| No. 10 | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Position | Quarterback | ||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||
| Born | (1951-03-06)March 6, 1951 (age 74) Rockville Centre, New York, U.S. | ||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||||
| Listed weight | 200 lb (91 kg) | ||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||
| High school | Regis (Denver,Colorado) | ||||||||
| College | Stanford | ||||||||
| NFL draft | 1974:4th round, 87th overall pick | ||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||
| Career NFL statistics | |||||||||
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Michael Jay Boryla (born March 6, 1951) is an American former professionalfootball player who was aquarterback in theNational Football League (NFL) for thePhiladelphia Eagles andTampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1970s. He playedcollege football atStanford University, where he was the team's MVP during his senior season in1973 and was first-teamAll-Pacific-8.
Selected by theCincinnati Bengals in thefourth round of the1974 NFL draft, Boryla was soon traded to the Eagles for first- and sixth-round draft picks after Cincinnati acquired another quarterback inWayne Clark; Boryla had threatened to defect to the newWorld Football League if not traded.[1][2] The move reunited Boryla with Eagles head coachMike McCormack, who worked with him at that year'sSenior Bowl.[3] Boryla spent much of his tenure in Philadelphia sharing quarterbacking duties with veteranRoman Gabriel. In1975, he was named to thePro Bowl roster despite losing the starting job partway through the season opener and throwing for just 996 passing yards, six touchdowns, and twelve interceptions. Boryla, who had planned to attend theNew York University School of Law, was approached by the NFL to play in the game in New Orleans as otherNFC quarterbacks were injured and declined their invitations. He threw two touchdown passes in the final minutes of the Monday night game at theLouisiana Superdome, including atrick play he created called the "Boryla Special", to lead the NFC to a 23–20 win.[4][5][6]
Boryla started ten games for the Eagles in1976 before joining theTampa Bay Buccaneers in1977. After missing the year with a knee injury (which head coachJohn McKay called "the most devastating single blow we've had"), he played one more game in1978 before ending his playing career.[5]
After retiring, he attended theStetson University College of Law before becoming a lawyer and mortgage banker in Denver.[5] In 2014, Boryla made his professional acting debut atPlays and Players Theatre inPhiladelphia performingThe Disappearing Quarterback, a one-man autobiographical theatrical performance that includes history, wit, and thinly veiled opinions regarding professional sports concussions.[7][8]
His fatherVince Boryla was anNBA player and executive; he also acted as hisagent during his NFL career.[1]