Roman Gabriel, the first Filipino-American quarterback in the NFL and league MVP in 1969, passed away at the age of 83. He held the Rams’ team record with 154 touchdown passes and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1989. Standing at 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds, he was considerably larger than other quarterbacks of his era. Despite his size, he had a strong arm which made him a valuable player for both the Los Angeles Rams and the Philadelphia Eagles.
Gabriel played 11 seasons with the Rams and five seasons with the Eagles, where he was traded after the Rams acquired John Hadl. He enjoyed success with the Rams from 1967 to 1970, leading them to two division titles. In 1969, he was named MVP after throwing for 2,549 yards with 24 touchdown passes. However, he never led the Rams to a playoff game during his time with the team. After a successful season with the Eagles in 1973, where he was named the NFL comeback player of the year, Gabriel retired from professional football.
Following his retirement, Gabriel briefly worked for CBS calling NFL games before transitioning to coaching. He had coaching stints at Cal Poly Pomona, the Boston Breakers of the USFL, and Raleigh-Durham in the World League of American Football. Additionally, Gabriel pursued acting and appeared in films such as “Skidoo” with Jackie Gleason and “The Undefeated” with John Wayne and Rock Hudson. He also made guest appearances on television shows like “Gilligan’s Island,” “Perry Mason,” “Ironside,” and “Wonder Woman,” and joined Bob Hope on a USO tour of Vietnam.
Despite his successful career in football, Gabriel faced health challenges in his later years, retiring due to heart problems and arthritis. He split his time between Wilmington, North Carolina, and Little River, South Carolina, where he ultimately passed away peacefully at home of natural causes. His contributions to the NFL as a pioneer for Filipino-American quarterbacks and his mentorship to fellow players such as Ron Jaworski were acknowledged following his passing. The impact of Roman Gabriel, both on and off the field, is a testament to his legacy as a Rams legend and a trailblazer in professional football.
