Discover the college programs that have greatly impacted the NFL QB position
These universities have “Passed” on greatness to the NFL
When it comes to producing NFL quarterbacks, many fans take pride in the impact that players have made in pro football. Through
careful research, we offer you our list of top colleges that qualify for being called “Quarterback U”
Quarterback U Criteria
When analyzing which college football programs have had the biggest influence on the pro football passing game, we have awarded specific points
that rank colleges on our all-time list. Schools receive points and higher rankings for producing passers that have gained AP 1st Team NFL
honors, Super Bowl MVP’s, Leading teams to NFL Championships, being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame and more.
| Associated Press 1st Team All-Pro Quarterbacks Year-By-Year Results from 1940-Current | |||
| Year | AP 1st Team QB | Pro Team | College |
| 1940 | Sammy Baugh | Washington Redskins | TCU |
| 1941 | Sid Luckman | Chicago Bears | Columbia |
| 1942 | Sid Luckman | Chicago Bears | Columbia |
| 1943 | Sammy Baugh | Washington Redskins | TCU |
| 1944 | Sid Luckman | Chicago Bears | Columbia |
| 1945 | Bob Waterfield | Cleveland Rams | UCLA |
| 1946 | Bob Waterfield | Cleveland Rams | UCLA |
| 1947 | Sid Luckman | Chicago Bears | Columbia |
| 1948 | Sammy Baugh | Washington Redskins | TCU |
| 1949 | Bob Waterfield | Cleveland Rams | UCLA |
| 1950 | Johnny Lujack | Chicago Bears | Notre Dame |
| 1951 | Otto Graham | Cleveland Browns | Northwestern |
| 1952 | Bobby Layne | Detroit Lions | Texas |
| 1953 | Otto Graham | Cleveland Browns | Northwestern |
| 1954 | Otto Graham | Cleveland Browns | Northwestern |
| 1955 | Otto Graham | Cleveland Browns | Northwestern |
| 1956 | Bobby Layne | Detroit Lions | Texas |
| 1957 | Y.A. Tittle | San Francisco 49ers | LSU |
| 1958 | Johnny Unitas | Baltimore Colts | Louisville |
| 1959 | Johnny Unitas | Baltimore Colts | Louisville |
| 1960 | Norm Van Brocklin | Philadelphia Eagles | Oregon |
| (AFL) Jack Kemp | Buffalo Bills | Occidental | |
| 1961 | Sonny Jurgensen | Philadelphia Eagles | Duke |
| (AFL) George Blanda | Oakland Raiders | Kentucky | |
| 1962 | Y.A. Tittle | NY Giants | LSU |
| (AFL) Len Dawson | Kansas City Chiefs | Purdue | |
| 1963 | Y.A. Tittle | NY Giants | LSU |
| (AFL) Tobin Rote | San Diego Chargers | Rice | |
| 1964 | Johnny Unitas | Baltimore Colts | Louisville |
| (AFL) Babe Parilli | Boston Patriots | Kentucky | |
| 1965 | Johnny Unitas | Baltimore Colts | Louisville |
| (AFL) Jack Kemp | Buffalo Bills | Occidental | |
| 1966 | Bart Starr | Green Bay Packers | Alabama |
| (AFL) Len Dawson | Kansas City Chiefs | Purdue | |
| 1967 | Johnny Unitas | Baltimore Colts | Louisville |
| (AFL) Daryle Lamonica | Oakland Raiders | Notre Dame | |
| 1968 | Earl Morrall | Baltimore Colts | Michigan State |
| (AFL) Joe Namath | NY Jets | Alabama | |
| 1969 | Roman Gabriel | Los Angeles Rams | NC State |
| (AFL) Daryle Lamonica | Oakland Raiders | Notre Dame | |
| 1970 | John Brodie | San Francisco 49ers | Stanford |
| 1971 | Bob Griese | Miami Dolphins | Purdue |
| 1972 | Earl Morrall | Miami Dolphins | Michigan State |
| 1973 | John Hadl | Los Angeles Rams | Kansas |
| 1974 | Ken Stabler | Oakland Raiders | Alabama |
| 1975 | Fran Tarkenton | Minnesota Vikings | Georgia |
| 1976 | Bert Jones | Baltimore Colts | LSU |
| 1977 | Bob Griese | Miami Dolphins | Purdue |
| 1978 | Terry Bradshaw | Pittsburgh Steelers | Louisiana Tech |
| 1979 | Dan Fouts | San Diego Chargers | Oregon |
| 1980 | Brian Sipe | Cleveland Browns | San Diego St. |
| 1981 | Ken Anderson | Cincinnati Bengals | Augustana (IL) |
| 1982 | Dan Fouts | San Diego Chargers | Oregon |
| 1983 | Joe Theismann | Washington Redskins | Notre Dame |
| 1984 | Dan Marino | Miami Dolphins | Pittsburgh |
| 1985 | Dan Marino | Miami Dolphins | Pittsburgh |
| 1986 | Dan Marino | Miami Dolphins | Pittsburgh |
| 1987 | Joe Montana | San Francisco 49ers | Notre Dame |
| 1988 | Boomer Esiason | Cincinnati Bengals | Maryland |
| 1989 | Joe Montana | San Francisco 49ers | Notre Dame |
| 1990 | Joe Montana | San Francisco 49ers | Notre Dame |
| 1991 | Jim Kelly | Buffalo Bills | Miami |
| 1992 | Steve Young | San Francisco 49ers | BYU |
| 1993 | Steve Young | San Francisco 49ers | BYU |
| 1994 | Steve Young | San Francisco 49ers | BYU |
| 1995 | Brett Favre | Green Bay Packers | Southern Miss |
| 1996 | Brett Favre | Green Bay Packers | Southern Miss |
| 1997 | Brett Favre | Green Bay Packers | Southern Miss |
| 1998 | Randall Cunningham | Minnesota Vikings | UNLV |
| 1999 | Kurt Warner | St. Louis Rams | Northern Iowa |
| 2000 | Rich Gannon | Oakland Raiders | Deleware |
| 2001 | Kurt Warner | St. Louis Rams | Northern Iowa |
| 2002 | Rich Gannon | Oakland Raiders | Deleware |
| 2003 | Peyton Manning | Indianapolis Colts | Tennessee |
| 2004 | Peyton Manning | Indianapolis Colts | Tennessee |
| 2005 | Peyton Manning | Indianapolis Colts | Tennessee |
| 2006 | Drew Brees | New Orleans Saints | Purdue |
| 2007 | Tom Brady | New England Patriots | Michigan |
| 2008 | Peyton Manning | Indianapolis Colts | Tennessee |
| 2009 | Peyton Manning | Indianapolis Colts | Tennessee |
| 2010 | Tom Brady | New England Patriots | Michigan |
| 2011 | Aaron Rodgers | Green Bay Packers | California |
| 2012 | Peyton Manning | Denver Broncos | Tennessee |
| 2013 | Peyton Manning | Denver Broncos | Tennessee |
| 2014 | Aaron Rodgers | Green Bay Packers | California |
| 2015 | Cam Newton | Carolina Panthers | Auburn |
| Quarterbacks that Led NFL, AFL & Super Bowl Championship Teams Year-By-Year Results from 1940-Current | |||
| Year | AP 1st Team QB | Pro Team | College |
| 1940 | Sid Luckman | Chicago Bears | Columbia |
| 1941 | Sid Luckman | Chicago Bears | Columbia |
| 1942 | Sammy Baugh | Washington Redskins | TCU |
| 1943 | Sid Luckman | Chicago Bears | Columbia |
| 1944 | Irv Comp | Green Bay Packers | Benedictine |
| 1945 | Bob Waterfield | Cleveland Rams | UCLA |
| 1946 | Sid Luckman | Chicago Bears | Columbia |
| 1947 | Paul Christman | Chicago Cardinals | Missouri |
| 1948 | Tommy Thompson | Philadelphia Eagles | Tulsa |
| 1949 | Tommy Thompson | Philadelphia Eagles | Tulsa |
| 1950 | Otto Graham | Cleveland Browns | Northwestern |
| 1951 | Norm Van Brocklin | Los Angeles Rams | Oregon |
| 1952 | Bobby Layne | Detroit Lions | Texas |
| 1953 | Bobby Layne | Detroit Lions | Texas |
| 1954 | Otto Graham | Cleveland Browns | Northwestern |
| 1955 | Otto Graham | Cleveland Browns | Northwestern |
| 1956 | Charlie Connerly | New York Giants | Ole Miss |
| 1957 | Tobin Rote | Detroit Lions | Rice |
| 1958 | Johnny Unitas | Baltimore Colts | Louisville |
| 1959 | Johnny Unitas | Baltimore Colts | Louisville |
| 1960 | Norm Van Brocklin | Philadelphia Eagles | Oregon |
| (AFL) George Blanda | Houston Oilers | Kentucky | |
| 1961 | Bart Starr | Green Bay Packers | Alabama |
| (AFL) George Blanda | Houston Oilers | Kentucky | |
| 1962 | Bart Starr | Green Bay Packers | Alabama |
| (AFL) Len Dawson | Dallas Texans | Purdue | |
| 1963 | Bill Wade | Chicago Bears | Vanderbilt |
| (AFL) Tobin Rote | San Diego Chargers | Rice | |
| 1964 | Frank Ryan | Cleveland Browns | Rice |
| (AFL) Jack Kemp | Buffalo Bills | Occidental | |
| 1965 | Bart Starr | Green Bay Packers | Alabama |
| (AFL) Jack Kemp | Buffalo Bills | Occidental | |
| Super Bowl Era | |||
| 1966 | Bart Starr | Green Bay Packers | Alabama |
| 1967 | Bart Starr | Green Bay Packers | Alabama |
| 1968 | Len Dawson | Kansas City Chiefs | Purdue |
| 1969 | Joe Namath | New York Jets | Alabama |
| 1970 | Johnny Unitas | Baltimore Colts | Louisville |
| 1971 | Roger Staubach | Dallas Cowboys | Navy |
| 1972 | Bob Griese | Miami Dolphins | Purdue |
| 1973 | Bob Griese | Miami Dolphins | Purdue |
| 1974 | Terry Bradshaw | Pittsburgh Steelers | Louisiana Tech |
| 1975 | Terry Bradshaw | Pittsburgh Steelers | Louisiana Tech |
| 1976 | Ken Stabler | Oakand Raiders | Alabama |
| 1977 | Roger Staubach | Dallas Cowboys | Navy |
| 1978 | Terry Bradshaw | Pittsburgh Steelers | Louisiana Tech |
| 1979 | Terry Bradshaw | Pittsburgh Steelers | Louisiana Tech |
| 1980 | Jim Plunkett | Oakland Raiders | Stanford |
| 1981 | Joe Montana | San Francisco 49ers | Notre Dame |
| 1982 | Joe Theismann | Washington Redskins | Notre Dame |
| 1983 | Jim Plunkett | Oakland Raiders | Stanford |
| 1984 | Joe Montana | San Francisco 49ers | Notre Dame |
| 1985 | Jim McMahon | Chicago Bears | BYU |
| 1986 | Phil Simms | New York Giants | Morehead State |
| 1987 | Doug Williams | Washington Redskins | Grambling |
| 1988 | Joe Montana | San Francisco 49ers | Notre Dame |
| 1989 | Joe Montana | San Francisco 49ers | Notre Dame |
| 1990 | Jeff Hostetler | New York Giants | West Virginia |
| 1991 | Mark Rypien | Washington Redskins | Washington St. |
| 1992 | Troy Aikman | Dallas Cowboys | UCLA |
| 1993 | Troy Aikman | Dallas Cowboys | UCLA |
| 1994 | Steve Young | San Francisco 49ers | BYU |
| 1995 | Troy Aikman | Dallas Cowboys | UCLA |
| 1996 | Brett Favre | Green Bay Packers | Southern Miss |
| 1997 | John Elway | Denver Broncos | Stanford |
| 1998 | John Elway | Denver Broncos | Stanford |
| 1999 | Kurt Warner | St. Louis Rams | Northern Iowa |
| 2000 | Trent Dilfer | Baltimore Ravens | Fresno State |
| 2001 | Tom Brady | New England Patriots | Michigan |
| 2002 | Brad Johnson | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Florida State |
| 2003 | Tom Brady | New England Patriots | Michigan |
| 2004 | Tom Brady | New England Patriots | Michigan |
| 2005 | Ben Roethlisberger | Pittsburgh Steelers | Miami (OH) |
| 2006 | Peyton Manning | Indianapolis Colts | Tennessee |
| 2007 | Eli Manning | New York Giants | Ole Miss |
| 2008 | Ben Roethlisberger | Pittsburgh Steelers | Miami (OH) |
| 2009 | Drew Brees | New Orleans Saints | Purdue |
| 2010 | Aaron Rodgers | Green Bay Packers | California |
| 2011 | Eli Manning | New York Giants | Ole Miss |
| 2012 | Joe Flacco | Baltimore Ravens | Deleware |
| 2013 | Russell Wilson | Seattle Seahawks | Wisconsin |
| 2014 | Tom Brady | New England Patriots | Michigan |
| 2015 | Peyton Manning | Denver Broncos | Tennessee |