WARREN MOON

In his 17-year career in the National Football League, Warren Moon established himself as one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of the NFL. Ranking as one of the most prolific passers in football annals, Moon's name is prominent throughout the league's record book. In addition, his charitable and philanthropic efforts, along with his service to the community were matched by few players of his era. Moon, who retired from football following the 2000 season, will be eligible for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005.

During his NFL career, Moon played for the Houston Oilers (1984-93), Minnesota Vikings (1994-96), Seattle Seahawks (1997-98) and Kansas City Chiefs (1999-2000). As an NFL player, he threw for 49,325 yards, which is the third-highest total in league history, trailing only Dan Marino and John Elway. Moon's 3988 career pass completions and his 6823 pass attempts both also rank third in league history. He also rates fifth on the

NFL's all-time list for touchdown passes with 291.
During his NFL career, Moon eclipsed the 3000-yard mark in nine different seasons, which ranks fourth all-time. He is the only QB to throw for back-to-back 4000-yard campaigns with two different teams. Moon threw for 400 or more yards in a single game on seven occasions (second in NFL history), and threw for 300 or more yards in a game 49 times (third in NFL history). Moon's 404 pass completions during the 1991 season has only been bettered one time in the long history of the NFL. On December 16, 1990, Moon passed for 527 yards against the Chiefs, which is the second-highest single-game total in league annals, surpassed only by Norm Van Brocklin's 554 yards during the 1951 campaign.

Moon was named to the Pro Bowl a total of nine times, including eight consecutive appearances, a record for a quarterback. He established the single-season passing yards record for three different franchises, including the Oilers (now the Tennessee Titans) with 4690 yards in 1991, the Vikings with 4264 in 1994 and the Seahawks with 3678 yards in 97.

Prior to signing with the Oilers in 1984, Moon spent six seasons as the quarterback for the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League (1978-83). In those six years, Moon directed the Eskimos to a staggering five league championships. In 1983, Moon set a single-season professional football record with 5648 passing yards. During that same season, he established a pro football record by throwing for 555 yards in one game.

Counting his time in both the NFL and the CFL, Moon amazingly played a total of 23 professional seasons in four different decades at one of the most demanding positions in all of sports. His professional total of 70,553 regular season passing yards and 435 touchdown passes will likely never be equaled.

Moon also enjoyed a standout collegiate career at the University of Washington. A three-year starter for the Huskies, he was named the conference’s Player of the Year as a senior. During that ’77 season, Moon led UW to its first Rose Bowl appearance in 15 years, and captured the game’s Most Valuable Player award after engineering a 27-20 upset of Michigan.

By virtue of his outstanding football career, Moon is a member of the Canadian Football League Hall of Fame, the University of Washington’s Husky Hall of Fame and the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame.

Following his playing career, Moon has embarked on several successful ventures. He currently works with notable NFL player agent Leigh Steinberg, as a vital member of the Newport Beach, CA-based Leigh Steinberg Enterprises. Moon is also currently a respected football analyst on both television and radio. Moon serves as the analyst on Westwood One’s national broadcast of the NFL’s Sunday night games, and also occasionally works on Westwood One’s broadcast of Monday Night Football. He has also served as a college football game analyst for FOX, as an analyst for the Seattle Seahawks’ preseason telecasts and as an NFL commentator for DirecTV. While playing for the Oilers, Moon hosted the long running weekly "Quarterback Corner" for KHOU-TV (CBS) in Houston. While playing for the Vikings, he covered both the NFL and the NBA for TNT.

Through his outstanding civic work, Moon was named as the NFL’s Man of the Year in 1989, which is the highest community award that the league can bestow upon an active player. In ’89, Moon established the Crescent Moon Foundation, which has raised money for academic college scholarships for deserving youth in Houston, Los Angeles, Seattle and Minneapolis-St. Paul. In 1988, Moon donated $200,000 to build a community center for his church in Houston. That precipitated then-Houston Mayor Kathy Whitmire to declare February 21, 1988 as "Warren Moon Day" in the city of Houston.

Moon’s other community honors include being named as the Houston Firefighter’s Man of the Year, the South Texas March of Dimes Headliner of the Year and one of Five Outstanding Houstonians. In 1989, he received the National Urban Coalition’s Superstar Award for his efforts with "Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future." In 1990, Moon was appointed to then-President George Bush’s Media Advisory Committee for the Economic Summit. Moon has also been actively involved with the United Negro College Fund, United Way, Sickle Cell Foundation, the Urban League, the Ronald McDonald House, Special Olympics, Muscular Dystrophy Association, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, American Heart Association, Juvenile Diabetes and the Cerebral Palsy Foundation.

Moon has four children, including sons Joshua and Jeffrey, and daughters Chelsea and Blair. He lives in Laguna Beach,