Dan Marino
The Miami Dolphins, much to their surprise at the time, found University of Pittsburgh quarterback Dan Marino still available when it came time to make their first selection in the 1983 NFL Draft. Five other quarterbacks, including eventual Hall of Famers John Elway (first) and Jim Kelly (14th), had been taken before the Dolphins grabbed Marino with the 27th overall pick.
It wouldn’t take long for the 22-year-old rookie to take over as the team’s starting quarterback. By the end of the 1983 season, Marino led the AFC in passer rating (96.0) and guided the Dolphins the AFC East Division crown.
In 1984, Marino was named the league’s Most Valuable Player after setting NFL single-season records for passing yards (5,084) and touchdown passes (48). Marino’s 48 touchdown passes shattered the previous record of 36, held by fellow Hall of Famers George Blanda in the AFL (1961) and Y.A. Tittle in the NFL (1963). The Dolphins finished the regular season 14-2 and won the AFC Championship Game after Marino’s 421-yard, four-touchdown performance toppled the Pittsburgh Steelers, 45-28.
In Super Bowl XIX, the Dolphins fell to the San Francisco 49ers, 38-16. Joe Montana threw for a Super Bowl-record 331 yards, followed closely by Marino’s 318, which tied Terry Bradshaw for the second most in history. Marino’s 29 completions set a then-Super Bowl record. Despite a red-hot start to his career, he never returned to the Super Bowl stage.
What he did do was launch a 17-year assault on the NFL record books. By the time of his retirement, Marino had completed more passes (4,967), for more yards (61,361) and more touchdowns (420) than any player in NFL history. He led the league in passing yards five times (1984-86, 1988 and 1992) and in quarterback sack-percentage 10 times (1983-89, 1994, 1997 and 1999). His 47 career game-winning drives broke the record of 38 held by Johnny Unitas.
In all, Marino was selected to nine Pro Bowls and was named an All-Pro selection by the Associated Press six times (first team in 1984-86 and second team in 1983, 1994-95). He is a member of the NFL 100 All-Time Team.
