Don Moorhead

Don Moorhead

Moorhead (No. 27) from 1970 Michiganensian
Date of birth	(1948-10-11) October 11, 1948 (age 68)
Career information
Position(s)	Quarterback
College	Michigan
NFL draft	1971 / Round: 6 / Pick: 132 (By the New Orleans Saints)
Career history
As player
1971–1975	BC Lions
Awards	All Big Ten quarterback
Honors	Co-captain, 1970 Michigan football team

Don Moorhead (born October 11, 1948) is a former Canadian Football League quarterback. He was the starting quarterback for the BC Lions from 1971 to 1975 and for the Michigan Wolverines football team in 1969 and 1970. He set 24 football records at the University of Michigan, including most yards of total offense and most yards passing.

Moorhead grew up in South Haven, Michigan where he was an All-State high school football player.

After graduating from high school, Moorhead enrolled at the University of Michigan. He was the starting quarterback for Bo Schembechler's Michigan Wolverines in all 21 games of the 1969 and 1970 seasons; he led the Wolverines to an overall record of 17–4 in his two seasons as quarterback. During his playing career at Michigan, Moorhead also broke Bob Chappuis's school record for total offense in a career with 3,641 yards of total offense. Moorhead set a total of 24 University of Michigan football records, including total offensive plays (706), most yards gained passing (2,550), most passes completed (200) and most passes attempted (423).

As a junior, Moorhead led the 1969 Wolverines team to an 8–2 regular season record, including a 24–12 win in the 1969 Ohio State game. He also led the 1969 Wolverines in total offense with 1,699 yards, 565 yards rushing and 1,134 yards passing. He completed 50 percent of his 178 passing attempts in 1969, threw five touchdown passes and had six passes intercepted. After the 1969 season, Schembechler called Moorhead "a very cool customer."

The Wolverines tied for the Big Ten Conference championship in 1969 and advanced to the 1970 Rose Bowl. Shortly before the game, Schembechler suffered a heart attack and was hospitalized. Moorhead said at the time, "I was shocked. It was like learning that your father was very ill." Moorhead led the Wolverines in the Rose Bowl against a USC Trojans team that included a defensive front five known as the "Wild Bunch." Charlie Weaver made a key play in the second quarter batting down a Moorhead pass to Jim Mandich who was open in the end zone. In all, the Wild Bunch knocked down four of Moorhead's passes. Moorhead was 14-for-32 in passing with one interception and 127 passing yards. USC won the game, 10–3. After the game, Moorhead expressed disappointment at not winning the game for the ailing Schembechler: "A couple of times in the huddle, guys would say 'get this one for Bo. He worked so hard to get us here.' But we weren't able to get it."