Quarterback Abstract: The Complete Guide to NFL Quarterbacks

When the T formation became the standard offense in the NFL in the 1940s, one man was elevated to a greater position of importance than any other on the field: the quarterback. A few years later in 1950, two-platoon football was made permanent, allowing the quarterback to focus solely on offense without also having to play defensive back on the other side of the ball. Since then, 338 men have started at least 10 NFL games. Quarterback Abstract brings them all together along with 27 other significant pre-1950 passers to answer three questions about each quarterback: Who was he? What was his playing style? How good was he? Each quarterback is rated from one-half to 5 stars, with five given only to the greatest Hall of Fame–caliber players. Each player's basic statistical career totals are supplied both for the regular season and the postseason, along with each quarterback's won-lost record, and his fourth-quarter comebacks. A relative passer rating is provided to accurately compare the players across the game's history. An appendix lists the records of those quarterbacks who started fewer than 10 games as well as several forgotten early quarterbacks from the 1940s.

John Maxymuk is a reference librarian at Rutgers University, where he has worked for nearly 20 years. He has written four books on libraries and computers and seven on professional football. He has served as the technology columnist for the Bottom Line for several years and has written poetry, reviews, and feature articles for magazines. He lives in Cherry Hill, New Jersey.