In this world, it's not always easy for left-handed people. Once upon a time, school teachers would force students to write with their right hands because they believed being left handed was evil.
But society has come a long way. We owe this in large part to proven left-handed performance in the most unlikely of areas: the football field. While left-handed quarterbacks are more rare (after all, it can be difficult for receivers to catch a left-thrown ball because the rotation is different), there have been many football legends who've proven that hand orientation is a non-factor in being great.
For International Left Handers Day (which is today), we've put together a list of some of the best left-handed quarterbacks in the NFL.
Ken Stabler
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Ken "The Snake" Stabler led the Oakland Raiders to great success during his tenure at the team's helm from 1970-1979. Also having done stints with the Houston Oilers and the New Orleans Saints, the lefty passed 27,938 yards and threw 194 touchdowns throughout his NFL career.
Boomer Esiason
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A Long Island native and second-round draft pick for the Cincinnati Bengals in 1984, Esiason breathed new life into the Queen City with his left-armed throw, leading the team to the Super Bowl in the 1988 season.
Steve Young
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Steve Young started off his time at the San Francisco 49ers in 1987 as second chair to quarterback Joe Montana. By 1993, Young did so well at the team's helm that Montana was traded to Kansas City. In his first full two seasons as a starter for the Niners, Young led the team to the NFC title game and, in 1995, to a Super Bowl XXIX victory against the Chargers.
Mark Brunell
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Brunell was a lefty legend. He started in the NFL for 11 seasons, played for 19 years until the age of 41, and took two different teams (Jacksonville Jaguars and Washington Redskins) to the playoffs. In 1996, he led both the league in passing yards and all QBs in rushing, two remarkable simultaneous feats in a single season.
Michael Vick
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Vick was a standout at the 2001 NFL Draft for his combination of blinding speed and sheer arm power. He revitalized the struggling Atlanta Falcons. In his second season, he led the team to the playoffs, as well as the first-ever playoff victory by a road team in Green Bay. Two years later, he got the team just one win away from the Super Bowl, losing to Philadelphia in the NFC title game. Throughout his career, he threw 22,462 yards and 133 touchdowns.
