Dan Marino (2018) - Pitt Athletics Hall of Fame

Dan Marino

Induction:
2018
Class:
1983

Marino broke nearly every major school passing record while at Pitt from 1979-82, including career marks for passing yards (8,597) and completions (693). Thirty-six years following his final collegiate season, he still holds Pitt records for touchdown passes in a career (79) and season (37). Marino's reputation for delivering in the clutch began at Pitt when he threw a last-minute 33-yard touchdown pass to tight end John Brown to give the Panthers a 24-20 victory over Georgia in the 1982 Sugar Bowl. Marino led Pitt to four consecutive Top 10 finishes, including a pair of No. 2 rankings. The Panthers were 29-5 in games Marino started at quarterback. He was named a 1981 All-American and finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy balloting that year. A first-round draft pick of the Miami Dolphins in 1983, Marino went on to gain recognition as one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history with a record-breaking 17-year career. In his pro debut season, Marino earned NFL Rookie of the Year. In 1984 he became the first 5,000-yard passer in league history and would record 13 total seasons with 3,000 passing yards. Upon his 1999 retirement, he held an incredible 25 NFL regular-season records and was the career leader in passing attempts (8,358), completions (4,967), yardage (61,361) and touchdowns (420). Marino also was one of the NFL's winningest quarterbacks, earning 147 regular-season victories. He was a nine-time Pro Bowler and eight-time All-Pro. Marino was elected into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2002 and the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005. His No. 13 Pitt jersey is retired.