Broncos' first Super Bowl QB, Ring of Fame member Craig Morton, passes away at 83

Broncos' first Super Bowl QB, Ring of Fame member Craig Morton, passes away at 83 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Craig Morton, one of the more memorable quarterbacks in the history of the Denver Broncos, and the quarterback who led the team to its first Super Bowl appearance, has died at age 83, the team announced.

Born in Flint, Michigan, in February 1943, Morton was selected with the No. 5 overall pick in the 1965 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. His playing career spanned 18 seasons between Dallas, the New York Giants, and Denver, where he finished up.

He came to Denver in 1977 and that season, the Broncos made their first trip to the Super Bowl, where they faced Morton's old team, the Cowboys. He completed just four of 15 passes in that game and threw four interceptions as the Cowboys rolled to a 27-10 victory.

He was the team's starting quarterback until the end of the strike-shortened 1982 season, though he was replaced in the lineup by Steve DeBerg in many games that season. The following year, the Broncos traded for John Elway after he was drafted No. 1 overall by the Baltimore and Morton then retired. Elway took Morton's No. 7 jersey.