George Mira

{{Short description|American gridiron football player (born 1942)}}

{{Infobox NFL biography

| name = George Mira

| image = George Mira.jpg

| image_size =

| alt =

| caption = Mira in 1962

| number = 10

| position = Quarterback

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1942|1|11}}

| birth_place = Key West, Florida, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height_ft = 6

| height_in = 0

| weight_lb = 190

| high_school = Key West

| college = Miami (FL) (1961–1963)

| draftyear = 1964

| draftround = 2

| draftpick = 15

| afldraftyear = 1964

| afldraftround = 18

| afldraftpick = 137

| pastteams =

San Francisco 49ers ({{NFL Year|1964|1968}})
Philadelphia Eagles ({{NFL Year|1969}})
Baltimore Colts ({{NFL Year|1970}})*
Miami Dolphins ({{NFL Year|1971}})
Montreal Alouettes ({{CFL Year|1972|1973}})
Birmingham Americans (1974)
Jacksonville Express (1975)
Toronto Argonauts ({{CFL Year|1977}})

| highlights =

First-team All-American (1962)
Second-team All-American (1963)
Miami Hurricanes No. 10 retired

| statlabel1 = Passing attempts

| statvalue1 = 346

| statlabel2 = Passing completions

| statvalue2 = 148

| statlabel3 = Completion percentage

| statvalue3 = 42.8%

| statlabel4 = TD–INT

| statvalue4 = 19–20

| statlabel5 = Passing yards

| statvalue5 = 2,110

| statlabel6 = Passer rating

| statvalue6 = 57.4

| statlabel7 = Rushing yards

| statvalue7 = 379

| cflstatlabel1 = Passing attempts

| cflstatvalue1 = 327

| cflstatlabel2 = Passing completions

| cflstatvalue2 = 157

| cflstatlabel3 = Completion percentage

| cflstatvalue3 = 48%

| cflstatlabel4 = TD–INT

| cflstatvalue4 = 19–23

| cflstatlabel5 = Passing yards

| cflstatvalue5 = 2,291

| pfr = MiraGe00

}}

George Ignacio Mira (born January 11, 1942) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in eight National Football League (NFL) seasons for four teams. He then played five seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the World Football League (WFL).

Early life

Born and raised in Key West, Florida, Mira graduated from Key West High School in 1960.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=NcswAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5QQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6947%2C3288516 |newspaper=Ocala Star-Banner |location=Florida|agency=Associated Press |title=Lakeland goes after Key West|date=June 12, 1959|page=5}} He played college football at the University of Miami under head coach Andy Gustafson.

One of the best games in Mira's collegiate career came as a junior in 1962 in the Gotham Bowl against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Despite playing in {{convert|20|F}} weather in front of fewer than a thousand fans at Yankee Stadium, Mira threw for 321 yards, a Miami school record at the time, and was named the bowl game's most valuable player. Despite Mira's efforts, the Cornhuskers won by two points, 36–34.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Lf9VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=1uIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1902%2C3123895 |newspaper=Eugene Register-Guard |location=Oregon |agency=Associated Press |title=Nebraska wins Gotham Bowl. 36-34 |date=December 16, 1962 |page=1B}}{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=cMEbAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CU8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=3490%2C334853 |newspaper=Pittsburgh Press |agency=UPI |title=Nebraska edges Miami, 36-34 |date=December 16, 1962 |page=1, section 4 }} The previous year, the Hurricanes lost by a point to Syracuse in the Liberty Bowl.

File:Mira 2018.jpg

At the start of the 1963 season Mira was the cover story for Sports Illustrated's college preview issue. The article, written by Key West native John Underwood, was titled "One Wonderful Conch is this Mira" and featured many anecdotes about Mira's life growing up and becoming a star on the small island.

Playing career

Mira was selected in the second round of the 1964 NFL draft, fifteenth overall, by the San Francisco 49ers. Primarily a reserve,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=9elPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=xwgEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3093%2C3702332 |newspaper=The Bulletin |location=Bend, Oregon |agency=UPI |title=George Mira cashes in |date=April 10, 1971 |page=10 }} he played for eight NFL seasons, 1964 through 1971, for the 49ers, Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Colts, and Miami Dolphins. He was a backup to John Brodie in San Francisco and to Bob Griese in Super Bowl VI as a member of the 1971 Dolphins.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QE8fAAAAIBAJ&sjid=r9EEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6325%2C2981795 |newspaper=Daytona Beach Morning Journal |location=Florida |agency=Associated Press |title=George Mira tried harder; but never rose above no. 2 |date=July 25, 1972 |page=9}} With the 49ers in 1964, he threw a pass to quarterback Billy Kilmer (who was playing running back) that Kilmer eventually fumbled; the fumble would be recovered by Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jim Marshall, who infamously ran 66 yards in the wrong direction.{{Cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/videos/minnesota-vikings/0ap3000000564787/This-Day-in-NFL-History-Jim-Marshall-runs-the-wrong-way|title=This Day in NFL History: Jim Marshall runs the wrong way|website=NFL.com|access-date=2016-12-19}}

Mira signed a multi-year contract with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL) in August 1972,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CQsyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=w6EFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1228%2C1628988 |newspaper=Montreal Gazette |last=Gilbert |first=Doug |title=Als sign ex-NFL QB Mira, cut Chasey |date=August 8, 1972 |page=29 }}{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=7ZcuAAAAIBAJ&sjid=maEFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2378%2C2535001 |newspaper=Montreal Gazette |title=Mira plays for free to prove a point |last=Blackman |first=Ted |date=October 24, 1973 |page=29 }} completing 92 of 168 passes for 1356 yards and 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions in 1973.

With the Birmingham Americans of the new World Football League (WFL) in 1974, he was MVP of their championship game victory,{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=8Xc0AAAAIBAJ&sjid=Ep0EAAAAIBAJ&pg=5617%2C1722120 |newspaper=Tuscaloosa News |location=Alabama |last=Browning |first=Al |title=Birmingham stops Florida for first World Bowl title |date=December 6, 1974 |page=13}} completing 155 of 313 passes for 2,248 yards and 17 touchdowns and 14 interceptions during the season. Despite the success on the field, the Birmingham franchise folded in March. In 1975, with the Jacksonville Express of the WFL, he completed 123 of 254 passes for 1,675 yards and 12 touchdowns and interceptions. The league would cease operations late in the 1975 season.

Mira finished his career in 1977, playing six games for the Toronto Argonauts as a player-coach.{{cite news |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5DxOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=He4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=2450%2C2964604 |newspaper=Spokesman-Review |location=Spokane, Washington |agency=Associated Press |title=Argonauts sign Clint Longley |date=September 23, 1977 |page=20 }}

After football

Mira returned to Florida and now operates the Native Conch, a food concession at Fairchild Botanical Gardens in Coral Gables.{{Cite web|url=http://osocarrasfood.blogspot.ca/2012/04/native-conch-fairchild-botanical.html|title=Blogger}} For many years he owned a Key West restaurant called George Mira's Pizza Huddle, located across the street from the junior league baseball fields where it became a haven for post-game celebrations.

Personal

His son George Mira Jr. was an All-American linebacker at the University of Miami.

References

External links

{{Footballstats |nfl=2521319 |cfl= |afl= |espn= |cbs= |yahoo= |fox= |si= |pfr=MiraGe00 |dbf=MIRAGEO01 |rotoworld=}}
[http://www.nasljerseys.com/WFL/Players/M/Mira.George.htm WFL players] – George Mira
[http://www.cflapedia.com/Players/m/mira_george.htm CFLapedia] – George Mira