Garrett Gilbert, MVP Quarterback

Garrett Gilbert has another feat to add to his accolades on Wikipedia.

In short, he is a legend.

On Wednesday, AAF Spot (@AAFSpot), a Twitter account “for all things AAF” voted Gilbert as the first ever (and maybe last ever?) MVP of the Alliance of American Football.

Texas fans either remember Gilbert for his rocky stint as the Longhorns’ starting quarterback or they choose to reflect on the positive and reminisce on the 2010 national championship where he almost led Texas to the most improbable comeback win of all-time.

Either way, most people immediately think of “what could have been” in some form or fashion.

But this latest accomplishment would suggest otherwise when you actually look at everything the former Lake Travis standout has accomplished through football. He is actually one of the most decorated quarterbacks you might ever come across.

The 2008 Gatorade National Player of the Year was also USA Today’s National Player of the Year, Texas’ Mr. Football and EA Sports Mr. Football USA his senior year of high school.

He passed for a little more than 3,000 yards, 13 touchdowns and 23 interceptions in his short career at Texas, but owns 10 passing records including most yards in a game, as well as most consecutive and total 300-yard passing games at SMU, where he transferred after Case McCoy was determined to be a better option under center on the Forty Acres.

Gilbert, like his father, Gale, made a nice little career out of being an NFL backup. Gale Gilbert holds the NFL record as the only player in NFL history to make it to five consecutive Super Bowls (Bills and Chargers 91-95).

But Garrett, unlike his father, is a Super Bowl champion. He got his fingers on the Lombardi Trophy in 2015 when the Patriots defeated the Seahawks, albeit a member of New England’s practice squad.

Gilbert cashed NFL checks from 2014 to 2018 playing for the Rams, Patriots, Lions, Raiders, and Panthers as a backup or member of the practice squad, and it appears Gilbert will soon be doing the same with the Browns.

Sadly, there aren’t any checks to cash anymore in the Alliance of American Football, not just for Gilbert, but for anyone.

The AAF, after news came out this week that operations and games have been suspended, may very well go out in a blaze of glory, crashing and burning after only seven games in its inaugural season. As of now, the future of the league, which actually appeared like it could serve as a viable feeder league for the NFL, remains in question, though it appears all signs point to the league inevitably folding.

But one thing that nobody will ever have to question is who was the greatest AAF quarterback of all-time?

In eight games this season with the Orlando Apollos, Gilbert completed 60.6 percent of his 259 attempts to total 2,152 yards and 13 touchdowns with just three interceptions.

Say what you want about the guy who was supposed to be the star of Texas’ trilogy at quarterback in the 2000s, but the numbers and the accolades don’t lie.

Gilbert’s season in the AAF is just the latest chapter to a pretty decent life in football since his senior season at Lake Travis 10 years ago.

Good for you, Garrett Gilbert.