[2] Murphy first played Gaelic football at juvenile and underage levels with the Dr Crokes club in Killarney.
By that stage Murphy had also joined the club's top adult team, having won a Kerry IFC title in 1985.
He later won two Munster SCFC titles and was man of the match when Dr Crokes beat Thomas Davis in the 1992 All-Ireland club final.
Murphy made his senior team debut during the 1987–88 league, however, his career coincided with a relatively fallow period in terms of success.
His two-year tenure in charge saw the team win consecutive Munster JFC titles, however, Kerry lost the 2002 All-Ireland junior final to Wicklow.