Trent Dilfer
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| Trent Dilfer | |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | March 13, 1972 (age 35) |
| Place of birth |  Santa Cruz, California |
| Position(s) | Quarterback |
| College | Fresno State |
| NFL Draft | 1994 / Round 1 / Pick 6 |
| Career Highlights | |
| Pro Bowls | 1998 |
| Honors | 1 Super Bowl ring |
| Stats | |
| Statistics | |
| Team(s) | |
| 1994–1999 2000 2001–2004 2005 2006-present |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Baltimore Ravens Seattle Seahawks Cleveland Browns San Francisco 49ers |
Trent Farris Dilfer (born March 13, 1972 in Santa Cruz, California) is an American football quarterback who currently plays for the San Francisco 49ers of the NFL. He previously played for the Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was traded from the Cleveland Browns in May 2006 for former 49ers quarterback Ken Dorsey to be Alex Smith's mentor backup.
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[edit] Early life and family
Dilfer attended Aptos High School in California, and upon graduation attended Fresno State. As a starter for 2 1/2 seasons for the Bulldogs, Dilfer helped Fresno State win or share the conference title for three straight seasons, and started in two bowl games. In his junior season, Dilfer led the nation in pass efficiency en route to being named the WAC Offensive Player of the Year. He would then forego his senior season to declare himself eligible for the 1994 NFL Draft. [1]
He is married to Cassandra Dilfer, a former Fresno State swimmer, and they have three daughters (Madeline, Victoria & Delaney) and a son, now deceased (Trevin).
On April 27, 2003, the Dilfers lost their son in a California hospital after a 40-day battle with heart disease at the age of 5. On June 2, 2003 Trent made his first public comments regarding his family's loss and, still grieving, openly wept.
[edit] Professional career
[edit] Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Dilfer's professional football career began when he was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with their 1st pick in the 1994 NFL Draft (6th overall) after his junior season at Fresno State.
Enlisted as the starter in his second year, after seeing spot duty in his rookie year, Dilfer struggled during what was still a dark period for the Buccaneers as a whole, when in 1995 he threw only 4 TD passes but 18 interceptions. The following year, he showed moderate improvement by upping his TD production, but failed to improve his turnover numbers (recording a career-high 19).
The following season, a year that Tampa's offense was aided by the arrival of rookie Warrick Dunn and the emergence of Mike Alstott, Dilfer was the first Tampa Bay quarterback to ever go to the Pro Bowl, which some say was a reward for a highly efficient season in the Buccaneers' limited offense. In the first 12 games of that year Dilfer passed for 2213 yards, 19 touchdowns and five interceptions. However, Dilfer's performance was perceived to decline in his last four games. In the playoffs the Buccaneers defeated their NFC Central rivals, the Detroit Lions, before losing to their long-time division rivals, and defending Super Bowl champions, the Green Bay Packers. While with the Bucs, he won more games than any quarterback in franchise history and took the team to their first playoff game in 15 years.
Dilfer threw for 21 touchdowns with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in both the 1997 and the 1998 NFL seasons. In the 1996-1999 NFL seasons, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dilfer averaged 2,729 yards a season and had a total of 58 touchdowns.
[edit] Baltimore Ravens
After the 1999 season, the Bucs granted unconditional free-agent status to Dilfer on 11 February 2000, rather than pay him a 4.6 million dollar bonus due in March. Also compounding matters was the collarbone injury suffered by Dilfer midseason in 1999 and the subesequent winning streak that coincided with the insertion of QB Shaun King into the lineup, with the Bucs going to the NFC Championship Game that season, and making Dilfer expendable.
Dilfer signed with the Ravens on March 8, 2000 and became the backup for Tony Banks. After two straight losses and four straight weeks without an offensive touchdown, Banks was replaced with Dilfer. The Ravens would lose their third straight game and fail to score a touchdown for the fifth straight week. It would be the last time the Ravens would lose that season, or go without a touchdown. The Ravens finished the season winning seven straight to earn a wild card berth at 12-4. The 7-1 run also gave Dilfer a 45-39 record as a starter at that point.
In the playoffs, Dilfer went 3-0, and the Ravens advanced to Super Bowl XXXV in Tampa to meet the New York Giants. Halfway through the first quarter Dilfer connected with Brandon Stokley on a deep post for a 38-yard touchdown, badly beating Jason Sehorn. A third down 44-yard pass to Qadry Ismail would set up a field goal before halftime, to give Baltimore a 10-0 lead. The Ravens eventually won easily, 34-7. Dilfer's game stats were 12 completions for 153 yards and 1 TD. Dilfer did the I'm Going to Disney World! commercial since game MVP Ray Lewis was seen as too controversial.
Perhaps surprisingly, Dilfer was released after the season. He was seen as a "caretaker" quarterback, due to the strength of the Ravens' defense, and head coach Brian Billick's run-heavy offense. He was replaced by Kansas City Chiefs' Pro Bowler Elvis Grbac, a somewhat controversial decision. In 2001 Grbac's passer rating was 5.5 points lower than Dilfer's was in 2000.
[edit] Seattle Seahawks
On August 3, 2001, the Seattle Seahawks signed Dilfer as a back-up quarterback to starter Matt Hasselbeck. Dilfer saw his first action when Hasselbeck injured his groin in week three against the Oakland Raiders. Dilfer started and won the next two games, before being replaced by a healthy Hasselbeck. Dilfer came on in a relief role against the Washington Redskins, when Hasselbeck struggled. He continued as the starter when Hasselbeck suffered a separated left shoulder. Dilfer started the final two games of the season, and with Seattle in the playoff hunt, won them both. He ended the season by throwing five touchdowns and two interceptions in two three-point victories. The Seahawks' AFC (they were still in the AFC in 2001) wild-card hopes ended when the Ravens beat the Minnesota Vikings 19-3 on Monday Night Football. At the end of the season, Dilfer's passer rating was 92.0 and he had won 15 straight starts.
Partially because the Seattle Seahawks' starting quarterback, Hasselbeck, was coming off a season where he went 5-7 as a starter and threw eight interceptions and seven touchdowns, Dilfer was re-signed by the team to a four-year deal on March 1, and was slated as the starter heading into training camp. However, in an exhibition game against Indianapolis, Dilfer sprained his medial collateral ligament in his right knee. With the injury, Dilfer lost the starting job to Hasselbeck. Dilfer returned to the starting position against the Arizona Cardinals with a 13-24 loss. On October 28, 2002, in week 8, he mysteriously suffered a season-ending torn achilles tendon against the Dallas Cowboys on the synthetic turf at Texas Stadium. At that point in the season, the Seahawks were 2-5.
In 2003, Dilfer played sparingly in a relief role, and was primarily used to mentor Hasselbeck.
In 2004, Dilfer started in only two games, and won them both: November 28 versus the Miami Dolphins, 24-17, and December 26 versus the Arizona Cardinals, 24-21.
[edit] Cleveland Browns
In March 2005, Dilfer was traded to the Cleveland Browns where he was named the starting quarterback for the 2005 NFL season and mentored rookie quarterback Charlie Frye. The Browns thought it would work out, working Charlie Frye slowly into the lineup, and having a veteren to tutor him, but Dilfer wanted out of Cleveland.
[edit] San Francisco 49ers
In May 2006, Dilfer was traded to the San Francisco 49ers to serve as a mentor to the 2005's Draft's #1 pick Alex Smith. In return, the Niners gave the Browns Ken Dorsey and a 7th round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft[2].
[edit] Charitable Contributions
Trent remains a very popular figure with Baltimore Ravens fans both for his play during the 2000 season and for his charitable activities.
Dilfer is considered one of the hardest-working and most down-to-earth players in the NFL, and is recognized as one of the best teammates and mentors in the game. Outside of football, he has a strong Christian faith, and continues to provide charity money and work in his spare time. He established TD4HIM, an organization in memory of Trevin, and he participates and hosts charity golf events to raise money for Aptos High.
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Craig Erickson |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Starting Quarterbacks 1995-1999 |
Succeeded by Shaun King |
| Preceded by Tony Banks |
Baltimore Ravens Starting Quarterbacks 2000 (with Tony Banks) |
Succeeded by Elvis Grbac |
| Preceded by Matt Hasselbeck |
Seattle Seahawks Starting Quarterbacks 2001-2004 |
Succeeded by Matt Hasselbeck |
| Preceded by Jeff Garcia Kelly Holcomb |
Cleveland Browns Starting Quarterbacks 2005 |
Succeeded by Charlie Frye |
Categories: 1972 births | American football quarterbacks | Baltimore Ravens players | Cleveland Browns players | Fresno State Bulldogs football players | Living people | National Conference Pro Bowl players | People from the San Francisco Bay Area | San Francisco 49ers players | Seattle Seahawks players | Tampa Bay Buccaneers players
