NFL notes: Marino, Young highlight Hall

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. - NFL Football -
And that's exactly what he did, wrapping up his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in the best way possible: 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 setting all his records.
"I'll remember this day for the rest of my life," Marino said.
Marino joined Steve Young, Fritz Pollard and Benny Friedman in the shrine.
"This is a proud day not only for me but the entire Marino family, and I'm blessed you are all here," he said. - NFL Football -
Young suggested it was the first time only quarterbacks entered the Hall in one class, and he was partly right. Pollard was a running back who sometimes played QB.
While Marino and Young had diverse styles, they both 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 touchdowns. His record of 48 TD passes in the 1984 season, when he was MVP, was broken by Peyton Manning last year.
The only achievement Marino didn't reach that Young did was winning a title. Young, the 1992 and '94 league MVP after taking over for Montana in San Francisco, and the career passing efficiency leader, guided the 49ers to the '94 championship. He also is the first left-handed QB in the Hall. - NFL Football -
"I can taste the pride I felt to be able to put on a 49ers jersey and represent the great city of San Francisco," Young said. "In San Francisco, I found football in its newly enlightened form. I found heaven on Earth for football."
Young began his career in the USFL with the Los Angeles Express, followed by two seasons with the Buccaneers before Bill Walsh acquired him in 1987. It wasn't until Montana was injured in 1991 that Young became the starter.
He never looked back. - NFL Football -
"I just remember him being an outstanding football player," said Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren, who first coached Young at Brigham Young. "I mean, he had it all. He was the total package."
Pollard, like Friedman, was a pro football pioneer and the first black NFL head coach.
Pollard is among the most important minority figures in football history, a man who seemed to open the door for black athletes in his sport, only to see it slammed shut from 1934 until 1946.
Friedman, who died in 1982, probably was the first great pro passer, and his 20 TD throws in 1929 were considered phenomenal because the ball he threw barely resembled the modern football. The record stood for 14 years. - NFL Football -

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