Gabriel was the second overall pick in the 1962 NFL draft and played for the Los Angeles Rams for 11 seasons then five years for the Philadelphia Eagles.
An academic All-American, Gabriel saw his jersey retired (the first in program history) after his senior season and then presented to him by North Carolina governor Terry Sanford on January 20, 1962, at halftime of an NC State-Maryland basketball game in Reynolds Coliseum.
The Atlantic Coast Conference's 50th Anniversary Football Team was announced in 2003 and Gabriel was among the top 50 players in the history of the ACC to be listed.
Gabriel played 16 seasons in the NFL, splitting time with the Los Angeles Rams from 1962 to 1972 and then the Philadelphia Eagles from 1973 to 1977.
Los Angeles Rams' coaches gave Zeke Bratkowski or Bill Munson the nod over Gabriel.
The next week, in a game against the Baltimore Colts that would decide the division title, Gabriel completed 18-of-22 passes with three touchdowns as the Rams won 34–10.
With the division clinched and the undefeated record gone, coach Allen decided to rest many of his starters and the Rams lost their last two games to finish 11–3.
In 1970, the league realigned, putting the Rams in contention with the San Francisco 49ers for the new NFC West Division title.
After an upset loss at home to the lowly New York Jets (who were without the injured Joe Namath) in which Gabriel threw three interceptions, the Rams won three straight games, including a crucial 30–13 win over the 49ers to take over first place.
Going into the thirteenth week of the season, the Rams participated in the first Monday Night Football game in the city of Los Angeles.
In 1971, the veteran Rams began to show their age and Gabriel missed parts of every game due to knee and shoulder injuries.
In addition, coach George Allen left for the Washington Redskins after a long-running dispute with the Rams general manager Dan Reeves.
After falling behind 31–10, Gabriel led the Rams back to within 31–24 and was driving to a possible tying score when he was intercepted; it was returned for a touchdown and the Redskins won.
On June 8, 1973, after he threatened to accept a $100,000 contract with the Las Vegas Casinos of the Southwestern Football League in April 1973,[8] Gabriel was traded from the Rams to the Philadelphia Eagles for Harold Jackson, Tony Baker, a 1974 first-round selection (11th overall–John Cappelletti), and first- and third-round picks in 1975 (11th and 67th overall–Dennis Harrah and Dan Nugent) .
He is the only quarterback from his era to still rank high in the "lowest interception percentage" category in NFL passing statistics.
[11] Gabriel was the last football coach at Cal Poly Pomona, where from 1980 to 1982 his teams compiled an 8–24 record.
[14] He was the only coach who did not win a game in the inaugural 1991 season, but came close to beating Jack Elway's 7-3 Frankfurt Galaxy in Germany.
[17] On April 20, 2024, Gabriel died peacefully surrounded by his wife of 23 years Rosanne and their three dogs at his home in Little River, South Carolina, at the age of 83.