He played as a quarterback in college for the Iowa Hawkeyes under coach Hayden Fry and professionally with the Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL).

Long also held a position as the offensive coordinator for the Kansas Jayhawks under head coach Turner Gill.

[4] He led his team to the 1979 state title in football as the starting quarterback and was named to the all-state championship squad.

Long eventually accepted a scholarship to play at Iowa for future Hall of Fame coach Hayden Fry.

He led Iowa to a 9–2 record in the 1983 season and a berth in the Gator Bowl after being named first team all-Big Ten.

Long broke a 24–17 game at halftime wide open by completing 12 of 14 passes for 241 yards and four touchdowns in the third quarter alone.

After much consideration, Long delighted Iowa Hawkeye fans by declaring that he would return for his senior season.

Long drove Iowa the length of the field, and the Hawkeyes faced fourth and goal from the two-yard line with just 27 seconds remaining.

Since college football had no overtime rule at the time, Iowa needed to go for the touchdown and the win rather than attempt a tie.

His fake had fooled the Spartan defenders, and Long ran into the endzone, holding the ball high above his head as he crossed the goal line to give Iowa a 35–31 victory.

Long led Iowa on a 66-yard drive against the nation's top-ranked defense, twice converting third-and-eight situations by completing passes to tight end Mike Flagg.

Long drove the Iowa team to the 12-yard line with two seconds remaining to set up kicker Rob Houghtlin's game-winning field goal as time expired.

A loss to Ohio State cost Iowa their #1 ranking, but the Hawkeyes still won the Big Ten title outright for the first time in 27 years.

Finally, Long was the runner-up for the Heisman Trophy to Bo Jackson of Auburn in the second closest race in the award's history, losing by just 45 points.

On December 12, 2014, the Big Ten Network included Long on "The Mount Rushmore of Iowa Football", as chosen by online fan voting.

During Long's rookie season in the NFL, he was called into a game after an injury suffered by then-starting quarterback Joe Ferguson.

In his three seasons coaching defensive backs from 1995 to 1997, Iowa posted a 24–12 record and advanced to a bowl game all three years.

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops and Long were teammates on Iowa's 1982 Rose Bowl team.

Oklahoma won the Rose Bowl following the 2002 season, and in 2003, the Sooners set a Big 12 Conference record by averaging 51.5 points per game.

On November 23, 2008, college president Stephen Weber announced that Athletic Director Jeff Schemmel had dismissed Long prior to the final game of the season.

[8] Long also had the distinction of having his team lose two games to Division I-AA Cal Poly San Luis Obispo (in his first and third seasons with the Aztecs, respectively).