American Football: Young and Marino named to NFL Hall of Fame

CANTON, Ohio : Dan Marino and Steve Young, the NFL's all-time leader in passing efficiency, were elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility on Sunday.
Two other two players inducted on Sunday quarterback Benny Friedman and running back Fritz Pollard, who also was the first black coach in NFL history.
Friedman died in 1982 and Pollard died in 1986.
The honour for Marino comes more than 20 years after he played in his only Super Bowl with the Miami Dolphins. He lost that game to Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers.
"We didn't win a Super Bowl game together and that is something I will always regret not knowing what that feels like," Marino said.
"But Don Shula and I have won more games together than any quarterback-coach combination in the history of the NFL and that is something I am very proud of."
While Montana denied Marino a Super Bowl ring, Young succeeded Montana as the Niners' quarterback and set a Super Bowl record with six touchdown passes in a 49-26 rout of San Diego in January 1995.
"When I first came to San Francisco I realised I was watching Michelangelo in Joe Montana," Young said.
"I was drawn to the inevitable challenge to live up to that I was witnessing. I had to rise to a new standard of performance that Joe had set."
Marino and Young could not have been more different. Marino was the ideal pocket passer with the big arm. Young was known for his scrambling ability, yet mastered the West Coast offence and retired with the highest passer rating in league history (96.8).
Marino selected his oldest son Daniel for his induction speech while Young bestowed the honour to his father, LeGrande "Grit" Young.
The 6-4 Marino rewrote the NFL record book in his 17-year career with the Dolphins.
His total of 61,361 passing yards is 9,886 yards more than Hall of Famer John Elway, who is second all-time.
Both were from the famed quarterback class of 1983, which also featured Hall of Famer Jim Kelly. But Marino was the last quarterback selected in the first round.
"I want to thank those 26 teams for passing on me (in the draft)," Marino said. -

AFP