SouthernWorldwide.com – The cause of death for Super Bowl champion quarterback Craig Morton has been revealed following his passing at the age of 83.
Morton passed away on May 9 due to “acute respiratory failure due to severe sepsis due to urinary tract infection,” as confirmed by a spokesperson for the Marin County, California, Vital Statistics Office to the California Post.
His wife, Kym Galloway, shared with The Denver Post that Morton had grown weary of enduring pain and dealing with his back issues.
“He just said, ‘I give up. I’m ready to go. I don’t want to do this anymore. I’ve had an amazing life. And I’m just tired,” Galloway recounted. She added, “And then … he said, ‘I’ve never said I give up, in my life.”
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Morton played a pivotal role in guiding the Broncos to their first-ever playoff appearance, notably leading them to Super Bowl XII during the 1977 season.
After achieving a 12-2 record during the regular season and securing victories in the playoffs against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the then-Oakland Raiders, Morton was honored as the AFC Offensive Player of the Year. In that same remarkable 1977 season, Morton also received the Sporting News Player of the Year award, the PFWA Comeback Player of the Year, and was named the NFL UPI MVP.
The Broncos organization expressed their sorrow on social media, stating, “We are saddened to learn of the passing of #BroncosROF quarterback Craig Morton, who died on Saturday at the age of 83.”
During his six seasons with the Broncos, Morton led the team to two division titles and three playoff berths. He concluded his tenure in Denver with 11,895 passing yards, which was the highest total in franchise history at that point.
Morton also held the Broncos’ records for pass attempts (1,594) and completions (907). However, his time with the Broncos represented the latter part of his extensive NFL career.
He was initially drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 1965 as the fifth overall pick out of Cal. Morton spent his first 10 seasons with the Cowboys, where he accumulated 10,279 passing yards, throwing 80 touchdowns against 73 interceptions. His record with Dallas was an impressive 32-14-1.
Subsequently, during the 1974 season, Morton was traded to the New York Giants, a division rival of the Cowboys. He posted a 1-6 record in his initial seven starts that year and did not achieve significant success in New York across his three seasons with the team.
Over the course of his entire NFL career, Morton threw for 27,908 yards and recorded 183 touchdowns. He finished his career with a 81-62-1 record in 207 games played.
