Canton, Ohio – He licked his fingers, a trademark of his 17 seasons as the NFL’s most prolific quarterback, then turned to one of his favorite receivers, Mark Clayton, in the audience.
“Go deep, Mark,” Dan Marino commanded.
Clayton sauntered up the aisle, turned and latched onto – what else? – a perfect spiral.
“Of course, in the end, every quarterback wants one more Sunday with a football in his hands and going deep,” Marino said.
And that’s exactly what he did this Sunday, wrapping up his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the best way: with a long completion.
Thousands of fans clad in No. 13 Dolphins jerseys shook Fawcett Stadium with cheers, remembering how sweet it was to see Marino set his records.
“I’ll remember this day for the rest of my life,” Marino said.
Marino joined Steve Young, the late Fritz Pollard and the late Benny Friedman in the shrine.
Paying tribute to his Western Pennsylvania roots, Marino noted Hall of Famers John Unitas, Joe Namath, Joe Montana and Jim Kelly came from the region.
“When I was younger, there’s no doubt I thought about being Joe Namath,” Marino said, adding that joining them in the Hall of Fame “definitely makes an impact on you. I’ve accomplished many things, but what I cherish more than any record I hold, fourth-quarter comebacks or any wins I was involved in, is the relationships.”
That includes his family, and his oldest son, 20-year-old Daniel, presented Marino for induction. It was then he was betrayed by the eyes that stared down so many defenses – they were wet with tears as he took his place among the legends of pro football.
Young suggested it was the first time only quarterbacks entered the Hall of Fame in one class, and he was partly right. Pollard was a running back who sometimes played quarterback.
“I’m proud to be part of this with Dan and the Pollard and Friedman families,” Young said. “We are quarterbacks and that’s what is neat about this position.”
While Marino and Young had diverse styles, they spent years at the top of their profession. Marino set NFL marks of 4,967 completions, 8,358 passes, 61,361 yards (nearly 35 miles) and 420 touchdown passes. His record of 48 TD passes in the 1984 season, when he was MVP, was broken by Peyton Manning last year. He also owned 21 NFL marks when he retired.
The only achievement Marino didn’t reach that Young did was winning a title. Young, the 1992 and 1994 league MVP after taking over for Montana in San Francisco, and the career passing efficiency leader, guided the 49ers to the 1994 title.
Pollard, like Friedman, was a pro football pioneer and the first black NFL head coach. His grandson, Stephen Towns, and other family members, campaigned for decades to get him elected to the Hall of Fame.
“After today, everyone will know the gifts you have given to football. Rest in peace, Grandpa,” Towns said in closing his acceptance speech.
Friedman, who died in 1982 at age 77, probably was the first great pro passer, and his 20 touchdown passes in 1929 were considered phenomenal because the ball he threw barely resembled the modern football. The record stood for 14 years.
