The youngest of nine children, Michael Anthony Quick was born May 14, 1959 in Hamlet, North Carolina, and attended Hamlet schools before graduating from Richmond Senior High School.
Although his national popularity was gained through his successful NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles — including being a five-time pro-bowler, two-time first-team all-pro selection by the Associated Press, Eagles Ed Block Courage Award Recipient (1989), Philadelphia Eagles Hall of Fame Inductee (1995), and North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame Inductee (2010) — he was a hometown sports legend from the start.
During his Raider years, Quick was quite the multi-sport standout athlete, excelling in basketball, football and track. He led the basketball team and conference in points and had aspirations of playing the sport in college. He was also a member of the state champion 4 X 400 relay team and was a world-class hurdler at the age of 18. His football coach, Ron Kroll, encouraged him to attend a Division I college, Fork Union Military Academy, where he was named most valuable athlete and earned a football scholarship to North Carolina State University.
As a freshman at NCSU, he was offensive MVP of the Blue-Gray Game and played in the Olympia Gold Bowl. Quick also continued his track and field career at N.C. State, with a best time of 13.6 in the 110-meter hurdles. In his four-year Wolfpack career (1978-1981), Quick caught 116 passes for 1,934 yards and scored 10 touchdowns. He helped the Pack to a bowl win as a freshman, and as a sophomore helped his squad win the 1979 ACC Championship with a 5-1 league mark.
Selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round (20th overall pick) of the 1982 NFL draft, Quick quickly became an integral player on the team for nine seasons. From the five consecutive seasons of 1983-1987, he caught more touchdown passes (53) than any other NFL player; was ranked third in yardage and voted to the Pro Bowl with starts following the ’83, ’85 and ’87 seasons. Additionally, he led the NFL in receiving yards in 1983 with 1,409 and finished second in 1985 with a total of 1,247. He was among the top three in the NFC in each of those five Pro Bowl seasons while becoming the first player in team history to surpass 1,000 receiving yards for three straight years.
On Nov. 10, 1985, Quick caught a 99-yard touchdown pass from Ron Jaworski in overtime (an Eagles team record, and tied with several QB-WR combos as a NFL record), as the Eagles beat the Atlanta Falcons in the game.
After his retirement from the NFL in 1990, he became a color analyst on Eagles Radio, accompanying play-by-play announcer Merrill Reese.
An avid golfer, Quick also enjoys drawing — both expressions of his exceptional talent, eye-hand coordination and creativity. He also gives unselfishly of his time to the community, serving on the board of directors of Philadelphia Big Brothers Big Sisters and on the board of trustees for Archway Programs Foundation, which serves children and adults with special needs in Southern New Jersey.
Join us today in honoring this local legend for his impact both on and off the field!
Meghann Lambeth is executive director of the Richmond County Tourism Development Authority.
(Editor’s Note: Visit Richmond County is highlighting prominent local African Americans each day in February in honor of Black History Month. Previous individuals featured include late Richmond County sheriff James E. Clemmons Jr., late state representative Harrison Ingram Quick, dancer and makeup artist Ciarra Kelley, Ellerbe Mayor Brenda Capel, two-time Super Bowl champion Perry Williams, Bishop Arlester Simpson of Ellerbe, Richmond County School Board member Ronald Tillman, and educator Melvin Ingram. See the Visit Richmond County Facebook page for more on these outstanding individuals.)
