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Going out with class Dolphins' Marino announces retirement after 17 years
Posted: Tuesday March 14, 2000 07:10 PM
DAVIE, Fla. (AP) -- The men at the front of the room wore dark suits and somber expressions, like at a funeral. The wife sat in the front row crying. Dan Marino bit his lip, took deep breaths and leaned on the lectern. "This isn't easy," he said. But as always, Marino followed the game plan. With both relief and reluctance, he retired Monday at age 38, confirming a decision he made Thursday. Marino managed to keep his composure, but his strained relations with the Miami Dolphins made the news conference an awkward occasion. Because of the perception that the Dolphins pushed Marino into retirement, the mood was subdued. "This is an odd day because it saddens everyone, when it should have been a celebration of this guy's career," former Dolphins president Tim Robbie said.
Absent was former coach Jimmy Johnson, whose feud with Marino turned last season into a soap opera. New coach Dave Wannstedt attended but didn't speak. Marino read an eight-minute statement, then patiently answered questions for more than an hour - a personal record for the most prolific passer in NFL history. "Boy, I really struggled with this decision," he said. "This has been the toughest month of my life." Marino rejected an offer last week to play for the Minnesota Vikings and said he decided to quit mostly because of the toll 17 NFL seasons took on his body, not because of the way the Dolphins treated him. "The Dolphins could have done things better," said his agent, Marvin Demoff. "But I don't think it would have changed his decision. There are some hurts, but with Dan, I don't think they'll be hard to heal. He's a forgiving person." Team owner Wayne Huizenga took immediate steps to mend fences. He announced that the Dolphins will retire No. 13, build a statue for Marino and name a street after him near their stadium. Dolphins officials spent three days preparing the team meeting room for 20 TV cameras, 150 members of the media and guests of Marino. Among those on hand were more than a dozen current and former Dolphins, including Mark Clayton, the receiver on 79 of Marino's NFL-record 420 touchdown throws. "I'm just happy to have had an opportunity to catch a pass from the Marino," Clayton said. Also there were Marino's mother and father; his wife, Claire, who dabbed her eyes with a tissue through most of the news conference; their five children; and Don Shula, his coach for 13 years. Marino's final season ended disastrously in January with a 62-7 playoff loss at Jacksonville, and Johnson quit the next day. Marino said he went into the offseason thinking he would probably retire too, but he wavered when Vikings coach Dennis Green promised a starting job in Minnesota.
"He's a very persuasive guy, and they have some outstanding receivers, guys I would have loved to throw to," Marino said. "I was excited about it. There were times I told Claire we were going, and two hours later I said no, I don't think I can go." Marino, perhaps the greatest quarterback never to win a Super Bowl, said he hated to give up on trying for a championship. "That was the burning desire," he said. "That's what I play for." Marino said his family wanted him to keep playing. But he kept thinking about the six knee operations that left him immobile and a neck injury last year that left him temporarily unable to throw. "He told me it was a harder decision than getting married," Demoff said. "But it became so clear to him physically that he shouldn't be out there getting hit by people." Marino settled on a decision Thursday morning while sitting in the kitchen with his wife. He doesn't expect to be tempted by offers if teams come looking for a quarterback later this year. "I will not play football again," he said. The future includes lots of golf and family time. Marino said he might be interested in a job as a network TV analyst, and down the road he might consider becoming an NFL part-owner or working in the front office. He ruled out coaching. "No way I can coach the guys that play today," he said with a laugh. As Marino kept fielding questions and the room slowly emptied, he began to relax a little. He sheepishly admitted that he spent two days writing his opening statement, expressed relief that he hadn't cried, and joked about the tributes announced by Huizenga. "Just make sure the statue is good looking," he said. When the interviews ended, Marino stepped off the stage at the front of the room and out of the spotlight. Friends and family were waiting, and Clayton greeted him with a hug. "Welcome to retirement," Clayton said. "It's not bad, is it?" Claire Marino asked. Dan Marino didn't answer.
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