Stanford football: 15 greatest quarterbacks in Cardinal history

Gary Kerkorian took over as the starting quarterback for the then-Stanford Indians back in 1949. By the time he was all done on campus, he had re-wrote the Indians record book in terms of passing. The three-year starter was one of the more durable and mild-mannered quarterbacks in team history. He was the second-best signal-caller in school history when he left school.

Kerkorian left Stanford in style, leading the team to a 9-1 record as a senior and a berth in the Rose Bowl. While the Indians would be throttled by the Illinois Fighting Illini by the score of 40-7, it was still one of the more successful seasons in school history up until that point. He was named a first-team All-American for his efforts.

A member of the Stanford Athletic Hall of Fame, Kerkorian not only was a solid quarterback for Stanford, but he also handled the kicking duties for the team in 1951. Overall, he enjoyed a three-year run that still makes him one of the more beloved players in school history.

It was a strange run after Stanford for Kerkorian, who was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 19th round of the 1952 NFL Draft. After playing for the Steelers, Kerkorian would go on to play for the US Rugby team from 1952 through 1953, before landing with the then-Baltimore Colts to finish out his NFL career.