Roman Gabriel was a quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles in the 1960s and ‘70s.
- Died: April 20, 2024 (Who else died on April 20?)
- Details of death: Died at his home in Little River, South Carolina at the age of 83.
- We invite you to share condolences for Roman Gabriel in our Guest Book.
Roman Gabriel’s legacy
Gabriel was a college football star with North Carolina State’s Wolfpack, a team captain and the first of the school’s players to have his jersey retired. He was in the inaugural class of the school’s own sports hall of fame, and he was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.
On the strength of his stellar college career, Gabriel was the number-one pick in the 1962 AFL draft, chosen by the Oakland Raiders, and the Rams chose him second in the NFL draft. He went with the Rams — and, with his NFL debut, he became the first Filipino-American quarterback in league history. In 1969, Gabriel led the NFL in touchdown passes and was named its MVP. During his 11 seasons with Los Angeles, he went to the Pro Bowl three times.
In 1973, Gabriel was traded to the Eagles, where he played another five seasons and went to a fourth Pro Bowl. Coming to the Philly team with several injuries from seasons past, he was named Comeback Player of the Year by the pro football press. After his 1977 retirement, Gabriel was briefly a broadcaster for NFL on CBS, as well as a coach at Cal Poly Pomona, in the World League of American Football and for the USFL.
On why he deserved to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
“I showed leadership and toughness. I was always playing hurt, but always showing up and putting my team first. I ranked sixth among all NFL quarterbacks when I retired.” —source
Tributes to Roman Gabriel
Full obituary: The New York Times
