Ken O'Brien

Ken OBrien overcame a controversial draft selection to establish himself as one of the most intellectually gifted and accurate quarterbacks of his era earning the distinction as the first New York Jets quarterback to lead the NFL in passer rating Born on November 27 1960 in Rockville Centre New York OBrien moved to California at age three and attended Jesuit High School in Carmichael excelling in football basketball and baseball He began his collegiate career in 1978 at Sacramento State as a reserve before transferring to the University of California Davis under coach Jim Sochor In his senior year of 1982 OBrien earned NCAA Division II AllAmerican honors leading UC Davis to a perfect 100 regular season and the Division II championship game Ranked second nationally in total offense and third in passing efficiency he won the Babe Slater Award twice 1981 1982 as the conferences best offensive player He became the first player to compete for both teams in the Causeway Classic rivalry and earned AllFar Western Conference quarterback honors three times before his induction into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1997 The New York Jets shocked observers by selecting OBrien 24th overall in the 1983 NFL draft over the future Hall of Famer Dan Marino who was chosen three picks later by Miami Jets fans booed the obscure Division II quarterback prompting Miami coach Don Shulas famous question Whos he OBrien played nine seasons with the Jets 19841992 and one with the Philadelphia Eagles 1993 accumulating 25094 passing yards 128 touchdowns and 98 interceptions with an 804 passer rating across 129 games He earned two Pro Bowl selections 1985 1991 and finished with a 50591 record as a starter His greatest moments showcased his clutch brilliance the legendary September 21 1986 shootout with Dan Marino when OBrien threw for 479 yards and four touchdowns in the Jets 5145 overtime victory combining with Marino for 927 yards and ten passing touchdowns his November 2 1986 historic performance against Seattle becoming the first quarterback to achieve a perfect passer rating 1583 while throwing 400plus yards completing 26 of 32 passes for 431 yards in a feat not duplicated until Nick Foles in 2013 the 1985 breakthrough season when he led the NFL with a 962 passer rating and the lowest interception rate guiding the Jets to an 115 record and earning AFC Player of the Year honors Following his retirement OBrien served as a quarterbacks coach at UC Davis 1997 before joining USC 19981999 where he developed the Heisman Trophy winner Carson Palmer into an NFL star He enjoyed a broadcasting career in Sacramento before transitioning to wealth management and is currently working at IWP Wealth Management in Manhattan Beach California where he helps families manage financial planning and protect assets OBrien frequently visits Sacramento which he still calls home and was inducted into the Sacramento Sports Hall of Fame Married to his wife Stacey OBrien has four adult children and became a firsttime grandfather in December 2018 He remains second only to Joe Namath in Jets franchise history for career passing yards establishing a legacy that transcended the controversial circumstances of his selection