We are saddened to learn of the passing of #BroncosROF quarterback Craig Morton, who died on Saturday at the age of 83.

Morton quarterbacked the Broncos from 1977-82 and led the team to its first playoff appearance and Super Bowl berth (XII vs. Dallas) in the 1977 season.

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— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) May 11, 2026

Craig owned a bar / restaurant in North Beach around 2001 or so. My Cal alum roommates and I spent many nights there over beers, talking with Craig as he tended bar and made the place feel like home. Great Guy. Great Bear. RIP.

Craig Morton was the first great Cal football player I can remember. My folks weren't sports fans, so I didn't get to a lot of games, but he was definitely The Guy. I saw Morton play against Staubach's Navy team at CMS and if I recall correctly, he led the West team to a come-from- behind victory in the 1965 Shrine game with a TD pass to his Cal teammate, Jack Schraub. I think that one of the worst parts of getting old is that your childhood heroes die before you do. Yeah, I know, better than the alternative.

After school each day during football season I would go to the stadium and field punts or do what ever the coaches wanted me to do. Craig would always find time to throw me a few passes, or occasionally snag me a free football. He was one of my heroes for many years. I'm saddened by his death.

My Craig Morton story:

It was probably in the early 2000's. I'm at work. The receptionist (remember those?) buzzes my office and says that Craig Morton was on the line for me. I knew it had to be my buddy, Tim, that always gave the name of a celebrity (often a famous Cal athlete) when he would call my office.

Knowing that it was Tim, I picked up the line and:

Me: "Hey Craig, how is your wing these days, are you still slinging those 50 yarders?"

Voice at other end: "Well, to tell you the truth, it ain't good and I probably can't throw one 10 yards."

Me (realizing it wasn't Tim): "HOLY SH@it! Is this The Craig Morton?"

Craig: "Well, you are really showing your age to even know who the H@ell I am."

I then apologized and explained why I thought he was going to be my friend Tim when I picked up and told him how honored I was to talk to him.

Craig explained that he was working for the Athletic Dept. getting season ticket holders to renew. We had a nice conversation for about 10 minutes. He was a great guy. I renewed.

Morton typified one of Cal's most visible issues of the post-Waldorf years...a great player who managed to transcend the weakness of his supporting cast. That his career statistics look pedestrian by comparison to single season numbers posted in today's game says more about the evolution of the sport than it does of his abilities. I smile when I recall an anecdote he told of being sacked in the Illinois game. With Dick Butkus and an Illini teammate each holding a leg, Butkus allegedly yelled "Make a wish!". RIP Craig, truly a Golden Bear great.

Sad to hear this news, although I'm heartened to know that he lived a full and happy life. I wasn't old enough to see him play, but as I was starting to follow Cal football later in the 60s, I do remember hearing nothing but praise for him as both a person and a player from many people who watched and/or knew him as a student. Even though the last 40 years of the 20th century were a very turbulent time for Cal football, I honestly don't remember a program that had as many great and good QBs as the Bears had from the late 50's on. Especially when you take into account how the Bears struggled and UCLA and USC, and later UW, always seemed so loaded with talent compared to the rest of the conference. Kapp, Morton, Ferragamo, Bartkowski, Roth, Campbell, Taylor, Pawlawski, Barr, Boller, Barnes, and Rodgers. They were all either truly great QBs, or had at least one great season with insane numbers, in some cases leading the NCAA in total offense. I believe every one was drafted and all but Roth at least played in the NFL, or were on a roster, at least briefly. Quite a consistently solid QB legacy, especially for what was often a mediocre program. And I still believe that had Roth not been so cruelly cut down, he would have been a first ballot NFL hall of fame member. If you saw him play, and were familiar with the person and leader he was, you know. RIP Craig Morton. One of the best of his generation.

I remember Besana alternating with Jay Cruze for a season or two if I recall correctly. Good Bears, and they put up some numbers on occasion, but I think they're a notch below the others. Right along with Dave Penhall and Randy Gold. Solid players, for sure. And Penhall beat Plunkett the year Plunkett won the Heisman and Stanford went to the Rose Bowl for the 2nd year in a row. Nail biter of a Big Game, with the underdog Bears refusing to give in to a clearly superior conference championship team. That game also included a bunch of anti-war protesters invading the field during the halftime show, which set off a huge brawl between the band, the protesters, and the TAC squad. Wild day at Memorial, and a memorable Cal win.