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Quiz about 1983 NFL Draft
Quiz about 1983 NFL Draft

1983 NFL Draft Trivia Quiz


The 1983 NFL Draft is a memorable because the first round 6 QBs went on to be drafted including 3 that went on to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. This draft is still talked about to this day.

A multiple-choice quiz by Rockhound6165. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
405,829
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
160
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Question 1 of 10
1. The 1983 Draft is often talked about because of the 6 QBs taken in the first round but what is often overlooked is who was taken 2nd that year. He was a running back who not only became a Hall of Famer in his own right but who became the 2nd running back in NFL history to rush for over 2000 yards in a season. Who was that running back? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Craig James, running back from Southern Methodist University (SMU), was drafted in the 7th round and led that team to a Super Bowl appearance. What team drafted James with the 187th pick of the 7th round? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. What made the 1983 draft much discussed were the six QBs taken in the first round. Of those six QBs, three of them ended up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. They include John Elway, Dan Marino, and this player who has the distinction of being the only QB in NFL history to lose 4 straight Super Bowls. Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. During the 1983 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears drafted two players that not only would go on to help them win a Super Bowl for the 1985 season but who would go on to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. One of those was 1st round pick (#6 overall) offensive lineman Jim "Jimbo" Covert. The other wasn't drafted until the 8th round but became an important cog in Buddy Ryan's vaunted 46 Defense. Who was this player? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. John Elway was the only one of the six QBs taken in the first round that ever won a Super Bowl.


Question 6 of 10
6. In the first round of the 1983 draft, seven players went on to have Hall of Fame careers. Five of them are: Elway, Dickerson, Kelly, Covert, & Marino. The other two are Bruce Matthews, who played for the Houston/Tennessee Oilers/Titans for 19 seasons (and was a part of the 1999 Super Bowl runner up Titans); and who went to 14 straight Pro Bowls and who was named as an All Pro 7 times. The other is the 3rd member of the World Champion/Hall of Fame first rounders of 1983 and who was taken last in the first round. Who was this Hall of Fame player? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. John Elway had a stellar and memorable Hall of Fame career with the Denver Broncos, which included 5 Super Bowl appearances with 2 wins. He is a part of Pro Football folklore with such memorable games as The Drive from the 1986 NFL Divisional playoff game against the Cleveland Browns. But Elway was not drafted by the Denver Broncos. As the then #1 pick in the NFL Draft in 1983 he was drafted by a franchise that had to wait another 16 years before finally drafting, and keeping, a Hall of Fame QB. Who was that team? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. The Hall of Fame QBs drafted in 1983 had some memorable games in their careers but one memorable game from one of them is now known as the Greatest Game No One Saw? Who was that player? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. The last player taken in any draft is called "Mr. Irrelevant". In 1983, Mr. Irrelevant that season was a fullback by the name of John Tuggle from The University of California. What team had the distinction of drafting Mr. Irrelevant in 1983? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Many players in the early to mid-1980s opted to sign with the fledgling USFL whose draft and season started before the NFL draft. Because of this, many star players who jumped to the new league, like Heisman Trophy winner Hershel Walker, weren't drafted until a later round. One of these players was a star wide receiver out of Michigan who would have been a 1st round selection in the 1983 NFL draft but opted instead to sign with the Michigan Panthers of the USFL. He was eventually drafted in 1983 but not until the 334th pick, just ahead of Mr. Irrelevant (aka the last pick). Who was this player? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. The 1983 Draft is often talked about because of the 6 QBs taken in the first round but what is often overlooked is who was taken 2nd that year. He was a running back who not only became a Hall of Famer in his own right but who became the 2nd running back in NFL history to rush for over 2000 yards in a season. Who was that running back?

Answer: Eric Dickerson

Curt Warner (not to be confused with the Hall of Fame QB with a similar name) was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks 3rd, right behind Dickerson. He went on to play 8 seasons with the Seahawks and Rams before injury problems forced him to retire. He was a 3 time Pro Bowler who had 1,000+ yard seasons.

Michael Haddix taken #8 by the Philadelphia Eagles and played 8 seasons in the NFL but never lived up to his draft level gaining only 1,635 yards for both the Eagles and Packers.

Gary Anderson(not to be confused with the kicker of the same name) was drafted 20th by the San Diego Chargers but opted, instead, to play his first 3 seasons for the Tampa Bay Bandits of the USFL. Once in the NFL, Anderson made the Pro Bowl as a special teams player but did have one 1,000 yard season as a running back for the Chargers. He also played for the Buccaneers and Lions as well as the Memphis Hound Dogs of the Canadian Football League.
2. Craig James, running back from Southern Methodist University (SMU), was drafted in the 7th round and led that team to a Super Bowl appearance. What team drafted James with the 187th pick of the 7th round?

Answer: New England Patriots

Craig James' younger brother Chris was a Major League Baseball player from 1986-1995 for several teams most notably the Philadelphia Phillies and the Cleveland Indians. Chris James set the Indians' record for most RBIs in a game with 9.
3. What made the 1983 draft much discussed were the six QBs taken in the first round. Of those six QBs, three of them ended up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. They include John Elway, Dan Marino, and this player who has the distinction of being the only QB in NFL history to lose 4 straight Super Bowls.

Answer: Jim Kelly

Jim Kelly lost four straight Super Bowls with the Buffalo Bills (1991 to 1994).

Tony Eason, taken 15th by the New England Patriots had an injury plagued career but his one highlight was leading the Patriots to the Super Bowl in the 1985 season. Todd Blackledge taken #7 by the Chiefs never became a regular starter in his NFL career.

Ken O'Brien taken #24 by the NY Jets had a decent career going to 2 Pro Bowls and leading the Jets to the playoffs 3 times winning one game but he never really lived up to his first round draft potential.
4. During the 1983 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears drafted two players that not only would go on to help them win a Super Bowl for the 1985 season but who would go on to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. One of those was 1st round pick (#6 overall) offensive lineman Jim "Jimbo" Covert. The other wasn't drafted until the 8th round but became an important cog in Buddy Ryan's vaunted 46 Defense. Who was this player?

Answer: Richard Dent

Mike Richardson taken #33 in the 2nd round had a good career with the Bears helping them win the Super Bowl.

Dave Duerson taken in the 3rd round at #64 had a Pro Bowl career and was a huge part of the Bears Super Bowl defense and even won the NFL Man of the Year award in 1987.

Tom Thayer was taken in the 4th round at #91 and while an important cog on the Bears' championship team, Thayer was an offensive lineman.
5. John Elway was the only one of the six QBs taken in the first round that ever won a Super Bowl.

Answer: True

As hard as that is to believe, even with two other Hall of Famers, that John Elway is the only QB to lead his team to glory; but it didn't come easy. The six QB's taken in the first round of 1983 went to a total of 11 Super Bowls. They are:

Elway-5
Kelly-4
Marino-1
Eason-1

And their combined record is 2-9 and the 2 wins didn't come until the last 2 seasons of Elawys' career.
6. In the first round of the 1983 draft, seven players went on to have Hall of Fame careers. Five of them are: Elway, Dickerson, Kelly, Covert, & Marino. The other two are Bruce Matthews, who played for the Houston/Tennessee Oilers/Titans for 19 seasons (and was a part of the 1999 Super Bowl runner up Titans); and who went to 14 straight Pro Bowls and who was named as an All Pro 7 times. The other is the 3rd member of the World Champion/Hall of Fame first rounders of 1983 and who was taken last in the first round. Who was this Hall of Fame player?

Answer: Darrell Green

Terry Kinard taken #10 by the NY Giants was a Pro Bowler and was a part of the Giants 1986 Super Bowl winning team(over Elway's Denver Broncos) but he isn't in the Hall of Fame.

Willie Gault taken taken at #18 by the Bears was on that 1985 Championship team but he never went to a Pro Bowl nor is he in the Hall of Fame.

Don Mosbar taken #26 by the L.A. Raiders is a Pro Bowler and who won a Super Bowl with the Raiders over Darrell Green's Washington Redskins but he isn't in the Hall of Fame.
7. John Elway had a stellar and memorable Hall of Fame career with the Denver Broncos, which included 5 Super Bowl appearances with 2 wins. He is a part of Pro Football folklore with such memorable games as The Drive from the 1986 NFL Divisional playoff game against the Cleveland Browns. But Elway was not drafted by the Denver Broncos. As the then #1 pick in the NFL Draft in 1983 he was drafted by a franchise that had to wait another 16 years before finally drafting, and keeping, a Hall of Fame QB. Who was that team?

Answer: Baltimore Colts

The Cardinals, Giants, and Cowboys eventually ended up with Hall of Fame QBs in their futures with Kurt Warner, Eli Manning(although not in the Hall just yet it's pretty much a forgone conclusion he'll get in) and Troy Aikman, the Colts, who after the 1983 season, left for Indianapolis and eventually drafted Payton Manning who, incidentally ended up winning a Super Bowl not only for the Colts but also for the Broncos who's General Manager is John Elway.
8. The Hall of Fame QBs drafted in 1983 had some memorable games in their careers but one memorable game from one of them is now known as the Greatest Game No One Saw? Who was that player?

Answer: Jim Kelly

In 1985 as a member of the USFL's Houston Gamblers, Jim Kelly took on another future Hall of Fame QB in Steve Young who was then a member of the Los Angeles Express. Young's Express led 33-14 with under 10 minutes to play before Kelly rallied back to win 34-33. Kelly would pass for 574 yards and 5 touchdowns to outduel Young.

The reason why it's called the Greatest Game No One Saw is because not only was the game not televised but there was only a crowd of 18,000+ at cavernous L.A. Colosseum.
9. The last player taken in any draft is called "Mr. Irrelevant". In 1983, Mr. Irrelevant that season was a fullback by the name of John Tuggle from The University of California. What team had the distinction of drafting Mr. Irrelevant in 1983?

Answer: New York Giants

Although getting drafted in the later rounds makes a player a longshot to make the team, being drafted last makes you an even longer shot. However, Tuggle proved to be valuable to the Giants as not only did he make the team but he distinguished himself enough on special teams to be named special teams player of the year for the Giants, a distinction voted for by his teammates.

He also was made the starting fullback when the regular fullback became injured. Unfortunately for Tuggle, he was diagnosed with cancer and passed away in 1986 at the tender age of 25. ESPN did a "30 for 30" on him called The Irrelevant Giant.
10. Many players in the early to mid-1980s opted to sign with the fledgling USFL whose draft and season started before the NFL draft. Because of this, many star players who jumped to the new league, like Heisman Trophy winner Hershel Walker, weren't drafted until a later round. One of these players was a star wide receiver out of Michigan who would have been a 1st round selection in the 1983 NFL draft but opted instead to sign with the Michigan Panthers of the USFL. He was eventually drafted in 1983 but not until the 334th pick, just ahead of Mr. Irrelevant (aka the last pick). Who was this player?

Answer: Anthony Carter

Carter was drafted by the Miami Dolphins but opted for the Panthers in the fledgling league helping them win the very first USFL title in 1983. Carter did eventually make it to the NFL but not with the Dolphins. He was traded to the Minnesota Vikings where he made the Pro Bowl three times.

Some wonder how Dan Marino's career would have gone had he had a receiver of Carter's caliber to throw to.
Source: Author Rockhound6165

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor gtho4 before going online.
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