| No. 15 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Quarterback | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1941-04-26)April 26, 1941 (age 84) Montclair, New Jersey, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 195 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Glen Ridge (NJ) | ||||||||
| College | Virginia | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1963: undrafted | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Gary Samuel Cuozzo (born April 26, 1941) is an American former professionalfootball player who was aquarterback in theNational Football League (NFL). He playedcollege football for theVirginia Cavaliers. After football, he had a career as an orthodontist, and spoke publicly to youth about the dangers of drug abuse, after the death of his son in a drug related shooting.
Born inMontclair, New Jersey, Cuozzo grew up inGlen Ridge and lettered in football, basketball, andtrack atGlen Ridge High School, from which he graduated with honors in 1959. He received All-State recognition as a football and basketball player, and he led both teams to state championships in 1958. In 1959, Cuozzo won individual state titles indiscus andshot put.[1][2][3][4][5]
Cuozzo was widely recruited and received a scholarship to theUniversity of Virginia inCharlottesville,[citation needed] and played quarterback for theCavaliers from1960 to1962. He was named theUPI “Back of the Week” on multiple occasions in1961 and 1962. Cuozzo was apre-med student, had a 3.68grade point average, was a member of theDean's list, and graduatedPhi Beta Kappa.[6] He was the quarterback for the South in theNorth-South college all-star game in 1962, and was an academic All-American.[7]
Anundraftedquarterback after graduating from the University of Virginia, Cuozzo was signed as a free agent by head coachWeeb Ewbank of theBaltimore Colts. He unexpectedly made the team, in large part because his intelligence matched his physical skills.[8] Cuozzo began hisNFL career with the Colts as a backup to legendJohnny Unitas.[6] In1963, he roomed with childhood hero, future Pro Football Hall of Fame receiverRaymond Berry, who taught Cuozzo how to work on timing his passes. The pair later held summer camps for children along withGreen Bay Packers receiverCarroll Dale.[8][9] Cuozzo played ten NFL seasons, from 1963 to 1972.[1]
When Unitas was injured in1965, Cuozzo replaced him and in his first start set a new NFL record for most touchdown passes in one game, with five (two toJimmy Orr and one each to Berry, hall of famerLenny Moore, andWillie Richardson).[6][10] After Cuozzo was sidelined by injury as well a few games later (which required shoulder surgery), head coachDon Shula resorted to using running backTom Matte as quarterback, all the way to theWestern Conference championship game (tiebreaker playoff) against thePackers.[11][12]
After being Unitas's backup again in 1966, Cuozzo asked to be traded.[10][13] On March 6, 1967, the Colts traded Cuozzo to theexpansionNew Orleans Saints. The Colts gave upButch Allison and their1967 seventeenth round pick to the Saints in exchange forthe first pick in the 1967 draft, a1967 third round pick, a1969 seventh round pick, and centerBill Curry.[14] Cuozzo was not the Saints' first starting quarterback (Billy Kilmer was the first), but he started 10 of the 14 games the team played during its inaugural season.[15]
The trade turned out badly for New Orleans, but great for Baltimore. Cuozzo only played one season with the Saints, and Allison was cut at the end of training camp. Billy Bob Stewart, who was drafted in the 17th round, was cut shortly after the beginning of training camp. The Colts used the first overall pick in the1967 NFL/AFL draft[16] to selectMichigan StateAll-AmericanBubba Smith, who became an All-Pro three times and was Baltimore's starting left defensive end inSuper Bowl III andV.[17] Curry was an All-Pro center for the Colts in 1971 and 1972, and was the starting center for the Colts in Super Bowls III and V.[18][19] The Colts used the other 1967 draft pick (in the seventh round), to select an offensive lineman namedNorman Davis who played one season in Baltimore and later played for the Saints.
After losing the Saints' starting job later in 1967 toBilly Kilmer, Cuozzo was traded to theMinnesota Vikings in January1968.[20] He became the Vikings' starting quarterback in1970 whenJoe Kapp, the team's Most Valuable Player in1969, held out and was traded to theBoston Patriots.[21][22] In his first game as a Viking, Cuozzo lead the team to a 27–10 victory over theKansas City Chiefs in a rematch ofSuper Bowl IV. Cuozzo was named the NFC Player of the Week in a week 7 game against the Detroit Lions.[23] He led the Vikings to the NFL Central Division championship.[22]
The 1970 Vikings posted the NFL's best regular season record at 12–2, but lost in an NFC Divisional playoff game to theSan Francisco 49ers at home.[24][25]The 1971 Vikings used three different starting quarterbacks. Cuozzo started 8 of the team's 14 games, withBob Lee (who was also the team's punter) starting 4 andNorm Snead starting 2.[26] The Vikings had an outstanding regular season record, finishing 11–3 and topping the NFC Central Division. Lee started the Viking's first-round playoff game at home, but Cuozzo came off the bench in the second half. The eventualSuper Bowl championDallas Cowboys won the game 20-12.[27] During the ensuing off-season, Cuozzo was traded to theSaint Louis Cardinals for wide receiverJohn Gilliam and two 1973 draft picks.[28]
Cardinals coachBob Hollway was familiar with Cuozzo, having served as Minnesota's defensive coordinator underBud Grant prior to leaving for St. Louis in 1971.[29] Cuozzo was part of a chaotic four-quarterback rotation withJim Hart (started three games),Pete Beathard, andTim Van Galder (started five games) in 1972, with Cuozzo starting six games,[30] but whenDon Coryell took over as Cardinals coach in1973, he named Hart the undisputed starter,[31] and he would hold the job fulltime to 1980, and then part time until 1983.[32]
Cuozzo's father Pasquale was a dentist, and his brother Jack would become an orthodontist. In between NFL seasons, Cuozzo studied dentistry at theUniversity of Tennessee and orthodontics atLoyola University of Chicago.[9] Following his retirement from football, Cuozzo moved toMiddletown Township, New Jersey, to start anorthodontics practice, which he operated for 28 years.[6]
In 1990, his oldest son Gary Jr., a/k/a Chip, was murdered inMiami during a drug deal, and Cuozzo later began speaking to teens in high schools about avoiding drugs.[9] Much of what he said came from what he learned spending time with Raymond Berry, and Berry's faith and deep care for others.[10] Cuozzo served as national chairman of theFellowship of Christian Athletes from 1995 to 1998.[6]
