Dan Marino.

Dan Marino. Dan Marino, born in 1961, American professional football player, a quarterback who retired as the National Football League (NFL) career leader in most major passing categories. Daniel Constantine Marino, Jr., was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He played football and baseball in high school and enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh in 1979. During his notable college football career Marino led his team to four bowl games. He was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the first round of the 1983 NFL draft. Early in the 1983 season Marino became the starting quarterback for the Dolphins, a surprising accomplishment for a rookie. He led the team to the American Football Conference (AFC) Eastern Division title that year and was named the NFL's rookie of the year. He was also named the starting quarterback in the Pro Bowl, the annual postseason all-star game held by the NFL. In 1984 Marino became the first quarterback to pass for more than 5,000 yards in a single season, and he also set the single-season record for touchdown passes with 48 (broken in 2004 by Peyton Manning). Marino was voted NFL player of the year and led the Dolphins to the 1985 Super Bowl, where they lost to the San Francisco 49ers. After the 1999 season Marino announced his retirement from the game. He finished his career holding numerous NFL records, including passing completions (4,967), attempts (8,358), yards (61,361), and touchdowns (420). He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.