What is Warren Moon’s Net Worth?
Warren Moon is a former football player and sports broadcaster who has a net worth of $16 million. Warren Moon is best known as the Pro Bowl quarterback of former NFL team the Houston Oilers. He’s widely regarded as one of the greatest undrafted players ever. During his NFL career, Warren earned around $40 million between salaries and endorsements.
Early Life
Harold Warren Moon was born on November 8, 1956, in Los Angeles, California. He was the middle child with six sisters, and their father died when Warren was just seven years old. He decided to play only one sport so he could work the rest of the year to help his mother, a nurse, support the family. He chose football and attended Alexander Hamilton High School where he took over as the starting quarterback for the varsity squad his junior year. Warren Moon was named to the All-City team.
Moon enrolled at West Los Angeles College where he was a record-setting quarterback for the two-year college football team. Only a few four-year colleges showed interest in signing Moon as a quarterback, and it was the University of Washington who finally brought him in. The Washington Huskies went 11-11 in Moon’s first two seasons as the starter, but as a senior he led them to the Pac-8 title and a Rose Bowl upset victory over Michigan. Warren Moon was named MVP of the game.
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CFL Career
The NFL proved uninterested in drafting Warren, but the Canadian Football League grabbed him up immediately. He played six very successful seasons with the Edmonton Eskimos winning five Grey Cups. He was twice named the Grey Cup MVP (1980, 1982) and the CFL Most Outstanding Player in 1983. He was a three-time CFL passing touchdown leader (1979, 1982, 1983) and two-time passing yardage leader (1982, 1983). Warren Moon also won the Jeff Nicklin Memorial Trophy in 1983 and was inducted into the Edmonton Elks Wall of Honor.
NFL Career
Warren Moon’s success in the CFL kicked off a bidding war for him in the NFL which was won by the Houston Oilers. At the time, the Oilers were led by Hugh Campbell, Moon’s head coach during his first five years in Edmonton. Warren Moon played 10 seasons for the Oilers leading them to the playoffs seven times. The Pro Bowl quarterback was the league’s passing touchdown leader in 1990 and a two-time NFL passing yards leader (1990, 1991). He was named NFL Man of the Year in 1989 and NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 1990.
Moon would also play for the Minnesota Vikings (1994-1996), Seattle Seahawks (1997-1998), and Kansas City Chiefs (1999-2000) before retiring in 2000. He was relatively unsuccessful in the NFL postseason but was a nine-time Pro Bowler (1988-1995, 1997) in all. He is in the Titans/Oilers Ring of Honor, and his No. 1 jersey is retired with the Tennessee Titans.
Warren Moon was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006 becoming the first black quarterback and first undrafted quarterback to receive the honor. He’s the only player enshrined in both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Canadian Football Hall of Fame.
Contracts & Career Earnings
Upon joining the Oilers in 1984, Warren Moon signed a five-year, $5.5 million contract. In 1989, he signed a five-year, $10 million contract that came with a $1 million signing bonus. At the time, it was the richest contract in NFL history. By the end of the contract, Warren was earning a career-high $4 million in salary. That’s the same as earning around $7.5 million per year in today’s dollars.
Warren Moon earned over $37 million during his 17 years in the NFL.
Personal Life
Warren Moon married his high school sweetheart, Felicia Hendricks, in 1981. The couple divorced in 2001.