- Many football experts believe that Dan Marino was the greatest quarterback in the history of the NFL
- Marino was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he also played college football
- What made Marino such an amazing football player was his quick release and accuracy in throwing the ball, along with his ability to read defenses
- Any Dan Marino biography must also mention his work in broadcasting
Overview
When he retired in 2000 after 17 seasons in the National Football League, Dan Marino ranked statistically as the greatest quarterback ever to play the game. His career statistics of 61,361 passing yards, 420 touchdowns, and 4,967 completions ranked as the best in history. Although these figures were later exceeded by Brett Favre, Marino still holds the single-season record of 5,084 passing yards and the career record of 13 games with 400 or more yards passing.
Early Years
Daniel Constantine Marino, Jr., was born September 15, 1961, in Pittsburgh. He was the oldest of three children and played his first football at the grammar school across the street from his house, where his father was the coach. He credits his father with teaching him his sidearm delivery and his quick release. Marino was both a quarterback and kicker on his high school team, but he also excelled in baseball. As a pitcher he logged an impressive record of 25-1 in high school, and he was even selected in the fourth round of the 1979 Major League Baseball Draft by the Kansas City Royals. But Marino elected to concentrate on football, and he chose to enroll at the University of Pittsburgh despite offers of football scholarships from such schools as UCLA, Michigan State, Clemson, and Arizona State University.
In his first three years in college, Marino virtually presented a clinic on how to throw a football. Pittsburgh had an 11-1 record in each of these years and went on to a victory in a bowl game. It was only in his senior year that Marino and his team disappointed his fans, as they finished 9-3 and lost to Southern Methodist in the Cotton Bowl. This disappointment hurt Marino’s prospects in the 1983 NFL draft, and he was not chosen until the 27th pick of the first round, after five other quarterbacks had been taken. On the plus side for Marino, he was chosen by one of the best teams in the league, the Miami Dolphins. He later said that his senior season in college taught him a great lesson about the dangers of overconfidence.
Pro Career
Marino’s NFL career started off with a bang, as he showed himself to be an amazing football player in just his first two seasons. In his rookie year he led the Dolphins to the playoffs and was a starting quarterback in the Pro Bowl. In his second season he gave one of the greatest quarterback performances in the history of the game. He set records in touchdowns with 48 and in passing yards with 5,084. He was named the league’s most valuable player. He led the Dolphins all the way to the 1985 Super Bowl against the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers wisely put five men in their defensive backfield to counteract Miami’s potent passing attack, and Marino and his crew lost badly. Other teams followed San Francisco’s lead in the seasons that followed, creating special defenses to combat Marino’s potent passing. Although Marino would rack up many more impressive seasons, he would never return to the Super Bowl.
Retirement
Marino has become a familiar figure on television with many appearances on NFL pre-game shows and on weekly analysis programs. His upbeat personality and offensive knowledge makes him popular among fans. In 2005 an autobiography was published, Dan Marino: My Life in Football. Many experts credit Marino with having shifted the emphasis in NFL offensive football from the run to the pass. After Marino’s brilliant second season, Newsweek columnist Pete Axthelm compared his impact on football with Babe Ruth’s impact on baseball.
As an electronic scoreboards continue to light up.