Ken O'Brien 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, O'Brien 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, O'Brien earned NCAA Division II All-American honors, leading UC Davis to a perfect 10-0 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 conference's best offensive player. He became the first player to compete for both teams in the Ca...
