Dan+Marino

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Dan Marino, arguably the greatest quarterback to never win a Super Bowl, had an exceptional career spanning 17 years. Marino excelled since his high school years in Central Catholic to his years as the quarterback of the University of Pittsburgh to his career with the Miami Dolphins.
 * __Introduction__ **

From the time he was a young boy, Marino toned his skill as a quarterback. He attended Central Catholic, one of the best athletic high schools in Pittsburgh, where he shone not just on the football field, but on the baseball diamond as well. In football he was the star quarterback as well as the placekicker and punter for the team. His high-school baseball career was certainly impressive in which he had a 25-1 pitching record, a 92 mph fastball, and a .550 batting average. At the end of high school he had choices to play football at Pitt, Clemson, Michigan State, UClA, and Arizona State and an offer to play baseball with the Kansas City Royals. He decided to play football at the University of Pittsburgh because he wanted to stay close to home saying, “I have strong personal and family ties to the city of Pittsburgh.”
 * __High-School Career__ **

Partway through Marino’s freshman season he took over as Pitt’s starting quarterback when the current quarterback Rick Trocana injured his leg. He led the team to five straight wins against some major teams including their rivals Penn State, ending the season with an 11-1 record, and a victory in the Fiesta Bowl. In his sophomore and junior years he led his team to two more 11-1 records, and two more bowl victories,with some notable stats as well. His senior year was not as impressive however, with the Panthers going 9-3 and his personal play being less than expected. His college stats include record for career touchdown passes (seventy-nine), record for passing yards (8,597), and record for passes completed (693). Deservingly, his number was retired.
 * __College Career__ **

Dan Marino was picked by the Miami Dolphins, coached by Don Shula as the 27th pick in the first round of the 1983 NFL draft. He was picked so late in the draft because of his just so-so senior year, and rumored drug problems. The first 26 teams soon saw their mistake. Marino took over for David Woodley about halfway into his rookie year, because of Woodley’s poor performance. He quickly proved worthy of the job, losing only one game when he took over the starting position. He led the Dolphins to win the American Football Conference's Eastern Division title, won Rookie of the Year Award, and became the first rookie quarterback to be a starter in the Pro Bowl. The next year, things got even better. In his 1984 season he set season records for touchdown passes (forty-eight), passing yards (5,084), and completions (362). The team went 14-2 and did very well in the playoffs making the Super Bowl. This would be the only Super Bowl that Marino would make and appearance in, and unfortunately him and the Dolphins were unable to pull out a win losing to the 49ers 38-16. This was unfortunate, but his spectacular year still earned him an NFL Player of the Year Award. The rest of his professional career was very impressive, with stats such as 420 touchdown passes, 61,361 passing yards, and 4,967 completions. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame February 5, 2005, despite the fact that he had never won a Super Bowl.
 * __NFL Career__ **

(Wilson Web : Dan Marino) || Formed the Dan Marino Foundation with his wife to benefit youth groups in southern Florida || Grew up in a middle-class neighborhood in Pittsburgh (Wilson Web : Dan Marino) || || NFL Man of the Year for charity work and influence || #13 Dolphins jersey is one of the best selling of all time || || With Gov. Charlie Crist, proposed an extension of an Autism task force. || Signed a 4-year $2 million dollar contract his rookie year (Wilson Web : Dan Marino) || || Responsible for golf outings in which the proceeds are donated to helping inner-city youth || Has signed endorsements with several companies including Samsung (MSNBC: Super Bowl QBs) ||
 * ** Social ** || ** Political ** || ** Economic ** ||
 * Celebrates Italian/Irish customs
 * Catholic upbringing (Attended Central Catholic High School) (Wilson Web : Dan Marino)
 * In the NFL Hall of Fame (Wilson Web : Dan Marino)
 * Currently a motivational speaker
 * Been with his wife Claire since high school (Dan Marino: My Life in Football) || Dan Marino is a Republican, and has donated money to the Republican cause || Has a line of pillows and mattresses called the “Marino Recovery System” (MSNBC: Super Bowl QBs) ||

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Works Cited "Dan Marino." //NNDB//. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Mar. 2010. .

"Dan Marino." //Pro-Football-Reference//. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. .

Marino, Dan. //Dan Marino: My Life in Football//. Chicago, Illinois: Triumph Books, 2005. Print.

"Marino, Dan." //Wilson web//. Current Biography, n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2010..

"Super Bowl QBs: Where are They Now?" //msnbc.msn.com//. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Mar. 2010..