Dan Marino Retirement Press Conference (March 13, 2000)

Описание: NFL - Marino retires after 17 seasons
DAVIE, Fla. -- Dan Marino, the NFL's most prolific passer, retired Monday after 17 years as quarterback of the Miami Dolphins. "I'm going to miss it," Marino said, struggling to compose himself. "I'm going to miss everything about it." The 38-year-old Marino wanted to go out like John Elway and retire as a Super Bowl champion. But after parting ways with the Dolphins, he reluctantly rejected an offer to play this year for the Minnesota Vikings. "I can say I have been blessed with a career greater than I could imagine," Marino said at a news conference at the Dolphins' training facility. "Most of all I am going to miss Sunday afternoons." Marino's wife, children, parents and former coach Don Shula were with him in the team meeting room -- the same location used for the departure speeches by Shula and another former coach, Jimmy Johnson.
"This is a day of celebration of a great career," Shula said. "You just want to applaud." Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga hugged Marino after his announcement. "Just because you didn't win a Super Bowl doesn't mean that you are not a champion, because we all know it otherwise," Huizenga said. The owner said the Dolphins will retire No. 13, build a statue for Marino and name a street after him near their stadium. Marino read an eight-minute statement, then answered questions for an hour. He said health and family were the main reasons for retiring. He said he made up his mind Thursday while sitting in his kitchen with his wife, Claire. "I called my dad over, my mom, and I just told them, Marino said. "It wasn't a big deal or anything. We just kind of decided that and went on with the rest of the day." Claire Marino cried during much of the news conference. Her husband managed to fight back tears. "This is not easy," he said at one point. Marino departs owning many of the NFL passing records. He completed 4,967 passes for 61,361 yards and 420 touchdowns, all league records. In 1984, his second season, Marino threw for 5,084 yards and 48 touchdowns, both still league records. More than a dozen current and former Miami players attended the news conference, as did coach Dave Wannstedt, regarded by some Miami fans as a villain because he never said he wanted Marino to play this season. Among those absent was Johnson, who coached Marino for four seasons. They clashed frequently last year, and Johnson publicly admonished his quarterback for poor decisions and costly turnovers. "I would just have to say that our relationship was up and down at times," Marino said. "We had some great days together, some fun times. Sometimes I wasn't very happy here, while he was coaching. And that's just being honest." Johnson and Marino's final bid to win a Super Bowl together ended with a 62-7 playoff loss at Jacksonville, the most lopsided defeat in franchise history. Johnson retired the next day and was succeeded by Wannstedt. Marino voided his contract in February and became a free agent. And when the Dolphins signed free agent quarterback Jay Fiedler to a three-year, $3.8 million contract, it was clear Marino had played his last game in Miami. Marino said he wasn't insulted by the way the Dolphins treated him after the season. But his agent, Marvin Demoff, acknowledged the strain. "The Dolphins could have done things better, but I don't think it would have changed his decision," Demoff said. "There are some hurts, but with Dan, I don't think they'll be hard to heal. He's a forgiving person." Marino's only Super Bowl appearance, in his second year in the NFL, ended in a disappointing 38-16 loss to San Francisco. Marino spent the next 15 years trying unsuccessfully to return to the title game. "That was the burning desire. That is what I played for," Marino said. "That has been a dream of mine my whole career. I wanted to know -- as a player -- how it feels to win a Super Bowl." Still, Marino is widely considered the greatest quarterback never to win an NFL championship. As for life after football, Marino said he will consider broadcasting and business opportunities. He ruled out coaching. "There is no way I can coach the guys that play today," Marino joked. Then, turning serious, he said, "I will not play football again."