Dan Marino

Dan Marino, born September 15, 1961, was a former quarterback of the University of Pittsburgh football team. As a freshman in 1979, Dan led the Panthers to wins over local rivals West Virginia and Penn State. The 1980 version of the team finished the year ranked number 2 in the nation. After the 1981 college season, Marino was selected as an All-American.

The Miami Dolphins selected him as the 27th overall pick in the 1983 NFL Draft, with five other quarterbacks chosen ahead of him, including Ken O’Brien, Tony Eason, Jim Kelly, Todd Blackledge, and John Elway. Dan played with the Miami Dolphins for 17 seasons and rewrote not only the Dolphins’ passing record books but also most of the NFL’s passing records.

He played in only one Super Bowl in his second season, where the Dolphins fell to the 49ers after Dan passed for over 300 yards. The Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrined this prolific passer in 2005 and entered the College Football Hall of Fame in 2003.

Marino’s football legacy is defined by his unparalleled arm talent and groundbreaking passing statistics. He was a quarterback who revolutionized the position with a lightning-fast release and pinpoint accuracy, often carrying his teams with a high-powered offense. While he never won a Super Bowl, his individual brilliance and pure passing prowess cemented his place as one of the greatest quarterbacks ever to play the game.

• A Prolific Passer Who Redefined the Quarterback Position

Marino’s accolades and stats are a testament to his dominance. He was the first quarterback to throw for over 5,000 yards in a season (1984) and, upon his retirement, held NFL career records for passing yards (61,361), completions (4,967), and touchdowns (420). He was the NFL MVP in 1984, a nine-time Pro Bowler, and a three-time First-Team All-Pro. Marino was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005.