Current and former quarterbacks Tom Brady, Jim Kelly and Brady Quinn are far from leprechauns, but their last names and work on the field lead one to believe that they have the luck of the Irish. In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, I began thinking of some of the lucky quarterbacks of the NFL that are probably celebrating their Irish roots a little more than others this weekend.
Let’s start with Tom Brady. Tom has quite the Irish surname. According to houseofnames.com, Brady means “spirited.” Brady’s spirit has led this Irishmen to win three Super Bowls, to play in seven Pro Bowls, and to possibly be one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. In a 2009 press conference, this sixth round draft pick expressed pride in his Irish roots. He told the press that his father was 100 percent Irish and that his family had even taken trips to Ireland. With his talent, luck, and Irish spirit, the Patriots look to build for another winning season.
Jim Kelly is another top Irish quarterback. He is probably celebrating in Buffalo, where he currently lives and played for the Bills (1986-1996). Kelly is an Irish surname that loosely means “descendant of war.” This makes perfect sense, because Kelly led the Bills to war in four consecutive Super Bowls from 1990-1993. Jim Kelly’s quick offensive playing was more than lucky. Kelly entered the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1991, and during his career made four Pro Bowls and is the all-time Buffalo Bills leader in completions (2,874), yards (35,467), and touchdowns (237). Kelly and the Bills can be considered lucky to have just welcomed free agent DE Mario Williams to Buffalo. It was stated by Williams that Kelly even invited him into his home during his recent visit to the city. With the support of Kelly, the Bills just got Super Mario lucky.
How can you get more Irish than Brady Quinn? The last name Quinn is of Irish origin, meaning “counsel” and generally describes wise man or a man of high intelligence. Quinn used his intelligence on the field, as he was drafted in the first round of the 2007 Draft by the Browns. He even played football for the most Irish rooted college, Notre Dame, home of the Fighting Irish. Brady has been with the Broncos for the past two seasons, but is currently a free agent. Quinn is having some luck with discussions of possibly being reunited with his former coach Romeo Crennel of the Kansas City Chiefs. It was further reported that Quinn has visited the Jets, who also have a backup job open for a lucky QB.
Maybe the luckiest upcoming quarterback of 2012 (with a Greek, Non-Irish surname) will be….you guessed it, Andrew Luck. He is projected to be the first pick by the Indianapolis Colts. Manning is gone, but if Indy picks Luck on April 26 they just might get their Lucky charm for the upcoming season.
By Theresa Villano follow me on twitter @Theresa_PPI
