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Mike Boryla

b. 1951

American football player (born 1951)

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About Mike Boryla

Born 1951. Mike Boryla is an American american football player.

Michael Jay Boryla (born March 6, 1951) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1970s. He played college football at Stanford University, where he was the team's MVP during his senior season in 1973 and was first-team All-Pacific-8.

He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the fourth round of the 1974 NFL draft Boryla was soon traded to the Eagles for first- and sixth-round draft picks after Cincinnati acquired another quarterback in Wayne Clark; Boryla had threatened to defect to the new World Football League if not traded. The move reunited Boryla with Eagles head coach Mike McCormack, who worked with him at that year's Senior Bowl. Boryla spent much of his tenure in Philadelphia sharing quarterbacking duties with veteran Roman Gabriel. In 1975, he was named to the Pro Bowl roster despite losing the starting job partway through the season opener and throwing for just 996 passing yards, six touchdowns, and twelve interceptions. Boryla, who had planned to attend the New York University School of Law, was approached by the NFL to play in the game in New Orleans as other NFC quarterbacks were injured and declined their invitations. He threw two touchdown passes in the final minutes of the Monday night game at the Louisiana Superdome, including a trick play he created called the "Boryla Special", to lead the NFC to a 23–20 win.

Boryla started ten games for the Eagles in 1976 before joining the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1977. After missing the year with a knee injury (which head coach John McKay called "the most devastating single blow we've had"), he played one more game in 1978 before ending his playing career.

His father Vince Boryla was an NBA player and executive; he also acted as his agent during his NFL career.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Education
Stanford University
Also known as
Michael Jay Boryla

People in Mike Boryla's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Mike Boryla's

Frequently asked questions

Who is Mike Boryla?

American football player (born 1951)

When was Mike Boryla born?

Mike Boryla was born on 6 March 1951 in Rockville Centre.

What is Mike Boryla's occupation?

Mike Boryla is an american football player.

What nationality is Mike Boryla?

Mike Boryla is American.

Sources & further reading

Β· Wikipedia: Mike Boryla

Β· Wikidata: Q6846088

Β· DBpedia: Mike Boryla

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Mike Boryla. https://biography.guide/mike-boryla/

MLA: "Mike Boryla." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/mike-boryla/.

Chicago: "Mike Boryla." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/mike-boryla/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 Β· Spot an error? Report a correction.

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