Athletes sometimes find themselves in the right place at the right time.
In 2000, Trent Dilfer joined the Baltimore Ravens after six seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
#Buccaneers QB Trent Dilfer warms up for a December 1994 game against the #Redskins pic.twitter.com/Fz6HJmIamN
— Quarterback Club (@TheNewQBClub) March 18, 2016
He had been a first-round selection for the Bucs in 1994 yet failed to live up to his lofty expectations.
Baltimore didn’t care less that Dilfer had only one Pro Bowl appearance to his credit when he joined them.
The Ravens had a very good defense and just needed a reliable backup quarterback.
As it turned out, everything came up roses that season for Dilfer and Baltimore.
After taking over as the starter part way through the year, Dilfer and the Ravens won a then franchise-best 12 games.
The team advanced to Super Bowl XXXV where it thoroughly demolished the New York Giants.
Dilfer was surprisingly not re-signed by the Ravens in 2001 and spent the next seven years with three different teams.
He then retired and became a high school and college football coach.
This is the story of Trent Dilfer.
Diamond in the Rough
Trent Farris Dilfer was born on March 13, 1972, in Santa Cruz, California.
Born this Day: Trent Dilfer#GoBucs 1994-1999#Ravens 2000#Seahawks 2001-2004#Browns 2005#49ers 2007
1x Pro Bowl
1x Super Bowl Champion20518 Pass Yds
113 Pass TD
853 Rush Yds
5 Rush TD pic.twitter.com/Dogx2yHNVX— 90's Football Guy (@sconiesportsguy) March 13, 2023
He was fortunate to be raised by parents who were former athletes and who encouraged their son to participate in sports.
Dilfer’s father, Frank, was a football, rugby and track athlete in his younger days and Marcie Dilfer was a gymnast.
“He was immersed in sports,” said his mother. “He’s just been surrounded by sports since the time he could walk.”
Frank Dilfer eventually landed a job as a football coach at Aptos High School and Cabrillo College.
“I grew up around football,” Dilfer said in 1992. “When Frank was coaching, I was the ballboy.”
Although he was a talented golf and basketball player at Aptos High School (receiving Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League Player of the Year awards for both sports) Dilfer gravitated toward football and became a quarterback.
Aptos High alumnus Trent Dilfer with the coin toss before Aptos and Valley Christian battle in the D-3 Open semifinal. #RPsports pic.twitter.com/Sej0XGJ0ow
— Tony Nuñez (@Tony_Nunez) November 19, 2016
However, the offensive system run by the Mariners was run-based, meaning precious few opportunities for Dilfer to show off his arm.
In his senior year, Dilfer only passed the ball 147 times, completing 70 for 1,126 yards and 15 touchdowns.
“We wouldn’t have won if we had dropped back and thrown the ball,” said Dilfer. “We didn’t have good enough receivers and we didn’t have a good enough line, so (Coach Jamie Townsend) put in an offense where we could win. And I wouldn’t change that.”
The Bulldogs Show Interest
By the end of his senior year, Dilfer was 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds and had been named second-team all-league for his gridiron play.
Most college recruiters, especially those from Utah, Oregon, Utah State, and Colorado State, viewed Dilfer as a tight end or linebacker.
30 years. That's how long it's been since Wyoming has claimed a conference crown. The Pokes knocked off Trent Dilfer and Fresno State to make that happen. In the end, though, UW shared the WAC title with BYU and those pesky 'Dogs.#7220sportshttps://t.co/pVdLecLkKW
— 7220sports (@7220sports) October 7, 2023
The idea of moving to either position made Dilfer sick and he told coaches he was only going to play quarterback at the next level.
“I just knew I could,” Dilfer said. “I have tremendous confidence in my athletic ability. Anything I’ve been taught how to do, I’ve been able to do it well. It was just a matter of teaching me.”
Fresno State offensive coordinator Rich Olson agreed with Dilfer.
“I felt like I had a diamond in the rough,” Olson said. “He was in an option offense–he might have thrown 10 or 12 passes a game–but it was enough to see that he had an excellent throwing motion and he had the ability to make big plays.”
The Bulldogs were less than three hours away and Dilfer committed to the program that in turn committed to letting him play quarterback.
Dilfer Climbs the Depth Chart
When he arrived at Fresno State in 1990, Dilfer was already ninth on the quarterback depth chart.
He redshirted his first year while the Bulldogs went 8-2-1.
In 1991, Dilfer climbed the depth chart and started four games and played in five others, compiling 832 passing yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions for 10-2 FSU.
Before the 1992 season, head coach Jim Sweeney moved Dilfer to the starting spot just in time for the program to leap from the Big West to the run-and-gun Western Athletic Conference.
“The success of Fresno State University is tied to Trent Dilfer’s productivity,” Sweeney told the media.
Dilfer’s powerful arm paced the Bulldogs with 2,836 yards, 21 touchdowns and 14 picks.
Assets 4-Sport Series $2. Trent Dilfer Football Bulldogs #12 SPECIMEN Phone Card https://t.co/lPFb9Ro6CW pic.twitter.com/EkUJt0Pef0
— john edwardson (@johnsicurella) November 7, 2018
FSU went 9-4 and crushed USC in the Freedom Bowl, 24-7.
After the regular season, Dilfer was named to the first-team All-WAC list.
1993
As the 1993 season dawned, Dilfer knew he could hang with the best quarterbacks in the college game.
“All of us Division I quarterbacks can throw the ball pretty much the same,” Dilfer said. “What makes the difference is how we are under pressure, how well we make decisions, how quickly we make decisions and how poised we are.”
Dilfer handled the pressure with aplomb, guiding the Bulldogs to an 8-4 record before getting tripped up by the Colorado Buffaloes in the Aloha Bowl, 41-30 (Dilfer passed for a bowl-record 523 yards in the loss).
Along the way, he threw for 3,276 yards, 28 touchdowns and just four interceptions for a career-best 173.1 efficiency rating.
𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿 '𝗗𝗼𝗴𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝗼𝘄𝗹 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸:
As starting quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens, Bulldog alum Trent Dilfer earned a ring in Super Bowl XXXV#TBT | #BulldogBornBulldogBred pic.twitter.com/1zLBryJytV
— Fresno State Football (@FresnoStateFB) February 5, 2021
Dilfer also made national headlines by making 271 throws without an interception.
It was an NCAA record until 2007.
He was named first-team All-WAC for the second time, selected as the WAC Offensive Player of the Year, chosen as a first-team All-American and picked for the Sammy Baugh Trophy as the nation’s top collegiate passer.
During his career at FSU, Dilfer passed for 6,944 yards, 51 touchdowns, and 21 interceptions and rushed for 195 yards and eight scores.
Years later, Fresno State would retire Dilfer’s number 12 and induct him into the Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009.
Mel Kiper Jr. Gets Testy
Dilfer could have returned for his senior year but elected to make himself eligible for the 1994 NFL Draft.
His decision propelled Dilfer to the top of the list for draft-eligible quarterbacks along with Tennessee’s Heath Shuler.
Before the event began, Indianapolis Colts general manager Bill Tobin traded quarterback Jeff George to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for the seventh overall pick.
That gave Indy the 2nd and 7th selections in the first round.
Tobin took San Diego State running back Marshall Faulk with their first pick.
Minutes later, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. stated that the team had to grab a quarterback when the Colts traded up to the fifth spot.
Instead, Tobin took Nebraska linebacker Trev Alberts.
On this day 28 years ago: Mel Kiper Jr. ripped the #Colts for passing on QB Trent Dilfer twice in the top-10.#Colts GM Bill Tobin then fired back: "Who in the hell is Mel Kiper anyway?"
One of the greatest draft moments ever.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) April 24, 2022
Kiper went ballistic, firmly believing that the team made a mistake not drafting Dilfer (Shuler was the third overall pick by Washington).
“I think it was a typical Colts move,” Kiper said to host Chris Berman. “The Colts needed a quarterback. To pass up a Trent Dilfer when all you have is Jim Harbaugh — give me a break. That’s why the Colts are picking second every year in the draft and not battling for the Super Bowl like other clubs in the National Football League.”
When Kiper’s comments were shared with Tobin, the general manager dismissed the analyst.
“Who in the hell is Mel Kiper anyway?” asked Tobin. “Here’s a guy that criticizes everybody, whoever they take. He’s got the answers to who you should take and who you shouldn’t take. And my knowledge of him: he’s never ever put on a jock strap, he’s never been a coach, he’s never been a scout, he’s been an administrator and all of a sudden he’s an expert.”
One pick later, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Dilfer at number six.
On this date, Bulldog LEGEND @DilfersDimes would be drafted 6th Overall by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1994 NFL Draft. Trent Dilfer would go on to have a 14-year NFL Career, and win a Super Bowl with the Ravens in 2000. #BulldogBornBulldogBred pic.twitter.com/7zc9VyjKyL
— Fresno State FB Recruiting (@DogWiredDudes) April 24, 2020
For the record, Faulk was eventually inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Alberts lasted three years in the NFL and Shuler stuck around for five years with two teams.
The Colts and “Captain Comeback” Harbaugh went 8-8 in 1994 before a magical run to the 1995 AFC Championship game.
Tobin passed away on April 19, 2024.
Buccaneer Blues
Dilfer arrived as a savior for Tampa Bay in 1994.
At the time, the franchise had not been to the postseason since 1982.
In 1993, Craig Erickson was the Bucs’ starter and played well, having thrown for over 3,000 yards and 18 touchdowns.
However, head coach Sam Wyche couldn’t help himself and benched Erickson in favor of Dilfer in Week 8 of 1994 against San Francisco.
Playing in front of family and friends, Dilfer was humbled by completing 23 passes for only 45 yards in a 41-16 loss.
Dilfer started one more time and ended his rookie year with 433 passing yards, one touchdown and six interceptions as Tampa Bay went 6-10.
The following year, Erickson was sent to Indianapolis and Dilfer was named the starter.
#Buccaneers QB Trent Dilfer and #Patriots QB Drew Bledsoe shake hands pic.twitter.com/EP9iaIFcjX
— Quarterback Club (@TheNewQBClub) February 12, 2016
Tampa Bay won seven games, but Dilfer was fodder for Bucs fans and the national media when he threw four touchdowns against 18 picks.
Things got even worse when he threw a punch at Vikings defensive lineman John Randle during a game and was ejected.
Definition of a Moron – Sub-Par QB Trent Dilfer tries to fight Vikings HOF DT John Randle. Look at the restraint of Randle to avoid a penalty or ejection vs what would have been an overmatched Dilfer @johnnyrandle93 pic.twitter.com/ELRlayKqbs
— VikeFans (@VikeFans) August 10, 2022
That was the first time in league history a quarterback was ejected from a contest.
“I’ve been ridiculed, ripped and mocked,” Dilfer said in 1997. “I became a joke around the league because I threw four touchdown passes and 18 interceptions in an entire season [1995]. And I laughed, too, because it was funny–four touchdown passes!–and because it’ll never happen again.”
Indeed, Dilfer slightly improved in 1996 when he had 12 touchdowns and 19 interceptions, decreasing his interception percentage from 4.3 the year before to 3.9 in ‘96.
Pro Bowl
Former Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator, Tony Dungy, became the Bucs head coach before the 1996 season.
Dungy sat Dilfer down and had a long talk, telling the former first-rounder that he would have to fight for the starter’s job in training camp.
The coach also assured Dilfer that whoever won the starting job would keep it no matter what.
Dilfer was more than ready for the challenge and started every game in 1996 and 1997.
“I plan to become great,” he told Sports Illustrated, “but how can you appreciate greatness if you’ve never experienced the worst? I would not change one thing about the last three years because the adversity has made me such a better person and football player.”
Dilfer led the team to a 5-0 start in ‘97.
Then, after losing three straight, Tampa Bay ended the year 10-6 and qualified for the playoffs.
In 1997, Trent Dilfer became the first @TBBuccaneers quarterback to ever go to the Pro Bowl pic.twitter.com/K6bxjAXvPA
— fetchrocket✨ (@fetchrocket) October 12, 2018
Dilfer was selected for his only career Pro Bowl (the first Bucs QB in history to be selected for the event) on the strength of 2,555 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 11 picks.
The Bucs beat Detroit in the wild-card round before succumbing to Green Bay in the divisional round.
Dilfer is Shown the Door
In 1998, Dilfer passed for over 2,700 yards, 21 touchdowns and 15 interceptions while Tampa Bay regressed to 8-8.
Then, in 1999, with a roster that included Warren Sapp, John Lynch, Mike Alstott, and Warrick Dunn, Dilfer started the year 7-3 before breaking his clavicle against Kansas City.
Rookie quarterback Shaun King took over and guided the team to an 11-5 record, the most regular season wins in franchise history at the time.
Buccaneers QBs Shaun King and Trent Dilfer pic.twitter.com/iSovGHpk87
— Quarterback Club (@TheNewQBClub) December 11, 2015
With King at the helm, Tampa Bay beat Washington in the divisional round before losing a close NFC Championship to the St. Louis Rams, 11-6.
Only two days after the loss, the organization announced that it was not going to extend Dilfer’s contract.
“While I am disappointed that I will not be able to meet my goal of playing my entire career in Tampa, I am pleased by the Bucs’ decision to not exercise the option on my contract,” Dilfer said in a statement. “Given the situation that exists here in Tampa, I agree with the Bucs that it is best for everyone that I be permitted to move on to another team.”
Baltimore Signs Dilfer
In early March of 2000, the Baltimore Ravens signed Dilfer as a backup to starter Tony Banks.
The franchise was only a few years old, having arrived in the city in 1996 as the former Cleveland Browns and rebranded.
Before the 1999 season, the club hired former Vikings offensive coordinator Brian Billick as its head coach and an 8-8 record ensued.
Still, Baltimore had drafted well and the 2000 roster included rookie Jamal Lewis and veterans Jonathan Ogden and Ray Lewis.
Initially, the Ravens started hot, winning five of its first six games.
Then, Banks and the offense suddenly couldn’t find the endzone and only mustered five field goals in a three-game losing streak.
Trent Dilfer in 2000:
• 1502 passing yards
• 12 TD
• 11 INT pic.twitter.com/r2RCAcLFkL— RAMEY (@HoodieRamey) February 6, 2023
During that period, Billick pulled Banks in favor of Dilfer.
Beginning in Week 10, Dilfer guided the Ravens to a perfect 7-0 finish, and along the way, he passed for 1,502 yards, 12 touchdowns and 11 picks.
Although the team won a then-franchise-record 12 games, it qualified as a wild card team and beat Denver, Tennessee, and the Raiders in the first three rounds, the last two games coming on the road.
Remarkably, the team then traveled to Dilfer’s old stomping grounds, Tampa Bay, for Super Bowl XXXV.
With the Super Bowl around the corner, we're excited to share this great conversation we had with former SB Champ Trent Dilfer. https://t.co/qEpRj9dq1i #TheQBpodcast #Aptos #FresnoState #Ravens #Buccaneers #SuoerBowl #Elite11 #QBmindset pic.twitter.com/Lq9Htj0bWZ
— The QB podcast (@theqbpodcast) January 18, 2019
While in town, the quarterback explained that he had to put his turbulent career with the Bucs behind him to perform his best as a Raven.
“You can’t get too caught up in what people think about you. You have to make sure that your ambition is to do the job the best you can and hope and trust that people will judge you for that,” he said.
In the Super Bowl, Dilfer and Baltimore demolished the New York Giants, 34-7.
Dilfer completed 12 passes for 153 yards and a first-quarter touchdown to receiver Brandon Stokley.
The Ravens Let Dilfer Walk
Dilfer may have helped Baltimore win a Super Bowl, but that didn’t mean the team was going to keep him.
During the 2000 season, Dilfer was still plagued by the clavicle injury he sustained while playing for Tampa Bay in 1999.
In the postseason run to the title, he completed just 47.9% of his passes, leading many pundits to give Dilfer the dreaded “game manager” label.
Trent Dilfer won SB 35 for the Ravens in 2001 pic.twitter.com/0pv9r14Yml
— Malakeh Atallah☪️ (@Amanda340300021) December 28, 2023
Two weeks after the Super Bowl, the Ravens let Dilfer go and signed former Chiefs quarterback Elvis Grbac and Dallas signal-caller Randall Cunningham.
The decision made Dilfer the only quarterback to leave a Super Bowl-winning team a season after winning a championship.
Years later, Dilfer and his former teammates were still angry that the Baltimore front office didn’t re-sign him.
“I felt betrayed by them letting Trent go,” defensive tackle Sam Adams said in 2021. “I was hurt by that. He was a great leader, he was a scrapper, and he was the consummate Baltimore Raven. If it wasn’t for Trent Dilfer — I don’t care what we did on defense — if it wasn’t for him coming in doing what he did, we would have never won a Super Bowl.”
By the end of March 2001, Dilfer had yet to be signed and the league was divided about his ability.
“He’s got a strong arm, and he’s a decent athlete,” said the personnel director for one AFC team, “but he’s not a real accurate thrower, and he doesn’t make good decisions.”
It wasn’t until early August that the Seattle Seahawks reached out and signed Dilfer to back up starter Matt Hasselbeck.
Dilfer Grieves the Loss of His Son
Dilfer was primarily Hasselbeck’s backup through the 2004 season (although he was the starter for six games in 2002).
The two formed a tight connection even though Dilfer only had 12 total starts in four years.
Trent Dilfer talked about how Matt Hasselbeck helped him during the passing of his 5 year old son Trevin in Seattle, during a make or break year for Matt:
"I thought a lot about my goals this season, and my #1 goal this year is to be the best friend you've ever had" pic.twitter.com/eG42xGppMe
— Sir Yacht (@SirYacht_) June 3, 2023
That bond was made even more strong when Dilfer’s five-year-old son, Trevin, died on April 27, 2003, of heart disease.
“The entire week we were faced with the decision: do we just let the machine die that’s keeping him alive, or, as the doctors put it, do the most merciful thing?” Dilfer told ESPN’s Andrea Kremer. “And, the most loving thing to do at that point, was to just say goodbye in a way that we felt was best.”
In 2012, Dilfer explained that it was Hasselbeck who pulled him back from the brink of despair.
“[Hasselbeck was] walking me through the most difficult time of my life. I mean I was a mess,” Dilfer said, via USA Today. “I’ll be very transparent. I mean I was 265 pounds and drinking myself to sleep. I’m depressed, my wife’s going, ‘What’s going on?’ And it’s that guy, Matthew Hasselbeck, that says, ‘This is over. I love you too much to let you do this to yourself. You need to come back up to Seattle.’ And I credit Matthew Hasselbeck for the type of father I am, the type of husband I am, because he really saved my life in 2003.”
Dilfer returned to football in 2004 and started two games while the Seahawks went 9-7 and lost in the wild-card round to the Rams.
Dilfer Retires
In the spring of 2005, Seattle traded Dilfer to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a draft pick.
Cleveland selected quarterback Charlie Frye in the 2005 NFL Draft and also signed former Raven Derek Anderson.
The Browns’ idea in signing Dilfer was to have him tutor Frye.
Dilfer ended up starting for the team.
Trent Dilfer days until Browns football!! 👊🤎🧡👊 pic.twitter.com/yxMXwPKjpH
— Steve Dzanko #D4L (@DzankoSteve) September 4, 2021
He started 11 games and went 4-7 while passing for 2,321 yards, 11 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Cleveland then traded him to San Francisco the following May but Dilfer didn’t play in 2006.
One year later, Niners starter Alex Smith went down with a serious shoulder injury and Dilfer took over.
In six starts, he won only one contest and passed for 1,166 yards, seven touchdowns and 12 picks total.
Then, in July 2008, Dilfer announced his retirement.
During his career, Dilfer passed for 20,518 yards, 113 touchdowns, 129 interceptions, and rushed for 853 yards and five scores.
He was a one-time Pro Bowler and won a Super Bowl with Baltimore.
In 2003, Dilfer received the Steve Largent Award and Bart Starr Award for his character and leadership with his team and in the community.
Life Since Retirement
Shortly after retiring, Dilfer became a broadcaster with the NFL Network and then with ESPN.
In 2017, the network cut its budget by dismissing several analysts including Dilfer.
He then made his way to coaching full-time, first as the head coach at Lipscomb Academy, a high school in Tennessee.
Wow, a Nashville high school just hired Trent Dilfer as its head football coach. https://t.co/Csdo3hKGHF
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) January 18, 2019
Four years at Lipscomb produced a 44-10 overall record and two of three Division II, Class AA state titles.
Dilfer was then hired in 2022 to become the head coach at the University of Alabama-Birmingham (UAB).
Former NFL TV analyst Trent Dilfer is now the head coach at UAB… and he's losing his mind on the sidelines. 🏈😡pic.twitter.com/xMTtzMdNUQ
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) September 30, 2023
His first year as the head coach of the Blazers in 2023 brought some controversy and also a 4-8 record.
When he’s not coaching football, Dilfer spends time with his wife, Cassandra, and their three daughters.
References
https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-12-26-sp-2230-story.html
https://www.seattletimes.com/sports/dilfer-traded-for-draft-pick/
https://www.sportscasting.com/what-happened-to-super-bowl-winning-quarterback-trent-dilfer/
https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/trent-dilfer-1.html
https://www.buccaneers.com/news/exclusive-trent-dilfer-returns-2183069
https://www.buccaneers.com/news/decision-made-on-dilfer-2180825
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/players/D/DilfTr00.htm
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