Michael Proctor obit

Former Patriots Quarterback, College Hall of Famer, Dies at 58

A four-year starter in college who briefly played quarterback for the New England Patriots in 1990 died.

 

He was not on the list.

Quarterback Michael Proctor, who parlayed a historic career at Murray State University into a brief professional career that began with the NFL's New England Patriots, died. He was 58.

"We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of Murray State Athletics Hall of Famer and Stable of Honor inductee, Michael Proctor," the school posted from its Twitter/X account Thursday. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the Proctor Family and all of his teammates during this incredibly difficult time."

Proctor was a four-year starter for the Racers. The Sylvester, Georgia native passed for a Murray State career record of 8,632 yards, and was the Murray Sate and Ohio Valley Conference career total yardage leader with 9,886 when he was inducted to the school's athletics Hall of Fame in 2000.

Proctor, who wore No. 11, is one of only two players to have their jersey numbers retired in MSU football history.

As a freshman, Proctor led MSU into the Division I-AA playoffs, where he lost by one touchdown to Eastern Illinois, led by quarterback and future NFL head coach Sean Payton.

Although he was passed over in the NFL draft after his senior year, Proctor signed with the Patriots and was a member of their practice squad until he was released in August 1990.

Proctor was drafted by the Montreal Machine of the World League of American Football for the league’s inaugural season in 1991. He eventually became the team's starter, and impressed enough as a dual-threat quarterback to earn a tryout with the Cleveland Browns.

When his second shot at the NFL was denied, Proctor returned to the WFAL in 1992 and improved his passing numbers for the Machine. Proctor signed with the CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders in 1993, but was relegated to backup duties and didn't appear in a game.

From 1994-96, Proctor played for the Charlotte Rage of the Arena Football League. He eventually returned to college to earn his Master's in Business Administration. Proctor worked in occupational safety for more than 25 years.

He played in the Arena Football League (AFL), World League of American Football (WLAF), and Canadian Football League (CFL). He played college football for the Murray State Racers.’ Career history

New England Patriots (1990)*

Montreal Machine (1991)

Cleveland Browns (1991)*

Montreal Machine (1992)

Saskatchewan Roughriders (1993)

Charlotte Rage (1994–1996)

* Offseason and/or practice squad member only

Awards and highlights

OVC Offensive Player of the Year (1989)

2× First-team All-OVC (1988–1989)

Murray State Racers No. 11 retired