Moon Over CFL and NFL

by user Erooster

This weekend, Warren Moon will be enshrined in the NFL's Pro Football Hall of Fame. News that you all have known for a while. However, did you know that Moon will be the first player that has been enshrined in both the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and the NFL's Pro Football Hall of Fame? Bud Grant is a member of both, but he did it as a coach, first with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the CFL and then with the NFL's Minnesota Vikings.

Moon will also be the first modern-day African-American quarterback enshrined in the NFL's Pro Football Hall of Fame. And, he will also be the first undrafted quarterback inducted.

When Warren Moon graduated from the University of Washington in 1978, pro teams wanted to make him a tight end. The only team that would let him play quarterback was the Edmonton Eskimos. Edmonton actually had him set up to be a starter, in a platoon arrangement, in his first year. After those first two years, Moon led the Eskimos, as the number 1, to three more Grey Cup wins. In his sixth year, he led the Ecks to the West Division semifinal, only to lose to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

In Moon's six-year stint in the CFL, he amassed 21,288 yards passing and 144 touchdown passes. He was inducted to the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 2001.

Moon spent 17 seasons in the NFL. He finished his career with the fourth-highest passing mark in league history (49,325). He also had 291 touchdown passes.

All told, Moon has the career pro football total passing yardage record with 70,533 yards. Although, that record is likely to fall sometime this year when Damon Allen passes the mark. Allen is currently sitting at 69,593 yards.

Warren Moon is arguably the best quarterback to ever play professional football. There have been better showmen and better big-time winners, but no one can compete with what Moon has done on a statistical level throughout his career. Congrats to you Warren on being the best quarterback to date (no matter the ethnicity) and your enshrinement in Canton.

Date

Thu 08/03/06, 2:24 pm EST

DRE-LOAAA-er

1196 days ago

Score 2

Imagine having such a great career that you're inducted in more than one Hall of Fame. Congrats to Warren Moon who ironically is the only athlete that my mother knows.

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EroosterMajor Leaguer

1196 days ago

Score 1

I think that it is amazing that Moon only played six seasons in the CFL and was still enshrined in the CFHOF. Although, those numbers are hard to compete with for that time frame.

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Davis21wylieMVP

1196 days ago

Score 3

Moon is definitely deserving of being the first modern-day African-American QB in the Hall of Fame, but I'd love to see Randall Cunningham be next.

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I am a cpcpMajor Leaguer

1196 days ago

Score 1

This brings up the article from a little ago asking whether you'd rather be in the HOF or have a championship. So many people said win a championship, but I doubt those people would say Warren Moon can't be proud of his Hall of Fame career and that he'd give up his tremendous achievements for a Super Bowl title.

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EroosterMajor Leaguer

1196 days ago

Score 1

He did have five Grey Cups. Of course that is not a Super Bowl, but they were championships. As with all NFL players, though, I am sure that he wanted a Super Bowl. But, to be in both the CFL and NFL HOF and having five CFL championships, I doubt that he is complaining.

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EnyboDiv-I Stud

1196 days ago

Score 0

Doyle (Sportline) wrote a good article about him today. Definitly worth a look.

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MetsJetsDevilsDraft Pick

1195 days ago

Score 2

A) Moon is not close to being the best QB ever to play professional football. In fact, I highly doubt he would make it into the top 20.

B) Moon's success is mostly a product of the system he played in. The Run N' Shoot was an abberation that produced gaudy numbers for the QB but little success for the team.

C) Warren Moon had a great career that deserves to be recognized.

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NeatesagerWaterboy

1195 days ago

Score 1

I believe Moon is the first player. The other double inductee is Bud Grant -- who coached in Winnipeg before going on to coach the Minnesota Vikings.

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EroosterMajor Leaguer

1195 days ago

Score 0

You are right. Upon further investigation, I did find that he is indeed the first player to be inducted into both. Bud Grant was the first person to be inducted, but as you said, he was a coach.

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