Trent Dilfer

At 52 years old, Trent Dilfer has this physical status:

Trent Farris Dilfer (born March 13, 1972) is a retired American football quarterback and analyst who played 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL).

He is best known as the starting quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens during their Super Bowl-winning season in 2000 and his time with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Dilfer was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first round of the 1994 NFL Draft and spent six years with the team.

Dilfer, a 2000 recruit, signed with the Ravens as a back-up and became the team's starter midway through the season.

In Super Bowl XXV, his time with the Ravens brought the franchise's first Super Bowl victory over the New York Giants.

Despite the championship, Dilfer was not re-signed by the Ravens, becoming the first starting quarterback to be released after a Super Bowl victory.

Dilfer spent four years with the Seattle Seahawks, primarily as a back-up, and had brief stints with the Cleveland Browns and the San Francisco 49ers before retiring in 2008.

Dilfer was hired by ESPN as an NFL analyst shortly after announcing his resignation, a position he held until 2017.

He is also the head coach of Elite 11, a quarterback training camp that features 24 of the country's best high school quarterbacks in a 49-day training camp, and he has whittled down to 11.

Dilfer was named Head Football Coach at Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, Tennessee, on January 18, 2019.

Early years

Dilfer attended Aptos High School in Aptos, California.

Personal life

Dilfer and his family live in Saratoga, California, near San Francisco Bay. He is married to Cassandra Dilfer, a former Fresno State swimmer, and they have four children together. On April 27, 2003, their only son died of heart disease at the age of five. Both three living daughters were or were college volleyball players; Maddie, the oldest, was a student at Notre Dame and Pepperdine; middle daughter Tori played at TCU and Louisville; and youngest daughter Delaney completed her freshman (first) season at Lipscomb in 2021.

Dilfer made his first public remarks about his family's death on June 2, 2003, as he still mourned. Aptos High School, Dilfer's alma mater, has named Trevin Dilfer Field as their football field.

During his time with the Seahawks, Dilfer admitted to weighing 265 pounds and was drinking himself to sleep. This was about losing his son and how Matt Hasselbeck helped him recover.

Dilfer is a Christian. "Trent Dilfer has been saved by Jesus Christ," He said. And all of the other stuff really doesn't matter. My value comes from there, and that's why I can bear being mocked in the media. That's why I'm able to deal with people calling radio shows and lying about me. That's why I can cope with some of the challenging situations I face, and that's why I'm so good at it."

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College career

Dilfer played quarterback for 2+12 seasons at Fresno State, starting at quarterback for 2+1 years. Dilfer has helped Fresno State win or share the conference championship for three years in a row, and he has appeared in two bowl games. Dilfer led the nation in pass efficiency in his junior season, winning the WAC Offensive Player of the Year Award. He also set a new school record for consecutive pass attempts without an interceptor (271) that stood up to 2007 until Kentucky quarterback Andre Woodson broke it. He then declared himself draft eligible for 1994 after avoiding his senior season. He also received the Sammy Baugh Trophy for top collegiate passer.

Professional career

After Heath Shuler and ahead of Perry Klein) in his junior season at Fresno State, 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) and the second quarterback draft draft overall, as Dilfer's second quarterback taken in the draft. When the Indianapolis Colts accepted Dilfer in the draft in favour of Trev Alberts, ESPN Draft specialist Mel Kiper, Jr., Jr. strongly opposed the team's decision. Bill Tobin, the Colts' chairman, responded on television by asking "Who in the hell is Mel Kiper" and criticizing Kiper's credentials to assess the draft. This chat is often portrayed as one of ESPN's best moments of draft coverage.

Dilfer, who saw spot service in his rookie year, struggled during what was still a rough stretch for the Buccaneers as a whole, throwing only four touchdown passes but 18 interceptions in 1995. He made modest strides by raising his touchdown production in the previous year, but he struggled to raise his turnover figures (recording a career-high 19).

The following season, Tampa's offense was aided by rookie Warrick Dunn's arrival and the emergence of Mike Alstott, Dilfer's first Tampa Bay quarterback to play in the Pro Bowl, according to some, it was a reward for a stringent season in the Buccaneers' limited offense. Dilfer finished with 2213 yards, 19 touchdowns, and five interceptions in the first 12 games of the year. However, Dilfer's results in his last four games were expected to decline. The Buccaneers defeated their NFC Central rivals, the Detroit Lions, before losing to their long-time division rivals, the Green Bay Packers, and defending Super Bowl champions. He played more games with the Buccaneers than any quarterback in franchise history, leading the team to their first playoff game in 15 years.

Dilfer was suspended for punching Vikings defensive lineman John Randle during a 1995 game against Minnesota at the Metrodome.

In both the 1997 and 1998 NFL seasons, Dilfer threw for 21 touchdowns with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Dilfer averaged 2,729 yards per season and had a total of 58 touchdowns. His inconsistent play continued into Week ten of 1999, when he was hospitalized largely, preventing him from the remainder of the season.

Dilfer signed with the Ravens on March 8, 2000, and became Tony Banks' backup. The Ravens replaced Banks with Dilfer after two weeks of losing and four weeks in a row without an offensive touchdown. For the fifth week in a row, the Ravens will lose their third straight game and fail to score a touchdown. It will be the last time the Ravens will miss a game of the season or go without a touchdown. The Ravens won seven straight to earn a wild card berth at 12–4 on the season. Dilfer's record as a starter also stood at 45-39.

Dilfer lost 3–0, and the Ravens advanced to Super Bowl XXV in Tampa, Florida, to the New York Giants, during the playoffs. With a 34–7 win, the Ravens captured their first Super Bowl title, complete with Dilfer's complete 12 of 25 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown. Despite the fact that one of Dilfer's passes was intercepted by linebacker Jessie Armstead and returned for a touchdown, the play was void due to a holding penalty against the Giants. "Dilfer wasn't a game manager quarterback for the Ravens this season," the Los Angeles Times referred to him as a game manager quarterback: "He wasn't elite, but he didn't make costly mistakes" and was aided by a dominant defense." Dilfer was not re-signed by the Ravens, making him the only quarterback to be allowed to play after winning a Super Bowl.

In a 2021 interview, Dilfer confessed that he was already resentful about the Ravens' removal of him, despite the fact that he suffered from injury throughout the season. Elvis Grbac, the Ravens' successor, was also chastised for poor attendance.

The Seattle Seahawks signed Dilfer as a backup quarterback to starter Matt Hasselbeck on August 3, 2001. In week three against the Oakland Raiders, Dilfer saw his first action after Hasselbeck sustained his groin. Dilfer started and won the next two games before being recalled by a fit Hasselbeck. When Hasselbeck failed, Dilfer appeared in a relief role against the Washington Redskins. When Hasselbeck sustained a fractured left shoulder, he resumed as the starter. Dilfer appeared in the final two games of the season and Seattle in the playoff hunt, winning both games. In two three-point victories, he ended the season by throwing five touchdowns and two interceptions. The AFC (they were still in the AFC in 2001) wild-card hopes came to an end when the Ravens (Dilfer's former team the year before) defeated the Minnesota Vikings 19–3. Dilfer's passer rating at the end of the season was 92.0, and he had won 15 straight starts with a 4-0 record with Seattle.

Partially because Hasselbeck, Seattle's starting quarterback, was coming off a season where he went 5-7 as a starter and threw eight interceptions and seven touchdowns, the Seattle Seahawks' starting quarterback was drafted as the starter in practice camp on March 1st. Dilfer's medial collateral ligament ligament damage in his right knee strained it in an exhibition game against Indianapolis. Dilfer's starting job to Hasselbeck was cut due to the injury. With a 13–24 loss, Dilfer returned to the starting position against the Arizona Cardinals on Week 2. On the synthetic turf at Texas Stadium, he sustained a season-ending torn Achilles tendon against the Dallas Cowboys on October 28, 2002. The Seahawks were 2-5 at that time in the season.

Dilfer served little in a relief capacity in 2003, and was mainly used to coach Hasselbeck.

In 2004, Dilfer played in only two games and won them both: November 28 versus the Miami Dolphins, 24-21; and December 26 against the Arizona Cardinals, 24-21.

Since being close friends together in Seattle, Hasselbeck and Dilfer have been close.

In March 2005, Dilfer was traded to the Cleveland Browns, where it was hoped he would coach rookie quarterback Charlie Frye. The intention was to bring Frye into the lineup under the veteran's tutelage, but Dilfer's expulsion from Cleveland almost immediately. Dilfer recorded 2,321 yards and 11 touchdowns in his lone season with the Browns, tossing 12 interceptions and fumbling 9 times. His passer rating was 79.99 percent. He did however have the highest completion rate of his career, at 59.8 percent. The Browns will be down to 6–10.

In May 2006, Dilfer was traded to the San Francisco 49ers, this time to act as a mentor to Alex Smith, the 2005 first round draft pick. In exchange, the Browns gave Ken Dorsey and a 7th round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft. Former 49ers quarterback John Brodie, Dilfer's close friend, received permission from Brodie and the 49ers to wear his retired number 12 in favor of Brodie's Pro Football Hall of Fame in the future.

Following Smith's grade three shoulder separation, Dilfer took over from Alex Smith on September 30, 2007. He will start for the 49ers in games against the Seahawks, Ravens, and Giants before losing the starting position to Smith. However, with Smith's return to action after surgery, coach Mike Nolan announced on November 14, 2007, that Dilfer would be the starting quarterback. In overtime victory over the Cardinals and against the Panthers, Dilfer will get off to start in games against the Rams. Dilfer sustained a head injury while diving for a 1st down on the 4th and 2nd down on December 9, taking him out of the game and then the season. Shaun Hill, a third string backup, was able to replace him.

On July 9, 2008, Dilfer officially announced his retirement. Despite the fact that he sustained an Achilles tendon injury while playing basketball earlier in the offseason with his wife, Dilfer said he was going to retire anyway.

Dilfer was inducted into the Fresno County Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009.

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