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Posted on 07/21/2005 5:02:57 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
DAVIE, Fla. (AP) Hall of Fame-bound Dan Marino says he retired five years ago only after rejecting an offer to play for his hometown team, the Pittsburgh Steelers.
When his 17-year career with the Miami Dolphins ended with the 1999 season, Marino turned down a well-publicized offer from the Minnesota Vikings. On Thursday, Marino said he also was approached by other teams, including the Steelers and coach Bill Cowher.
``I had a chance to go to Pittsburgh,'' Marino said. ``I don't think anybody knew that. ... Cowher called me about playing, but I had to make a decision within a couple of days, because he already had a guy that he was going to sign.''
Instead, the Pittsburgh native 38 years old and hampered by injuries decided against playing in 2000.
``At the time, I just kept thinking back to how my body felt the year before,'' he said. ``And to me there was something special about playing 17 years in one place. Although I was pretty close to doing it, it just didn't feel right. I probably could have played another year, no doubt.''
The most prolific passer in NFL history, Marino will be inducted Aug. 7 into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.
Don Shula paid tribute during a telephone conference call Wednesday and in the process took a shot at his successor as Dolphins coach, Jimmy Johnson. Shula, unable to contain his disdain for Johnson, bristled when asked if Marino benefited from having only two coaches.
``You mean he had one coach,'' Shula said. ``Look at the numbers. They speak for themselves.''
During 13 years with Shula, Marino averaged 28 touchdown passes per season, and Miami had a winning percentage of .614, plus six playoff victories. Throwing less often in his four years under Johnson, Marino averaged 17 touchdown passes per season, and Miami had a winning percentage of .563, plus two playoff wins.
In the wake of Shula's remark, Marino was asked if things would have been different had he played his entire career under the Hall of Fame coach.
``How did I know that was going to come up?'' Marino said with a chuckle. ``Would it have been different? Who knows? Coach Shula was an incredible influence on my career and a guy I respect very much, and I'm real excited that he's going to be there (in Canton) in two weeks.''
Those mid 90's Lions teams were good enough to make a fan think this may be their chance, and then bow out in their first playoff game due to five picks from Scott Mitchell.
That head-game passing stunt for TD he pulled on the Jets (feigning a rundown of the clock) was the highpoint of his career.
You are correct. They remain the ONLY team ever to win three playoff games on the road to get to the SB. I'm not sure which win I enjoyed the most.
They came closest in 1991. I loved it when they crushed the Cowboys. Unfortunately for them no one was going to stop the Redskins that year.
I remember watching that live. My father and I laughed our asses off.
Yes, I am a diehard Cowboy fan. But Barry Sanders was probably better. But given his chaotic running style, I don't know if he was a ball control kind of guy or not. Maybe he was.
If Bill Ford Sr and Chuck Schmidt wanted to, they could have built one hell of a team. The nucleus was certainly there. Barry, Chris Spielman, Lomas Brown, Robert Porcher, Herman Moore(best receiver in the game pre-injuries), and Johnnie Morton and Bret Perriman as support receivers.
And then have Wayne Fontes as a coach and Scott Mitchell as QB.
It was right out of "The Sting." I expected Redford and Newman to be in the booth as they went to halftime.
If he were given a better offensive line in front of him he would have been making those great moves against the defense's secondary rather than it's front seven.
LOL. I remember that game. Was that against Parcells?
I've seen other quarterbacks have tried to replicate the play but none have pulled it off.
No actually the Jets were coached that year by soon to be Patriot head coach Pete Carroll.
Just watched Manning get picked off by Rodney Harrison in the end zone to seal their playoff loss to the Pats on NFL network. I'll never get tired of watching that.
Yep, but as a Lions fan here in DFW, I will always savor the 31-6 playoff win. (It's all we've had in God knows how many years?)
I had thought he had an offer from the Vikings? maybe I was wrong.
The problem with Sanders, he was 90% of the lions offense.
could be.
Lando 
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