Newz Forum: PFL:FOOTBALL: Dan Marino Sportznewz NFL profile

Dan Marino holds 13 major career passing records and the single season record for most yards thrown, the only player to throw for over 5,000 yards in a single season.Dan Marino, a.k.a. Dan the Man, is the greatest statistical quarterback in the history of the NFL. He re-wrote the NFL record book beginning in his rookie season and continued to play with passion and fire. Off the field, he is an incredible humanitarian who has never been selfish with his time or money.



In South Florida, Dan Marino is considered an icon largely due to his accomplishments on the football field. It's easy to overlook some of the personal history that has helped shape him into the man that he is today because of his impressive career. Marino, with his countless NFL records, fame and fortune, may seem somewhat larger-than-life, but he came to be what he is today with a past that doesn't greatly differ from what other Americans experience everyday.Dan Marino is one of the most recognizable and popular sports figures in the entire world. After 17 consecutive seasons with the Miami Dolphins, Dan managed to re-write the NFL record book by establishing 20 records, including All-Time Leading passer in NFL history. Marino's lightning-quick release, shuffle-step in the pocket, and fire in his eyes are familiar to fans around the world. He has appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Inside Sports, and Gentleman's Quarterly (GQ). One of the brightest stars of the sports world, Dan balances the perils of celebrity with the joy of his wife Claire, three sons, and two daughters. His ongoing work for the community is centered on The Dan Marino Foundation for children's charities of South Florida. In 1997 Marino embarked on a new major league sports venture, making his debut as a NASCAR Winston Cup team co-owner with race legend Bill Elliot. The Elliot-Marino Motorsports team began full-time competition in 1997. In 2000, he joined the executive management team of Dreams Inc. as Director of Business Development. He is a host on HBO's weekly football program Inside the NFL. A symbol of competitiveness and efficiency, Dan Marino has ensured himself a place in American sports and entertainment culture.



Daniel Constantine Marino Jr. was born on September 15, 1961, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Daniel and Veronica Marino. Dan was the eldest of three children he had two younger sisters. He was raised in Oakland, a multicultural blue-collar neighborhood. His father held a variety of jobs to support the family and the Marinos never had an abundance of wealth; just enough to get by. When Marino was young, he became a huge Steelers fan since, of course, the team had begun to gain notoriety for their great on-field performances. Marino and his friends began entertaining themselves by playing football games at the local parks almost daily.Football was in the cards for Marino ever since he was a child; it was evident that he was destined to become a football great. Throwing a football became as natural for Marino as breathing. Even in his youth, Marino always played quarterback and always played to win.Marino's interest spanned into more than just football; he was also an exceptional baseball hopeful.Dan was an outstanding quarterback for Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh, where he won Parade All-American honors.Because of his great passing ability, he was coveted by most of the top football programs in the country. He was also drafted by baseball's Kansas City Royals, but opted to attend the University of Pittsburgh.



Anyone who saw the cannon that Dan Marino displayed in college can't be amazed at the 30 passing records he established in the NFL. What is surprising is that five teams thought they were selecting a better quarterback than Marino in the 1983 draft.With the Miami Dolphins picking late in the first round, they didn't even work out Marino, part of the Quarterback Class of '83 that is recognized as the finest in history. Coach Don Shula didn't give the University of Pittsburgh standout much thought. "I never dreamed we'd get a shot at him," he said.But when he still was available at No. 27, Shula picked Marino, disregarding the rumors of his drug use (never proven) and his throwing more interceptions (23) than touchdown passes (17) in his senior season. "When he was there," Shula said, "I wasn't about to let him get away."With his golden arm and lightning-quick release, Marino became the most prolific passer in NFL history - the all-time leader in touchdown passes (420), yardage (61,361), completions (4,967) and attempts (8,358) when he retired on March 13, 2000 after 17 seasons. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound quarterback set up in the pocket and dared defenses to stop him.



Marino's dream, however, was to become a professional football player. He wanted to attend Central Catholic High School, which was a great place to display his athletic ability. His parents, who believed deeply in their son, worked hard every day to raise money so that Marino and his two sisters could attend the school.Marino, in turn, worked his hardest at being a good student and an outstanding football prospect. Although the top programs in the nation, including Notre Dame and UCLA, recruited Marino, he still chose to stay close to home and attended the University of Pittsburgh. Marino enjoyed a fruitful career at U of P, setting many school records and being designated an All-American in his junior year. Unfortunately, Marino's senior season was somewhat of a disappointment, as his mediocre performance raised queries regarding his ability to succeed on a professional level. Miami Dolphin fans should deem themselves lucky that Marino struggled in his last year in college because if he had played to the best of his ability, he would've never been available for Miami.



In the 16 years that followed, Marino not only exploded into national prominence to become the most productive quarterback in NFL history, but he also began his own family.Dan and Claire married on January 30, 1985, and had four children: Daniel Charles (13), Michael Joseph (11), Joseph Donald (10) and Alexandra Claire (7).The couple also adopted an Oriental girl, two-year-old Niki Lin, in December 1998. The adoption took almost a year to finalize, with Claire spending 10 days in China before returning to the family's Weston home with the child. Unfortunately, Marino and his family received devastating news when they learned, in 1995, that Michael was autistic. Luckily though, Michael's condition is considered mild. Nevertheless, it has still helped Marino keep his fame and on-field accomplishments in perspective. There is much more to Dan Marino than quarterbacking the Dolphins and being a devoted family man. Marino involves himself in lots of charity work, which was recognized by the NFL when he was awarded the prominent Man of the Year award in 1998.Marino has devoted a lot of effort and money to support various children's charities, some of which he founded himself. Now former Miami Dolphin quarterback after his 2000 retirement, Marino is a commentator for Inside the NFL on HBO.



Dan Marino's number 13 jersey became the second Dolphin uniform number to be retired, on Sunday, September 17, 2000, at halftime of the Dolphins-Baltimore Ravens game at Pro Player Stadium.Marino was selected to nine Pro Bowls (1983-87, 1991-92, 1994-95), including seven as a starter (1983-86, 1992, 1994-95), but due to injuries he was able to play in only two games (1984, 1992).Marino's nine Pro Bowl selections set a Dolphins record for most career selections, surpassing the former record of six selections that had previously been set by quarterback Bob Griese (1970-71, 1973-74, 1977-78), center Jim Langer (1973-78), and guard Bob Kuechenberg (1974-75, 1977-78, 1982-83).Marino's seven Pro Bowl starts set a Dolphins record for career starts, surpassing the former record of five starts that had previously been set by Langer (1973-77) When Marino was selected to the Pro Bowl following his rookie season in 1983, he became the youngest quarterback ever selected to the Pro Bowl.The only other Dolphin player to wear No. 13 was safety Jake Scott, who wore that number from 1970 through 1975.Marino will be eligible to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame with the Class of 2005.Dan Marino became the only quarterback to top the 60,000 yard passing mark. He also became the only quarterback to toss more than 400 touchdown passes. He has thrown more pass attempts and more completions than anyone else in the history of the game.

Some Stats

Most Attempts, Career: 8,358
Most Completions, Career: 4,967
Most Yards Passing, Career: 61,361
Most Touchdown Passes, Career: 420
Highest Pass Rating, Rookie Season: 96.0 in 1983
Highest Completion Percentage, Rookie Season: 58.45 in 1983 (296-173)
Most Yards Gained, Season: 5,084 in 1984
Most Games, 400 or more Yards Passing, Career: 13
Most Games, 400 or more Yards Passing, Season: 4 in 1984
Most Games, 300 or more Yards Passing, Career: 60
Most Seasons, 3,000 or more Yards Passing: 13 (1984-92, 1994-95, 1997-98)
Most Consecutive Seasons, 3,000 or more Yards Passing: 9 (1984-92)
Most Touchdown Passes, Season: 48 in 1984
Most Games, Four or more Touchdown Passes, Career: 21
Most Games, Four or more Touchdown Passes, Season: 6 in 1984
Most Consecutive Games, Four or more Touchdown Passes: 4 in 1984
Lowest Percentage, Passes Had Intercepted, Rookie Season: 2.03 in 1983 (296-6)
Most Seasons Leading League, Attempts: 5 (1984, 1986, 1988, 1992, 1997)
Most Seasons Leading League, Completions: 6 (1984-86, 1988, 1992, 1997)
Most Seasons, 40 or more Touchdown Passes: 2 (1984, 1986)
Most Seasons, 20 or more Touchdown Passes: 13 (1983-92, 1994-95, 1998)
Most Consecutive Seasons, 20 or more Touchdown Passes: 10 (1983-92)
100 TD Passes in Fewest Amount of Games to Start Career: 44 (9/7/86 at S.D.)
200 TD passes in Fewest Amount of Games to Start Career: 89 (9/17/89 at N.E.)
300 TD passes in Fewest Amount of Games to Start Career: 157 (9/4/94 vs. N.E.)

Records Tied For

Most Seasons Leading League, Yards Gained: 5 (1984-86, 1988, 1992)
with Sonny Jurgensen (Philadelphia, 1961-62;Washington, 1966-67, 1969)
Most Consecutive Seasons Leading League, Completions: 3 (1984-86)
with George Blanda (Houston, 1963-65)
Most Consecutive Games, 400 or more Yards Passing: 2 (1984)
with Dan Fouts (San Diego, 1982) and Phil Simms (N.Y. Giants, 1985)
Most Consecutive Seasons, 4,000 or more Yards Passing: 3 (1984-86)
with Dan Fouts (San Diego, 1979-81)











[Edited on 1/2/05 by TRD]