Mike Pagel is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for ten seasons. He was born on November 13, 1960, in Baltimore, Maryland, and attended Perry Hall High School. Pagel went on to play college football at Arizona State University, where he was a standout quarterback for the Sun Devils.
Pagel was selected by the Baltimore Colts in the fourth round of the 1982 NFL Draft. He played for the Colts for five seasons, from 1982 to 1986, and was the team's starting quarterback for much of that time. Pagel had some success with the Colts, leading the team to the playoffs in 1982 and 1987. He also set several team records during his time in Baltimore, including the most passing yards in a single game (414) and the most touchdown passes in a season (19).
In 1987, Pagel was traded to the Cleveland Browns, where he played for two seasons. He served as a backup quarterback to Bernie Kosar during his time in Cleveland, and saw limited playing time. Pagel then spent one season with the Los Angeles Rams in 1989, before being traded to the New York Giants in 1990. He played one season with the Giants, serving as a backup to Phil Simms.
Pagel's final season in the NFL was in 1992, when he played for the Indianapolis Colts. He returned to the team that had drafted him ten years earlier, but saw limited playing time behind starting quarterback Jeff George. Pagel retired from the NFL after the 1992 season, having played in 103 games and throwing for 13,385 yards and 74 touchdowns.
After retiring from football, Pagel went on to work in the insurance industry. He also became involved in coaching, serving as an assistant coach at several high schools in the Baltimore area. Pagel was inducted into the Arizona State University Sports Hall of Fame in 1998, in recognition of his outstanding college football career.
In summary, Mike Pagel was a quarterback who played in the NFL for ten seasons, from the early 1980s to the early 1990s. He played for several teams during his career, including the Baltimore Colts, Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Rams, New York Giants, and Indianapolis Colts. Pagel had some success as a starting quarterback for the Colts, leading the team to the playoffs twice. He retired from the NFL in 1992 and went on to work in the insurance industry and coach high school football.
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