Muskegon High’s Earl Morrall ranks with Bennie Oosterbaan as one of the area’s finest football stars.  Finishing his high school career with a unanimous selection as an All-State quarterback, Earl earned similar honors at the collegiate level by being selected as an All-American quarterback in his senior year at Michigan State.  He went on to a remarkable 23-year professional career as an NFL quarterback for six teams, climaxed by the National Football League’s Player of the Year award in 1968 when he replaced injured Baltimore Colt starter, Johnny Unitas.
Earl won varsity letters in football, basketball and baseball on Big Red teams from 1949 to 1952.  In his senior football season (1951), Morrall gained national attention by leading Muskegon to an undefeated season and a state championship, establishing the school’s then single season record of 851 yards and 11 touchdowns in the process.
One of the most eagerly recruited prep gridders in the nation, Earl chose to remain near home and enrolled at Michigan State in the fall of 1952.  After less-than-spectacular sophomore and junior years, Morrall’s talents bloomed fully in his final year (1955) and he was picked for most All-American lists as the nation’s premier collegiate quarterback.  He ended his college career with a dramatic 17-14 Rose Bowl win over UCLA, MSU’s second win in three years at Pasadena over the Bruins.
In the NFL draft of 1956, Earl was picked in the first round by the San Francisco 49ers.  By the time he finally retired in 1976 at the age of 42, Morrall had thrown for 20,809 yards and 161 touchdowns for San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Detroit, New York (Giants), Baltimore and Miami.  He played on four Super Bowl teams(III, V, VII, VIII), including winners in Baltimore (1970) and Miami (1972 and 1973).  Besides his NFL MVP season with the 1968 Colts, Morrall came off the bench in the fifth game of the 1972 season for the Miami Dolphins replacing the injured Bob Griese.  “Old Bones” guided the Dolphins to 10 straight victories before Griese returned to action in the AFC Championship Game. Miami completed a spectacular undefeated season and Morrall was selected AFC Player of the Year by The Sporting News for his contribution.  Although he was a first-string quarterback for much of his career, many regard Morrall as one of the NFL’s best-ever back-up quarterbacks – a tribute to his unique ability to deliver under pressure and his dedication to his craft.