Los Angeles Rams: 30 greatest players in franchise history

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Roman Gabriel is the perfect example of no matter how much a player struggles at the beginning of their career, they are always in a position to turn things around. The former Rams quarterback struggled early on before eventually finding his way under center with Los Angeles.

Back in 1962, Los Angeles selected the former North Carolina State star as their new quarterback. Even though Gabriel failed to earn a single win as a rookie (0-3-1), it was all worth it in the long run.

Whether it was his MVP year in 1969 after he went 11-3 while throwing for 2,549 yards with 24 touchdowns or earning three trips in a row to the Pro Bowl from 1967-69, Gabriel put together plenty of amazing accomplishments during his time with the Rams.

What made that MVP season even more impressive for Gabriel was how he helped Los Angeles register an 11-game winning streak. Football fans know that winning a single game is tough enough. Winning 11 in a row is quite the accomplishment for a team to say the least.

Unfortunately, Gabriel experienced a few injuries later in his career that made it a little more difficult for him to succeed as the Rams quarterback. This was part of the reason, along with some coaching changes, why he was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles before the 1973 season.

Believe it or not, Los Angeles would have been better off holding on to Gabriel for another year since he had one of the best seasons of his career in 1973 with the Eagles. He earned another trip to the Pro Bowl while leading the NFL with 3,219 passing yards and 23 touchdowns.