with football I'm retiring and all of a sudden Phil goes down Sims is starting to limp off the field air now we'll get Jeff Hostetler Ben Here I am six and a half years waiting for the opportunity right in front of me was the opportunity I've been waiting if anyone had any doubts about our number fool back up heading into the 1990 playoffs it wasn't his teammates oh we got hot you know let's go Haas is your show he was like a secret weapon the next week Hostetler would have to face the two-time defending Super Bowl champions on the road in the NFC title game and when the 49ers and their fans found out that Jeff Hostetler was starting the game that was gonna be a slam dunk for San Francisco hey back up why worry about this camera our number four back up gave the 49ers plenty to worry about Niner fans cringe in pain I can still see him converting that third down pass at the end of the NFC Championship game to set up that winning field goal if still hurts thinking about it boy got the distance [Applause] I keep on telling me I can't and in Super Bowl 25 he should have been rendered unconscious he was out he was out and you give him smelling salts and people react to it hit me and he comes back out on the field but he he was a winner [Music] [Applause] I think I thought of Jeff as a as a backup quarterback until he took us to the Super Bowl and played great during that stretch he took over a team and led them to two enormous upsets you cannot do better than what Hostetler Jim Plunkett's careers is marked by the highest of highs and the lowest of lows the Patriots had just opened up a new stadium down at Foxborough a lot of people thought well we get the Heisman trophy-winning quarterback we're on our way to success [Music] the number one number one pick so he had to go to the worst team and gym it back there getting beat up all the time so guess what they trade him to a worse thing Plunkett went to San Francisco looking for a fresh start but all he got were fresh bruises here you got a great quarterback with these two horrible things that row and they're blaming him in 1978 Jim Plunkett the one-time golden boy of football was fired talk about low points you know here I was a first-round draft choice just seven years earlier I didn't know what to do with myself maybe I should quit football all together and then how Davis picks him up for a song Jim comes over he was on our bench I still felt I could play football you know even though I was down in the dumps all I needed to do is to be given another opportunity in 1980 opportunity not win starter Dan Pastorini broke his leg when Jim got his chance that's what everybody realized how great of a player he was rested and rejuvenated he took a team that was faltering and turned them draw too tight Plunkett came in he was healthy and he had an offense that suited his best skill which is throwing the ball people with Plunkett letting it fly Oakland won 12 of their next 15 games becoming the first wild card team ever to make a Super Bowl [Music] [Applause] on the game's biggest stage the man was a backup just two months earlier finally lived up to his Heisman height [Music] [Applause] well casitas alive it's a great feeling finally accomplished something that everybody who ever gets the NFL wants to do this was a finest hour in the history of the Oakland Raiders the Raiders wanted in 80 you know they thought that they had sort of had their run with Jim is the MVP it's a great story but you know what you have to move on with the younger quarterback Plunkett had been benched once again but you don't land this high on our list with just one Super Bowl run in week 10 of the 1983 season starter Mark Wilson broke his shoulder and guess who was ready to step in they had a turn back to Jim Plunkett again and he leads them back to another Super Bowl [Applause] [Music] marceia moody he's gonna swing he's gonna swing he's gonna get hurt over you game but he'll eventually knock her always was perfectly suited to to be a backup quarterback he had better success backing up these legendary quarterbacks like Unitas increase he then he did as a starter himself morals early career was as a journeyman bouncing between four teams in 12 years by 1968 it seemed his football days were numbered when Colts coach Don Shula threw him a lifeline in the apparent twilight of a lackluster career Earl signed with Baltimore as a backup to a legend Johnny Unitas the Colts pick him up in 68 and when Johnny Unitas gets hurt is a state of emergency involved or no one knows how serious it is you know there was a little love general doing and coming from another team pick up the offense right away and Morrow comes in and wins 15 games tasted of the Super Bowl of all Americans for Michigan State Black is fine for on his way to Super Bowl 3 moral through 26 touchdown passes and was named the NFL MVP this is the first time he'd really been surrounded by first-rate talent and saw what he was capable of when he got a chance to play 13 years you know 13 he's supposed to be unlucky but this is done the luckiest for me I can say that two weeks later it seemed morals luck had run out gets in the Super Bowl against the Jets as a terrible day the ball wasn't going our way that everything that could go wrong did go wrong he went from MVP to the goat for the Super Bowl and the guy people still hold most responsible for the biggest upset in football history if that was where his career ended it would have been really kind of sad Super Sunday 1971 two years later the Colts come back to the Super Bowl Unitas gets hurt in the Super Bowl Earl Laurel took over at quarterback and immediately began to move the ball against the Cowboys Romero comes off the bench and wins that game [Music] and the model or go at age 38 morale still wasn't finished in 1972 he followed his old coach to Miami where he would back up another Hall of Famer Bob greasy greasy got hurt the fifth game of our perfect season Earl comes on very calm and cool and collected and everybody had confidence that he was gonna make it happen for us and he did Morrel led the Dolphins to nine straight wins and was named AFC Player of the Year then I had the decision to make have sue Hooda starred in the Super Bowl and I went back to greasy because he was now healthy Morrel was left watching from the sidelines as the Dolphins went on to win a championship Griese finished out the season he got the credit for Earl didn't he shut up I don't think our old morale gets the credit he should get I might even put her on wall at number one no one can compare the winner tomorrow he's got a unique niche and pro football history and it sports history now you're gonna talk to people maybe under the age of 30 who will say are our own morals too high they don't know through the research Earl moral belongs at number one end of story [Music] I think Kurt Warner's a great pick for number one I don't think Kurt Warner is a number one back I think Kurt Warner deserves to be in one of the number one quarterbacks of this decade you're asking me what number one is it has to be Kurt Warner I mean it took two nothing franchises wound up going to three super balls Kurt Warner is the real deal Kurt Warner and to persevere to just be a backup quarterback in the NFL the guy who stalked two shelves then he winds up a training camp with Rams Kurt Warner was the new will Fuhrer who was the new Jaimie Martin who was the new TJ ruling he was our scout team quarterback and he was our guy that never gets him well in 99 Kurt where's our backup here's the thing the Trent green doesn't get hurt maybe this whole thing never happens your first thought Sarah oh my gosh the season's over we can't play without a quarterback Kurt Warner checks in there was thought whether we should go out and try to hire a veteran and I decided no that we would go with him we will rally around Kurt Warner and we'll play good football Dick Vermeil would have told you at the time they didn't know what was going to happen that year and then all of a sudden Kurt Warner's Lamech he was in the Arena League they win a game win another games next to you know at the end of the season Kurt Warner is holding up four Super Ball MVP award Warner would leave the Super Bowl too while number nine back up in 2001 and by 2002 he was in New York starting for the Giants and mentoring a rookie they were five and four when Tom Coughlin pulled the plug he was unceremoniously benched for the kid who proceeded to lose eight games in a row another reason water is number one on our list his actions after he lost his starting job Kurt Warner told Tom Coughlin don't come back to me the only way this works for the kid is if you put him in there and you let him play Kurt Warner may be one in a million of guys who really would handle that situation with that much dignity and grace when Kurt Warner left us that I think he was done I never thought he was done but I didn't want him to go to Arizona because Arizona Lord's been a loser Warner was supposed to be nothing more than that line Ertz mentor in Arizona [Applause] but liner was injured and our number one backup stepped in and flourished the job that was supposed to belong to the number one draft pick became property of our number one backup water led the Cardinals to their first Super Bowl in 2008 but came up just short almost almost one I would like to see him win another outfit anybody argue with a guy who's gonna go to the Hall of Fame and play three super suits take a look at what he did with the moribund Rams and the fact that he took the freakin Cardinals to the Super Bowl the Kurt Warner without a doubt the guy had two different careers it kind of cemented his legacy he'd have to be number one on my list I love his game

Channel: NFL Films

Views: 1,608,205

Keywords: NFL, Football, NFL Films, American Football, top 10, top 10 show, top 10 full show, Top 10 Backup Quarterbacks!, Top 10 Backups, full show, full shows, tom brady, frank reich, kurt warner, nfl history

Id: DU4ixszoHHc

Length: 35min 4sec (2104 seconds)

Published: Tue Jan 08 2019