Michael Elston Phipps was born on January 19,1947 and is a former American college and professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League for twelve seasons during the 1970s and 1980s.
16 Facts About Mike Phipps
2.
Mike Phipps played college football for Purdue University, and was recognized as an All-American.
3.
Mike Phipps was the third overall pick in the 1970 NFL Draft, and played professionally for the Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears of the NFL.
4.
Mike Phipps attended Columbus High School in Columbus, Indiana, and played for the Columbus Bulldogs high school football team.
5.
Mike Phipps attended Purdue University, where he played for the Purdue Boilermakers football team.
6.
Mike Phipps began his college career when he replaced All-American Boilermakers quarterback Bob Griese.
7.
Mike Phipps defeated Notre Dame for the third consecutive year.
8.
Mike Phipps finished second in the voting for the Heisman Trophy to Oklahoma Sooners running back Steve Owens.
9.
Mike Phipps declined a Rhodes Scholarship to concentrate on a professional football career.
10.
Mike Phipps was picked third in the 1970 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins, who traded him to the Cleveland Browns for All Pro wide receiver Paul Warfield on January 27,1970.
11.
Mike Phipps threw for 13 touchdowns and nearly 2,000 yards, helping the Browns reach the NFL playoffs.
12.
Mike Phipps threw for a personal high of 298 yards with 2 TD passes and no interceptions.
13.
That finish came on May 3,1977, when Mike Phipps was traded to the Bears for a first-round draft pick in 1978, which turned out to be Hall of Fame tight end Ozzie Newsome.
14.
Mike Phipps saw minimal action during the 1977 NFL season, threw for two touchdowns the next year, but saw his most extensive action in 1979.
15.
Phipps threw for a pair of touchdowns in each of the next two seasons, but his limited role and the arrival of both quarterback Jim McMahon in the 1982 NFL draft and new coach Mike Ditka resulted in his release.
16.
Mike Phipps was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006.