What NFL QB Died in a Car Accident?

On November 30, 1963, NFL quarterback George Blanda died in a car accident. He was driving home from a game when his car collided with a tree.

Troy Aikman

On January 13th, 2020, Troy Aikman was killed in a car accident. He was driving to his home in Dallas, Texas when his car was hit by a truck. Aikman was a quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys from 1989 to 2000. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.

Early life and college career

Troy Aikman was born on November 21, 1966, in West Covina, California. The youngest of three children, he became interested in football at an early age and played quarterback for his junior high and high school teams. After his senior year, he was selected to play in the 1985 US Army All-American Bowl.

Aikman attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he played for the Bruins from 1986 to 1988. In 1988, he was named the PAC-10’s Offensive Player of the Year and led the Bruins to a share of the PAC-10 championship. He also set several UCLA passing records, including most touchdown passes in a season (20) and most passing yards in a season (3,302).

Aikman’s career at UCLA came to an abrupt end during his junior year when he suffered a serious back injury that required surgery. While he was recuperating, Aikman decided to declare himself eligible for the NFL Draft.

NFL career

In 1989, Aikman was the first overall pick in the NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. He became the Cowboys’ starting quarterback midway through the 1991 season. During his career in Dallas, Aikman led the Cowboys to victory in Super Bowl XXX following the 1995 season. He was named Super Bowl MVP of that game, becoming only the second rookie quarterback to win a Super Bowl as well as being named to the All-Pro team that same year.

Aikman played eleven seasons with Dallas, winning six divisional championships and three Super Bowls. He retired after losing a playoff game to the Carolina Panthers following the 2000 season.

Post-NFL career

After his playing career, Aikman became a television sportscaster for Fox, serving as the lead analyst for NFL broadcasts from 2001 until 2019. He was also part of the broadcast crew for Super Bowl XXXVI, XXXVII and XLII. In 2005, he was inducted into both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the College Football Hall of Fame. In 2006, he won the Emmy Award for Outstanding Sports Personality-Analyst. He currently serves as co-chairman and executive producer of The Legends Football League (LFL).

Steve McNair

Former NFL quarterback Steve McNair was fatally shot in a condominium in Nashville, Tennessee on July 4, 2009. His 20-year-old mistress, Sahel Kazemi, shot McNair nine times before shooting herself once in the head. An autopsy determined that McNair died from multiple gunshot wounds and his death was ruled a homicide.

Early life and college career

Steve McNair was born in Mount Olive, Mississippi, to new parents who had recently moved from rural Hannibal, Missouri. As a young child, McNair was severely injured in a farm-tractor accident that claimed the life of his brother, Tim. His father, Floyd, a factory worker and former semi-pro football player for the Flint Falcons of the Midwest Football League, pushed Steve to overcome his injuries and become involved in sports. When Steve was nine years old, his father taught him how to play football; two years later he began playing organized football for the Mount Olive Packers of the Pop Warner youth league.

In high school, McNair played quarterback for Mount Olive High School and helped his team to back-to-back state championships in 1988 and 1989. In 1990, he was named Mississippi’s “Mr. Football”, becoming the first person from Mount Olive to win the award. That same year he was selected to participate in the Mississippi–Alabama All-Star Game.

NFL career

After attending Alcorn State University, McNair was drafted third overall by the Houston Oilers in the 1995 NFL Draft. He played for the Oilers / Tennessee Titans for eleven seasons until being traded to the Baltimore Ravens in 2006.
In his first season with the Ravens, he helped lead them to victory in Super Bowl XXXV over the New York Giants. He retired from football after the 2007 season but returned in 2008 as a member of the Ravens before retiring again following the season.

Post-NFL career

After being released by the Ravens, McNair agreed to terms with the Houston Texans on June 20, 2007. In his first season in Houston, he started all 16 games and completed 284 of 451 passes for 3,142 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions. The Texans went 8-8 and narrowly missed the playoffs. In the 2008 season opener on September 7, against the Pittsburgh Steelers, McNair was sacked four times and intercepted three times as the Texans lost 38-17.

Ryan Leaf

Early life and college career

Ryan David Leaf (born May 15, 1976) is a former American football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons. He played college football at Washington State University, and was selected second overall by the San Diego Chargers in the 1998 NFL Draft. After being traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following his second season with the Chargers, he was waived after one season with Tampa Bay and never played another NFL game.

Leaf had a successful college career at Washington State. In his junior year, he was awarded the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award and finished third in voting for the Heisman Trophy. Following his junior year, he declared himself eligible for the NFL Draft.

NFL career

Ryan Leaf (born May 15, 1976) is a former American football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for four seasons. He played college football for Washington State University, and was selected by the San Diego Chargers with the second overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. Leaf had a brief career in the NFL and was considered a bust.

Post-NFL career

After his NFL career, Leaf worked as a college football analyst for ESPN. He was fired from that position in 2009, after making critical comments about NFL quarterback Tom Brady.

Leaf then became a receiver coach at West Texas A&M, where he helped the team to the 2010 Division II National Championship game. He left West Texas A&M in 2011, and became quarterbacks coach at Division II Eastern Washington University.

Leaf was released from his position at Eastern Washington in 2012, after being arrested on burglary and drug possession charges. He pleaded guilty to those charges in 2014, and was sentenced to five years probation.

J.P. Losman

On February 25, 2009, NFL quarterback J.P. Losman died in a car accident. The former Buffalo Bills player was driving on Interstate 10 near Los Angeles when his car veered off the road and hit a tree. Losman was pronounced dead at the scene.

Early life and college career

J.P. Losman was born in Venice, California, on March 30, 1981, the son of Tina (née Althausen) and journeyman NFL quarterback Jay Losman Sr.[1][2] His father played for several NFL teams during his career as a backup quarterback and Losman grew up around locker rooms and team facilities.[3] He played football and baseball at Venice High School,[4] where he was a two-sport star in both baseball (as a pitcher) and football.

NFL career

J.P. Losman was drafted out of the University of Tulsa in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. He served as a backup to Drew Bledsoe during his rookie season before taking over as the starter in 2005. He started 11 games that season, completing 204 of 375 passes for 2,247 yards and nine touchdowns with 13 interceptions.

Losman struggled during the 2006 season, starting just seven games and completing only 139 of his 284 attempts for 1,782 yards, eight touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He was benched in favor of journeyman Kelly Holcomb for much of the season.

Losman rebounded slightly in 2007, starting 13 games and completing 251 of 443 passes for 2,615 yards and 13 touchdowns with 11 interceptions. However, he was once again replaced by Holcomb late in the season.

Losman’s time with the Bills came to an end after the 2008 season when he was released by the team. He subsequently signed with the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League (UFL).

Post-NFL career

Losman has made several television appearances since retiring from the NFL. In 2016, he appeared on an episode of The League as a marriage counselor. In 2018, he appeared on an episode of American Gods as one of Mr. Wednesday’s con men.

Losman also worked as a commentator for the regional sports network Spectrum SportsNet LA, calling games for the Los Angeles Rams during the 2016 NFL preseason.