Norm Snead

Snead grew up in Newport News, Virginia, the son of Hugh, a farmer, and Louise Snead.[1] He attended Warwick High School, where he was a star three-sport (basketball, football and baseball) athlete. Snead won all six pitching decisions as a sophomore and junior, and he averaged 23 points in basketball as a senior, scoring 41 in one game. He split time as starting quarterback as a junior, then as a senior he passed for nearly 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns. In a game against Hampton, Snead threw what would be the game-winning touchdown pass, then intercepted a pass on Hampton's next series to seal the outcome. He was named second-team all-state.[2] He graduated in 1957.[3]

Snead went to Wake Forest University, where he set 15 conference single-games, season and career passing records.[4] His passing statistics with the Demon Deacons included:

• 1958: 67-151 for 1,003 yards.[5]
• 1959: 82-191 for 1,361 yards.
• 1960: 123-259 for 1,676 yards.

In 1958, Snead was named the second-team All-Atlantic Coast Conference quarterback, and in 1959 and 1960 he earned first-team All-ACC honors. In 1960, Snead was named second-team All-American as a quarterback by UPI and the Football Writers Association of America.[6]

In 1984, he was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.

Snead was named to the Pro Bowl on four occasions: in 1962, 1963, 1965, and in 1972, during the last of which he led the NFL in completion percentage and was second in passer rating.[7]

He was traded from the Eagles to the Vikings for Steve Smith, second- and sixth-round selections in 1971 (50th and 154th overall–Hank Allison and Mississippi defensive back Wyck Neely respectively) and a 1972 third-round pick (76th overall–Bobby Majors) on January 28, 1971.[8][9]

He was dealt along with Bob Grim, Vince Clements, a first rounder in 1972 (24th overall–Larry Jacobson) and a second rounder in 1973 (40th overall–Brad Van Pelt) from the Vikings to the Giants for Fran Tarkenton one year later on January 27, 1972.[10][11] A chain reaction of quarterback-involved trades on October 22, 1974 began when Snead was sent from the Giants to the San Francisco 49ers for a third rounder in 1975 (62th overall–Danny Buggs) and a fourth rounder in 1976 (104th overall–Gordon Bell). He dislodged Joe Reed who went from the 49ers to the Detroit Lions and was replaced by Craig Morton who was acquired by the Giants from the Dallas Cowboys.[12][13] After being cut by the 49ers in preseason, he re-signed with the Giants to replaced the injured Jerry Golsteyn as Morton's backup on September 1, 1976.[14]

He remains the last quarterback to win a game despite having a passer rating of zero, on November 14, 1976, against his former team, the Washington Redskins, winning that game while completing 3 of 14 passes for 26 yards in a game that had no touchdowns, winning 12-9. Snead retired after the 1976 season.[15]

Snead was the 27th and then later the 29th head football coach at The Apprentice School in Newport News, Virginia, and he held that position for 10 seasons, from 1977 until 1984 and again from 1988 until 1989, when he resigned as coach and admissions director.[16] After inheriting a team that was 0–9 the previous season, his coaching record at Apprentice was 46–41–2.[17]

• List of college football yearly passing leaders

• Career statistics and player information from Pro Football Reference