Warren Moon began his journey in American football as an undrafted free agent, conquered Canada and then the NFL, and is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Here's Everything You Need To Know About Warren Moon.
Harold Warren Moon was born in Los Angeles on November 18, 1956. His father, Harold Sr. died when Warren was seven months old. The young son and his six sisters were raised by his mother, who worked as a nurse. Later, as an adult, Warren took on much of the household chores. As a result, unlike many future professional players, he participated in only one sport during his school years - time for anything else was an impermissible luxury. After graduation, he spent two years at West Los Angeles College and only then received an invitation to the University of Washington program. In 1977, the final year of his college career, Moon led the Washington Huskies to Pac-8 Conference and Rose Bowl championships.
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Despite some success in college, Warren was not selected by any team in the twelve rounds of the 1978 NFL Draft. There was also no interest in him as a free agent. Then Moon went to Canada and signed with the Edmonton Eskimos. He spent the next six years there and became a true superstar in the league. Five times in a row, from 1979 to 1982, Edmonton won the Grey Cup, and twice Warren was named MVP of the final game. That same year, 1982, he became the first quarterback to reach the 5,000 passing yards mark in a season, and a year later he improved on his accomplishment with 5,648 yards. In 2001, Moon was elected to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame, and in 2006 he was named one of the fifty greatest players in league history.
Warren returned to the United States in 1984. Several NFL teams vied for his services, with the Houston Oilers winning the bidding. Shortly after signing the contract, Oilers starting quarterback Gifford Nielsen announced the end of his career and Moon took his place. Despite the inevitable difficulties of adjusting to a new environment, he finished his first season in Houston with a franchise record for passing yards gained. Two years later, new Oilers head coach Jerry Glanville changed the offensive system to match his quarterback's strengths, and the team made the playoffs for the first time in several years. In 1989, Warren became the highest paid player in the league. For the next two years, he led the NFL in passing yards, joining Dan Fouts and Dan Marino as the only quarterbacks at the time to have two consecutive seasons with at least 4,000 passing yards.
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After the 1993 season, Moon left the Oilers as the franchise record holder for pass attempts, completions, yards and touchdowns. He was traded to the Vikings, where he also had two consecutive 4,000-plus yard seasons. He lost his place in Minnesota's starting lineup in 1996 when he missed half the games with a broken collarbone. The team offered Warren a $3.8 million pay cut and a backup spot. He turned it down and signed with the Seattle Seahawks. He spent two seasons with the Seahawks, then Moon was a backup quarterback for two more years with the Kansas City Chiefs. In January 2001, he announced the end of his career. He was 44 years old at the time. Warren played in the Pro Bowl nine times during his career and was named its MVP once. He was drafted first overall by the Tennessee Titans and is a member of the franchise's Ring of Honor. He was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.
After his playing career ended, Moon had a long career as Seattle's radio and television play-by-play announcer. In 2014, he joined players, coaches and other staff members in receiving a championship ring for winning Super Bowl XLVIII.