Roman Gabriel Condolences
- Thread starter GabrieltoSnow
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I was in the Vons shopping/parking lot and getting ready to get out of the car and the news of his passing came across my Rams news feed on my phone. I stayed in the car and actually broke down for a few moments. He was my very first sports hero. The reason I loved the Rams. Reading all these "old timers" born in the 60's and their association and connection with Roman Gabriel is just awesome. It does feel like a family member has passed. What an amazing life we've had with so many unbelievable larger than life and legendary Rams heroes.
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- Name
- Fanotodd
One of the Rams legendary names I remember hearing as a kid. You don’t forget. You don’t forget those unis.
THAT is why I grew up a Ram fan in 9er country.
The Rams should start their own HOF ring around their stadium and retire his number this season.
THAT is why I grew up a Ram fan in 9er country.
The Rams should start their own HOF ring around their stadium and retire his number this season.
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I remember the Bill Munson/Roman Gabriel quarterback controversy that was solved by Coach Allen trading Munson to Detroit. Roman Gabriel, what a great name. R.I.P.
PARAM
Hall of Fame
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My first favorite Ram waaay, waaay, waaay back. RIP Chief.
From 1967 to 1970 Gabriel was 41-11-4, 10244 yards, 84 TDs, 48 Int, 52% Comp rate. A nice welcome to Rams fandom for me! Unlike with the Goff deal, Gabriel was traded to Philadelphia (where I got to watch him weekly) for a haul. Harold Jackson (who became my favorite Ram), Tony Baker, a 1974 1st round pick (Cappelletti) AND 1st round (Harrah) and 3rd round (Dan Nugent) picks in 1975.
Gabriel would lead the NFL in passing yards, TDs, completions, attempts and lowest Int% his first year in Philly. The Rams would go 12-2, missing being undefeated by 4 points.
From 1967 to 1970 Gabriel was 41-11-4, 10244 yards, 84 TDs, 48 Int, 52% Comp rate. A nice welcome to Rams fandom for me! Unlike with the Goff deal, Gabriel was traded to Philadelphia (where I got to watch him weekly) for a haul. Harold Jackson (who became my favorite Ram), Tony Baker, a 1974 1st round pick (Cappelletti) AND 1st round (Harrah) and 3rd round (Dan Nugent) picks in 1975.
Gabriel would lead the NFL in passing yards, TDs, completions, attempts and lowest Int% his first year in Philly. The Rams would go 12-2, missing being undefeated by 4 points.
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RIP
I was too young to remember but my dad always told me the first Rams game he ever took me to at the colosseum was against the Packers. Roman Gabriel vs Bart Starr.
A few years later my friends and I would always fight over who got to be Roman Gabriel when we played football In the yard.
I was too young to remember but my dad always told me the first Rams game he ever took me to at the colosseum was against the Packers. Roman Gabriel vs Bart Starr.
A few years later my friends and I would always fight over who got to be Roman Gabriel when we played football In the yard.
dang
Legend
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- Mar 15, 2018
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- 6,956
Gabriel and the Horns were why I became a Rams fan back in 1970. His name and stats on trading cards stood out. But it was his tall strong look with those horns that impressed me. I hope he gets into the Hall of Fame one day to immortalize him to everyone for generations to come. If not, he will always be immortalized by true Rams fans.
tempests
Hall of Fame
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JimY53
Pro Bowler
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- Nov 20, 2023
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- JY53
Youngblood's people need to learn how to spell "Gabe". No way Youngblood wrote that, no way he Tweets
It's not "GAB"
ReekofRams
Hall of Fame
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- Mar 9, 2018
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- Reek
The year I became a Ram fan is the year Raman became a Ram starter. Roman you will be missed. You were one tough hombre.
JimY53
Pro Bowler
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- Nov 20, 2023
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- JY53
link
In this story:
LOS ANGELES RAMS
Former quarterback Roman Gabriel wasn't just one of the best quarterbacks of the 1960s. He was legendary, going 41-11-4 during a four-year run with the Los Angeles Rams when they won two division championships and Gabriel had more rushing touchdowns than any of the team's backs.
He was an accurate passer, an effective runner and a natural-born winner. What he wasn't ... and never has been ... was a Hall-of-Fame candidate, though that never seemed to bother him.
"I never gave it a whole bunch of thought," he said in a 2018 interview with the Talk of Fame Network, "especially when it took my good friend, Kenny Stabler, to die to get in."
Sadly, Gabriel joined Stabler on Saturday, passing away at the age of 83. His death was announced by his son, Roman Gabriel III.
"We mourn the loss of Rams' legend and football pioneer, Roman Gabriel." the Rams' said on X (formerly Twitter). "We extend our condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time."
At 6-feet-4, 225 pounds, Gabriel was large for a quarterback of his era -- or any era, for that matter -- and was so imposing that one opponent called him "a tackle playing quarterback." But he was more than big. He was talented, too. Strong and tough, he had the arm to throw deep outs and accurate bombs better than most quarterbacks.
He was also inspirational. As the NFL's first Filipino-American quarterback, he once said he hoped to become a role model for "a lot of the young people" ... and he did. He not only impacted Filipino youngsters but legions of Rams' fans who -- to this day -- name Gabriel as their favorite Rams' player.
In short, Gabriel was as iconic as the Rams' horn on his helmet. He just had this thing, this imperceptible thing, that stuck with people. He was as charismatic as he was successful, and he was successful.
In 1969, he was the NFL MVP and a consensus All-Pro. He was also a four-time Pro Bowler.
He spent 11 seasons with the Rams where he was their all-time leading passer in nearly every passing statistic and holds the career record for most touchdown passes with 154. But by 1973, he was gone from L.A., traded in a blockbuster deal to Philadelphia where he spent the last five years of his career.
He was successful there, too, voted the league's Comeback Player of the Year in his first season with the Eagles, while leading the NFL in pass completion and yards passing and tying for the league lead in touchdown passes.
All told, Gabriel ended his 16-year career with 2,366 completions for 29,444 yards and 201 TD passes. He also had 149 interceptions, which may seem like a lot. But it's not. In fact, as late as Week 11 in 1983, Gabriel held the NFL record for lowest interception percentage.
It was 3.3 percent.
Born in 1940 in Wilmington, N.C., Gabriel played at the same high school as Sonny Jurgensen -- New Hanover in Wilmington -- where, as a 6-4, 210-pound senior, he was allowed to do something no New Hanover quarterback ... not even including Jergenson ... had been.
Throw on third downs.
It was a smart move. Gabriel was named an All-American. He was also the conference MVP in basketball on a team that won the state title and all-conference in baseball as a senior.
Despite numerous collegiate offers, including one from Notre Dame, Gabriel chose to stay close to home and play for North Carolina State where he was a two-time ACC Player of the Year and two-time All-American.
As a sophomore, he led the nation with a 60.4 completion percentage, a mark that stood as a school record until 1974. As a junior and senior, he set so many school and ACC passing records that still remain in the top 20 in career passing yards, completions, completion percentage and touchdowns.
Then it was on to the pros, where he was the second-overall pick in the 1962 NFL draft and the first-overall choice in the AFL lottery.
Gabriel chose the Rams and was a part-time starter in his first four seasons there, going 11-11-1 -- a record so superior to the others (a combined 4-27-2) that when George Allen was hired as the Rams' coach in 1966, he named Gabriel as his starter.
That was another smart decision. But the Rams got lucky. They almost lost him.
Prior to Allen joining the team, the Raiders' Al Davis signed Gabriel to a four-year, $400,000 contract from 1967-70, a move that -- along with others -- pushed the NFL and AFL to negotiate a merger and kept Gabriel in L.A. where he was given a significant raise.
That was smart, too. Because under Gabriel's direction, the team not only improved immediately, going 8-6 in 1966, but it beat the Packers and Colts in back-to-back weeks at the end of the 1967 season to win a division and finish 11-1-2. Gabriel threw three touchdown passes in each game and was named the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Week after both wins.
Though the Rams would lose in the playoffs to the Super Bowl-bound Packers, Gabriel was elected to his first Pro Bowl, was chosen a Pro Bowler again in 1968 and, in 1969, led the Rams to an 11-0 start when he was the AP and NEA MVP, UPI Player of the Year and was chosen to his third Pro Bowl.
In those first four years under Allen, Gabriel was the Rams' short-yardage and goal-line threat, scoring 18 rushing touchdowns -- more than any running back on the team -- and converting countless first downs on third- or fourth-and-short situations.
However, knee and arm injuries caught up to him in the early 1970s, and by 1972 his production was limited. That prompted the Rams to bring in Chargers' quarterback John Hadl which, in turn, prompted them to trade Gabriel.
Initially, he wanted to join his former coach, George Allen, in Washington, but he'd unloaded all the teams's draft picks on other players. So the Redskins had no draft capital to compete with Philadelphia, which sent Pro Bowl receiver Harold Jackson, Tony Baker and three high draft choices to the Rams for Gabriel.
Through devotion to Kung Fu, acupuncture and daily paraffin baths for his sore arm, Gabriel regained his functionality and performed so well in his first season with the Eagles that he was named to the Pro Bowl and chosen the league's Comeback Player of the Year.
But that was it.
The next few years, he slumped as a passer, eventually became a backup and completed his final pass in 1977 to local hero Vince Papale after stepping in for an injured Ron Jaworski.
After retiring, Gabriel worked as a color commentator for CBS Sports, was the head coach at Cal Poly Pomona and coach of the Raleigh–Durham Skyhawks of the World League of American Football. In between, he was an offensive coordinator for the Boston Breakers of the USFL.
He also did some acting throughout his career, co-starring in a film with John Wayne and getting spots on "Gilligan Island" and "Perry Mason." He appeared on national television plugs for various companies, too, and co-owned a car dealership with Hall-of-Fame teammate Merlin Olsen.
Later in his life, he spent countless hours raising money for various charities.
Gabriel was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1989 and in 2013 was chosen to The Professional Football Researchers Association's Hall of Very Good. He's also been inducted into the N.C. State Hall of Fame and the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.
But Canton? Nope. Not even close. That annoyed his fans, who have pushed for his inclusion, but it never seemed to matter to Gabriel.
"I'm really pleased with my life," he said in 2018. "I'm in the Wilmington (N.C.) Hall of Fame, my hometown. I'm in Wilmington's Walk of Fame. I'm in my college's Hall of Fame. And the North Carolina Hall of Fame.
"Some things are good, and some things happen. If it happens, it happens. And it would be great. But I don't think about it."
In this story:
LOS ANGELES RAMS
Former quarterback Roman Gabriel wasn't just one of the best quarterbacks of the 1960s. He was legendary, going 41-11-4 during a four-year run with the Los Angeles Rams when they won two division championships and Gabriel had more rushing touchdowns than any of the team's backs.
He was an accurate passer, an effective runner and a natural-born winner. What he wasn't ... and never has been ... was a Hall-of-Fame candidate, though that never seemed to bother him.
"I never gave it a whole bunch of thought," he said in a 2018 interview with the Talk of Fame Network, "especially when it took my good friend, Kenny Stabler, to die to get in."
Sadly, Gabriel joined Stabler on Saturday, passing away at the age of 83. His death was announced by his son, Roman Gabriel III.
"We mourn the loss of Rams' legend and football pioneer, Roman Gabriel." the Rams' said on X (formerly Twitter). "We extend our condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time."
At 6-feet-4, 225 pounds, Gabriel was large for a quarterback of his era -- or any era, for that matter -- and was so imposing that one opponent called him "a tackle playing quarterback." But he was more than big. He was talented, too. Strong and tough, he had the arm to throw deep outs and accurate bombs better than most quarterbacks.
He was also inspirational. As the NFL's first Filipino-American quarterback, he once said he hoped to become a role model for "a lot of the young people" ... and he did. He not only impacted Filipino youngsters but legions of Rams' fans who -- to this day -- name Gabriel as their favorite Rams' player.
In short, Gabriel was as iconic as the Rams' horn on his helmet. He just had this thing, this imperceptible thing, that stuck with people. He was as charismatic as he was successful, and he was successful.
In 1969, he was the NFL MVP and a consensus All-Pro. He was also a four-time Pro Bowler.
He spent 11 seasons with the Rams where he was their all-time leading passer in nearly every passing statistic and holds the career record for most touchdown passes with 154. But by 1973, he was gone from L.A., traded in a blockbuster deal to Philadelphia where he spent the last five years of his career.
He was successful there, too, voted the league's Comeback Player of the Year in his first season with the Eagles, while leading the NFL in pass completion and yards passing and tying for the league lead in touchdown passes.
All told, Gabriel ended his 16-year career with 2,366 completions for 29,444 yards and 201 TD passes. He also had 149 interceptions, which may seem like a lot. But it's not. In fact, as late as Week 11 in 1983, Gabriel held the NFL record for lowest interception percentage.
It was 3.3 percent.
Born in 1940 in Wilmington, N.C., Gabriel played at the same high school as Sonny Jurgensen -- New Hanover in Wilmington -- where, as a 6-4, 210-pound senior, he was allowed to do something no New Hanover quarterback ... not even including Jergenson ... had been.
Throw on third downs.
It was a smart move. Gabriel was named an All-American. He was also the conference MVP in basketball on a team that won the state title and all-conference in baseball as a senior.
Despite numerous collegiate offers, including one from Notre Dame, Gabriel chose to stay close to home and play for North Carolina State where he was a two-time ACC Player of the Year and two-time All-American.
As a sophomore, he led the nation with a 60.4 completion percentage, a mark that stood as a school record until 1974. As a junior and senior, he set so many school and ACC passing records that still remain in the top 20 in career passing yards, completions, completion percentage and touchdowns.
Then it was on to the pros, where he was the second-overall pick in the 1962 NFL draft and the first-overall choice in the AFL lottery.
Gabriel chose the Rams and was a part-time starter in his first four seasons there, going 11-11-1 -- a record so superior to the others (a combined 4-27-2) that when George Allen was hired as the Rams' coach in 1966, he named Gabriel as his starter.
That was another smart decision. But the Rams got lucky. They almost lost him.
Prior to Allen joining the team, the Raiders' Al Davis signed Gabriel to a four-year, $400,000 contract from 1967-70, a move that -- along with others -- pushed the NFL and AFL to negotiate a merger and kept Gabriel in L.A. where he was given a significant raise.
That was smart, too. Because under Gabriel's direction, the team not only improved immediately, going 8-6 in 1966, but it beat the Packers and Colts in back-to-back weeks at the end of the 1967 season to win a division and finish 11-1-2. Gabriel threw three touchdown passes in each game and was named the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Week after both wins.
Though the Rams would lose in the playoffs to the Super Bowl-bound Packers, Gabriel was elected to his first Pro Bowl, was chosen a Pro Bowler again in 1968 and, in 1969, led the Rams to an 11-0 start when he was the AP and NEA MVP, UPI Player of the Year and was chosen to his third Pro Bowl.
In those first four years under Allen, Gabriel was the Rams' short-yardage and goal-line threat, scoring 18 rushing touchdowns -- more than any running back on the team -- and converting countless first downs on third- or fourth-and-short situations.
However, knee and arm injuries caught up to him in the early 1970s, and by 1972 his production was limited. That prompted the Rams to bring in Chargers' quarterback John Hadl which, in turn, prompted them to trade Gabriel.
Initially, he wanted to join his former coach, George Allen, in Washington, but he'd unloaded all the teams's draft picks on other players. So the Redskins had no draft capital to compete with Philadelphia, which sent Pro Bowl receiver Harold Jackson, Tony Baker and three high draft choices to the Rams for Gabriel.
Through devotion to Kung Fu, acupuncture and daily paraffin baths for his sore arm, Gabriel regained his functionality and performed so well in his first season with the Eagles that he was named to the Pro Bowl and chosen the league's Comeback Player of the Year.
But that was it.
The next few years, he slumped as a passer, eventually became a backup and completed his final pass in 1977 to local hero Vince Papale after stepping in for an injured Ron Jaworski.
After retiring, Gabriel worked as a color commentator for CBS Sports, was the head coach at Cal Poly Pomona and coach of the Raleigh–Durham Skyhawks of the World League of American Football. In between, he was an offensive coordinator for the Boston Breakers of the USFL.
He also did some acting throughout his career, co-starring in a film with John Wayne and getting spots on "Gilligan Island" and "Perry Mason." He appeared on national television plugs for various companies, too, and co-owned a car dealership with Hall-of-Fame teammate Merlin Olsen.
Later in his life, he spent countless hours raising money for various charities.
Gabriel was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1989 and in 2013 was chosen to The Professional Football Researchers Association's Hall of Very Good. He's also been inducted into the N.C. State Hall of Fame and the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.
But Canton? Nope. Not even close. That annoyed his fans, who have pushed for his inclusion, but it never seemed to matter to Gabriel.
"I'm really pleased with my life," he said in 2018. "I'm in the Wilmington (N.C.) Hall of Fame, my hometown. I'm in Wilmington's Walk of Fame. I'm in my college's Hall of Fame. And the North Carolina Hall of Fame.
"Some things are good, and some things happen. If it happens, it happens. And it would be great. But I don't think about it."
Memento
Your (Somewhat) Friendly Neighborhood Authoress.
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- Jemma
Rest in peace, Roman. You were before my time, but your impact was just as big to an impressionable teenager from St. Louis, who looked up everything Rams before she even knew herself as it was to the die-hards who saw you.
I just wish you got into the HOF.
I just wish you got into the HOF.
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- Erik
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- Burger man
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Same here, I was 5 when my grandpa hooked me on sports. I started out as a packers fan, but when my grandpa and Lombardie passed in 68, I became a Rams fan. I really took a liking to Roman and that's what fueled the switch. We will miss Blue Boy!