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The Fabulous 50
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SI CLASSIC'S RANKING OF THE BEST COLLEGE QUARTERBACKS IN HISTORY*
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YARDS PER PASSING ATTEMPT/RANKING
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COMPLETION PCT./ RANK
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NET TDS MINUS INTS./ RANK
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YARDS PER RUSH/ RANK
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AVERAGE YARDS PER PLAY/RANK
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WINNING PCT.**/RANK
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1
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STEVE YDUNG
BYU 1981-83
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8.5/11
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65.2/1
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+23/10
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4.0/7
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7.5/4
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.818/21
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2
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DANNY WHITE
ARIZONA ST. 1971-73
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9.1/5
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53.2/29
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+23/10
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3.2/12
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7.9/1
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.879/14
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3
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JIM MCMAHON
BYU 1977-81
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9.0/6
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61.6/8
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+50/3
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.71/34
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7.3/6
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.833/19
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4
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ROBBIE BOSCO
BYU 1982-85
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8.4/13
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64.0/3
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+30/7
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-.62/39
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7.2/8
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.920/7
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5
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VINNY TESTAVERDE
MIAMI 1982-86
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9.0/6
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61.3/10
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+23/10
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-2.6/45
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7.2/8
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.955/2
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6
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BRIAN DOWLING
YALE 1 966-68
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8.3/17
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52.9/30
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+11/20
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4.2/6
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6.9/15
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.917/8
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7
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STEVE WALSH
MIAMI 1985-88
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7.8/27
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59.4/12
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+29/8
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-.85/40
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7.2/8
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.955/2
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8
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JAKE GIBBS
MISSISSIPPI 1958-60
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8.4/13
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53.8/27
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+12/18
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3.4/10
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6.2/26
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.925/21
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9
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TROY AIKMAN
OKLAHOMA 1984-85
UCLA
1986-88
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8.5/11
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63.0/5
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+22/13
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.72/33
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6.6/20
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.818/21
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10
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EDDIE LEBARON
PACIFIC 1 946-49
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9.5/1
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48.5/40
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+9/22
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.85/31
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7.9/1
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.903/9
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11
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JIMMY HARRIS
OKLAHOMA 1954-56
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9.5/1
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48.0/42
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+6/26
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4.8/4
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5.9/36
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1.000/1
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12
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WILLIE TOTTEN
MISS. VALLEY ST. 1981-85
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8.2/20
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58.3/16
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+64/1
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1.2/29
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7.2/8
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.720/37
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13T
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JOHN HUARTE
NOTRE DAME 1962-64
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9.2/4
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54.1/26
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+6/26
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-1.2/42
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7.5/4
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.900/10
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13T
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JOE THEISMANN
NOTRE DAME 1968-70
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8.7/9
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57.0/19
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-4/43
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3.4/10
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6.7/16
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.875/15
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15
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DOUG FLUTIE
BOSTON COLLEGE 1981- 84
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8.3/17
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53.3/28
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+13/16
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2.6/17
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7.3/6
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.716/38
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16
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CHUCK LONGS
IOWA 1981-85
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8.6/10
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64.6/2
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+18/15
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-.52/38
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6.4/24
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.741/34
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17
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DOUG WILLIAMS
GRAMBLING 1974-77
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8.3/17
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48.0/42
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+41/5
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-2.7/46
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7.6/3
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.889/12
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18
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ANDRE WARE
HOUSTON 1987-89
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7.6/34
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61.5/9
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+47/4
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-1.2/42
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6.7/16
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.818/21
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19
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NEIL LOMAX
PORTLAND ST. 1977-80
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8.2/20
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58.4/15
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+51/2
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.42/36
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7.0/13
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.591/46
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20
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STEVE DAVIS
OKLAHOMA 1973-75
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9.4/3
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39.7/50
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+4/30
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4.0/7
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5.6/42
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.955/2
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21
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RODNEY PEETE
USC 1985-88
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7.9/24
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58.7/14
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+20/14
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1.2/29
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6.5/23
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.758/32
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22
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JOHNNY LUJACK
NOTRE DAME 1943, '46-47
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7.5/36
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51.4/37
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-6/44
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5.4/2
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7.0/13
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.946/5
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23
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RANDY DUNCAN
IOWA 1956-58
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8.0/22
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56.9/20
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-1/38
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1.3/27
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6.7/16
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.833/19
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24
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JACK SCARBATH
MARYLAND 1950-52
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8.4/13
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48.1/41
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+8/23
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2.7/16
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5.7/38
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.839/17
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25T
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TERRY BAKER***
OREGON ST. 1960-62
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7.8/27
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51.3/38
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+7/24
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4.8/4
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6.7/16
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.650/43
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25T
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GARY BEBAN
UCLA 1 9 6 5-6 7
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8.9/8
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52.9/38
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-1/37
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2.9/14
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5.9/36
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.800/26
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25T
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JOE NAMATH
ALABAMA 1 962-64
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7.3/41
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54.4/24
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+7/24
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2.8/15
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5.7/38
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.900/10
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28
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JERRY RHOME
SMU 1961
TULSA 1963-64
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7.7/30
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62.8/6
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+24/9
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1.3/27
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5.7/38
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.650/43
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29
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JIM PLUNKETT
STANFORD 1965-67
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7.8/27
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55.1/24
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+5/28
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1.6/23
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6.7/16
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.710/39
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30
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DAN MARINO
PITT 1979-82
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7.3/41
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57.7/17
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+10/21
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-2.7/46
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6.4/24
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.886/13
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31
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JOE MONTANA
NOTRE DAME 1975-78
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8.0/22
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52.0/35
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0/36
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.81/32
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6.6/21
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.818/21
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32
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BOBBY LAYNE
TEXAS 1944-47
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7.9/24
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52.5/34
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-9/46
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3.5/9
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6.2/26
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.759/31
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33
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JOHN ELWAY
STANFORD 1979-82
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7.5/36
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62.1/7
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+38/7
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-1.1/41
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6.0/31
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.455/50
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34
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JOHN RAUCH
GEORGIA 1945-48
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8.4/13
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51.6/36
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+3/32
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-1.4/44
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6.0/31
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.839/17
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35
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DEE DOWIS
AIR FORCE 1986-89
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7.6/34
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43.2/49
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+1/35
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6.7/1
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7.1/12
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.597/45
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36
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ARNOLD GALIFFA
ARMY 1946-49
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7.4/39
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45.4/48
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0/36
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3.1/13
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6.0/31
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.870/16
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37
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ROGER STAUBACH
NAVY 1962-64
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7.7/30
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63.1/4
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-1/38
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2.0/21
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5.3/44
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.583/47
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38T
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BERT JONES
LSU 1970-72
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7.8/27
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52.9/30
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+12/18
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-.25/37
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5.1/48
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.803/25
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38T
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BABE PARILLI
KENTUCKY 1949-5 1
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7.3/41
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55.9/22
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+13/16
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-2.7/46
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6.0/31
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.788/29
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40
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JIM KELLY
MIAMI 1979-82
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7.7/30
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55.6/23
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+4/30
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.65/35
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6.2/26
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.667/42
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41
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DON MEREDITH
SMU 1957-59
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7.9/24
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60.6/11
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+2/34
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1.4/26
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5.3/44
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.533/48
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42
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MIKE PHIPPS
PURDUE 1967-69
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7.4/39
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51.2/39
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+3/32
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1.9/22
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6.0/31
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.800/26
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43
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STEVE SPURRIER
FLORIDA 1964-66
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7.0/46
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56.6/21
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+5/28
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1.5/25
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5.3/44
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.733/36
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44
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BOB GRIESE
PURDUE 1964-66
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7.2/45
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57.1/18
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-1/38
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1.6/23
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5.5/43
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.741/35
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45
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PAUL HORNUNG
NOTRE DAME 1954-56
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7.3/41
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47.2/44
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-11/48
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5.0/3
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6.2/26
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.500/49
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46
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DAVEY O'BRIEN
TCU 1936-38
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6.1/49
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47.2/44
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-1/38
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2.6/17
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4.6/50
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.750/33
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47
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MARK HERRMANN
PURDUE 1977-80
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7.5/36
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58.9/13
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-11/48
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-5.5/50
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6.2/26
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.693/40
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48
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ARCHIE MANNING
MISSISSIPPI 1968-70
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6.2/47
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52.8/33
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-9/46
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2.6/17
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5.2/47
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.683/41
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49
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SAMMY BAUGH
TCU 1934-36
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5.8/50
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46.0/46
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-15/50
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2.4/20
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5.0/49
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.778/30
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50
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NORM VAN BROCKLIN
OREGON 1946-48
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6.2/47
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45.6/47
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-6/44
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-3.9/49
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5.6/41
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.800/26
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*The list of 50 was selected by an SI panel that included consultants Dave Nelson, secretary -editor of the NCAA Football Rules Committee; Jim Van Valkenberg, NCAA director statistics; and Rick Campbell, NCAA coordinator. Each player's ranking in the six categories were totaled determine his final overall ranking.
**Player's winning percentage based upon seasons in which he was considered to be the starting quarterback.
***Baker's stats are from '61 and '62 seasons only (in 1960 he played tailback).
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You could hardly blame the statisticians at the NCAA if they decided to print the "Passing" section of the NCAA record book in disappearing ink. Lately, most of the names and numbers seem to change with every season. The new name that has invaded this year's edition is that of David Klingler, the senior quarterback at the University of Houston.
In terms of raw numbers, Klingler, with only-one full season as a starter under his belt, is the most prolific passer in the history of the college game. In 1990, he set or tied 33 single-season and single-game records. And the records Klingler broke were not exactly dusty relics; indeed, many had been set by his immediate predecessor at Houston, Andre Ware. In all, Klingler and Ware appear 48 times in the NCAA record book. So, then, do we call them the best quarterbacks in college history? Not so fast.
It's a stubborn debate: Who's better, the old college quarterbacks with their gritty toughness and gun-fighter eyes, or the new hotshots with their run-and-shoot offenses and starry stats?
Not a fair question, says the reasonable fan. It's a totally different game today. The quarterback of old was a field general with a popgun arsenal at his disposal; today's quarterback is the pilot of an F-15. Put the oblong spheroid in the throwing hand of most any strapping 1990s youngster with good eyes and—boom!—it's a 400-yard game. Moreover, give the old-time greats—Sammy Baugh, Davey O'Brien, Bobby Layne, Johnny Lujack—today's receivers in today's offenses and 500 yards would be an off-day. Maybe.
How to settle this? Well, with more stats, of course. Assisted by the NCAA's own statistical gurus, SI has devised a formula that seeks to equalize, to the greatest degree possible, the variables—the numerical ones, anyway—that have distinguished the various eras of play.
We began with a list, provided by the NCAA stat men, of the 50 college quarterbacks deemed the best of all time. Yes, this was an unscientific beginning to an otherwise mathematical exercise—but we had to start somewhere.
The SI system considered each of the 50 quarterbacks in the six statistical categories that are most important to a quarterback's résumé. Each category was given the same weight. Furthermore, averages were used rather than totals, thus negating the fact that a player might have competed for three years instead of four. The categories:
•Yards per passing attempt. Many statisticians consider this a quarterback's most significant number.
•Completion percentage.
•The difference between the number of touchdown passes and the number of interceptions (TDs minus INTS.).
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