Don Strock
Encyclopedia
Don Strock is a former professional football
player who was the head coach of the Florida International University
football team from 2002–2006.
at Virginia Tech
, and graduated in 1973. In his senior season in 1972
, Strock led the nation in total passing and total offense, yet finished only ninth in voting for the Heisman Trophy
. The college game was then dominated by running backs; the 1972 Heisman went to wingback Johnny Rodgers
of Nebraska
.
To date, Strock still holds many collegiate football passing records at his alma mater
and was inducted into the Virginia Tech Athletics Hall of Fame in 1985.
as a quarterback
. A 5th round selection (111th overall pick) of the 1973 NFL Draft
, he spent the majority of his professional career with the Miami Dolphins
(1973–1987), and was mostly known for his role as a back-up to Hall-of Famers Bob Griese
in his first years with the team and Dan Marino
as he finished his career with the club. He also played one season with the Cleveland Browns
(1988) and part of a season on the roster of the Indianapolis Colts
(1989) before retiring as a player.
Strock was a member of the "taxi squad" during the 1973 season when the Dolphins won their second straight Super Bowl following the undefeated 1972–73 season. He was also a member of the Dolphin teams who played and lost in the 1983 and 1985 Super Bowls.
Strock is well-remembered for coming off the bench on January 2, 1982, for the Miami Dolphins
in an AFC Divisional Playoff Game against the San Diego Chargers
at the Miami Orange Bowl
. Strock led Miami from a 24–0 deficit to tie the score in the 3rd quarter. Ultimately, Miami lost the game to San Diego, 41–38, in overtime. The game is also remembered for the image of San Diego tight end
Kellen Winslow
being helped off the field by his teammates after the game while suffering from exhaustion. Strock finished the game with 29 of 43 completions for 403 yards and four touchdowns, with one interception. The game later became known as The Epic in Miami
and has entered NFL lore
as one of the greatest games ever in NFL history.
of the Arena Football League
for one season in 1993. The following season he moved on to be the head coach of the Massachusetts Marauders
and again only stayed for one season. He then moved on to be an assistant coach of the Rhein Fire
in the World League
during 1995 season. Between 1996–1998 seasons, he was the quarterbacks coach of the Baltimore Ravens
in the NFL.
On November 15, 2006 Strock resigned as head coach of the FIU Golden Panthers. Of his 15 career victories, none came during the 2006 campaign and only three of them came against Division I-A opponents. His resignation came after an 0–9 start and a much-publicized brawl against the University of Miami Hurricanes
caused 16 players from FIU to be suspended. His resignation became effective following FIU's last game against Troy University
on December 2, 2006.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player who was the head coach of the Florida International University
Florida International University
Florida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park...
football team from 2002–2006.
College
Strock played college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech Hokies football
The Virginia Tech Hokies football team is a college football program that competes in NCAA Division I-FBS, in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have more wins in team history than any other program in the ACC. Their home games are played at Lane Stadium which seats over...
, and graduated in 1973. In his senior season in 1972
1972 college football season
The 1972 college football season saw the USC Trojans, coached by John McKay, go undefeated and win the national championship as the unanimous choice of the fifty AP panelists...
, Strock led the nation in total passing and total offense, yet finished only ninth in voting for the Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
. The college game was then dominated by running backs; the 1972 Heisman went to wingback Johnny Rodgers
Johnny Rodgers
Johnny Steven Rodgers is a former American college football player voted the University of Nebraska's "Player of the Century" and the winner of the 1972 Heisman Trophy.-College career:...
of Nebraska
1972 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
The 1972 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team represented the University of Nebraska in the 1972 college football season. The team was coached by Bob Devaney and played their home games in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln.-Schedule:-Roster:...
.
To date, Strock still holds many collegiate football passing records at his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
and was inducted into the Virginia Tech Athletics Hall of Fame in 1985.
Professional
Strock played in the National Football LeagueNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
as a quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
. A 5th round selection (111th overall pick) of the 1973 NFL Draft
1973 NFL Draft
The 1973 National Football League Draft was held on January 30–31, 1973.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
, he spent the majority of his professional career with the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(1973–1987), and was mostly known for his role as a back-up to Hall-of Famers Bob Griese
Bob Griese
Robert Allen "Bob" Griese is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who earned All-American honors with the Purdue Boilermakers before being drafted in 1967 by the American Football League's Miami Dolphins...
in his first years with the team and Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
as he finished his career with the club. He also played one season with the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(1988) and part of a season on the roster of the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
(1989) before retiring as a player.
Strock was a member of the "taxi squad" during the 1973 season when the Dolphins won their second straight Super Bowl following the undefeated 1972–73 season. He was also a member of the Dolphin teams who played and lost in the 1983 and 1985 Super Bowls.
Strock is well-remembered for coming off the bench on January 2, 1982, for the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in an AFC Divisional Playoff Game against the San Diego Chargers
San Diego Chargers
The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego, California. they were members of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
at the Miami Orange Bowl
Miami Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl, formerly Burdine Stadium, was an outdoor athletic stadium in Miami, Florida, west of downtown in Little Havana. Considered a landmark, it was the home stadium for the Miami Hurricanes college football team...
. Strock led Miami from a 24–0 deficit to tie the score in the 3rd quarter. Ultimately, Miami lost the game to San Diego, 41–38, in overtime. The game is also remembered for the image of San Diego tight end
Tight end
The tight end is a position in American football on the offense. The tight end is often seen as a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide receiver. Like offensive linemen, they are usually lined up on the offensive line and are large enough to be...
Kellen Winslow
Kellen Winslow
Kellen Boswell Winslow is a former American football tight end with the Missouri Tigers and the San Diego Chargers. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest tight ends in the history of the game. He is currently the athletic director at Central State University.Winslow did not play high...
being helped off the field by his teammates after the game while suffering from exhaustion. Strock finished the game with 29 of 43 completions for 403 yards and four touchdowns, with one interception. The game later became known as The Epic in Miami
The Epic in Miami
The Epic in Miami is the name given to a National Football League AFC divisional playoff game between the San Diego Chargers and the Miami Dolphins that took place on January 2, 1982 in the Miami Orange Bowl...
and has entered NFL lore
National Football League lore
National Football League lore is a collection of information that NFL fans retain and share.Since the NFL was founded in 1920, it has grown from an informal network of teams based mostly in small towns and cities into the most popular and successful sports league in the United States...
as one of the greatest games ever in NFL history.
Every game with two 400 or more yard quarterbacks
| Rank | Quarterback | Date | Game | Attempts | Comp | Yards | TDs | INTs | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tom Brady Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League . After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls,... Chad Henne Chad Henne Chad Steven Henne is an American football quarterback for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League.He graduated from Wilson Senior High School and attended the University of Michigan... |
9/12/2011 | New England Patriots: 38 Miami Dolphins: 24 |
48 49 |
32 30 |
517 416 |
4 2 |
1 1 |
121.6 93.6 |
| Total: | 62 Points | 97 | 62 | 933 | 6 | 2 | |||
| 2 | Ken O'Brien Ken O'Brien Kenneth John O'Brien is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles. When he retired he was the only Jets quarterback to have ever been the top ranked passer in a season. He held the team record for most... Dan Marino Dan Marino Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League... |
9/21/1986 | New York Jets: 51 Miami Dolphins: 45 |
43 50 |
29 30 |
479 448 |
4 6 |
1 2 |
126.0 112.3 |
| Total: | 96 Points | 93 | 59 | 927 | 10 | 3 | |||
| 3 | Matt Schaub Matt Schaub Matthew Rutledge Schaub is the starting quarterback for the Houston Texans. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia.-College career:... Donovan McNabb Donovan McNabb Donovan Jamal McNabb is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He was the Philadelphia Eagles' quarterback from 1999 to 2009 and spent the 2010 season with the Washington Redskins and a portion of the 2011 season with the Minnesota Vikings. In college, McNabb played... |
9/19/2010 | Houston Texans: 30 Washington Redskins: 27 |
52 38 |
38 28 |
497 426 |
3 1 |
1 0 |
114.0 119.0 |
| Total: | 57 Points | 90 | 66 | 923 | 4 | 1 | |||
| 4 | Dan Marino Dan Marino Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League... Drew Bledsoe Drew Bledsoe Drew McQueen Bledsoe is a former football quarterback in the National Football League, best known as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots from 1993-2001. During the 1990s, he was considered the face of the Patriots franchise... |
9/4/1994 | Miami Dolphins: 39 New England Patriots: 35 |
42 51 |
23 32 |
473 421 |
5 4 |
1 2 |
124.3 96.6 |
| Total: | 74 Points | 93 | 55 | 894 | 9 | 3 | |||
| 5 | Jim Kelly Jim Kelly James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers.... Steve Young Steve Young Steve Young is an American football quarterback.Steve Young may also refer to:*Steve Young , country music singer, songwriter and guitarist*Steve Young , industrial rock music songwriter and guitarist... |
9/13/1992 | Buffalo Bills: 34 San Francisco 49ers: 31 |
33 37 |
22 26 |
403 449 |
3 3 |
1 1 |
126.2 127.0 |
| Total: | 65 Points | 70 | 48 | 852 | 6 | 2 | |||
| 6 | Dan Fouts Dan Fouts Daniel Francis Fouts is a retired Hall of Fame American football quarterback in the National Football League. Fouts played his entire professional career with the San Diego Chargers from 1973 through 1987... Ken Anderson |
12/20/1982 | San Diego Chargers: 50 Cincinnati Bengals: 34 |
40 56 |
25 40 |
435 416 |
1 2 |
2 1 |
87.0 97.0 |
| Total: | 84 Points | 96 | 65 | 851 | 3 | 3 | |||
| 7 | Dan Fouts Dan Fouts Daniel Francis Fouts is a retired Hall of Fame American football quarterback in the National Football League. Fouts played his entire professional career with the San Diego Chargers from 1973 through 1987... Don Strock Don Strock Don Strock is a former professional football player who was the head coach of the Florida International University football team from 2002–2006.-College:Strock played college football at Virginia Tech, and graduated in 1973... |
1/2/1982 | San Diego Chargers: 41 Miami Dolphins: 38 The Epic in Miami The Epic in Miami is the name given to a National Football League AFC divisional playoff game between the San Diego Chargers and the Miami Dolphins that took place on January 2, 1982 in the Miami Orange Bowl... |
53 43 |
33 29 |
433 403 |
3 4 |
1 1 |
116.2 118.7 |
| Total: | 79 Points | 96 | 62 | 836 | 7 | 2 |
Arena Football League, the World League and the NFL
Strock began his coaching career as the head coach of the Miami HootersFlorida Bobcats
The Florida Bobcats are a defunct Arena Football League team. They had been previously known as the Sacramento Attack and the Miami Hooters.-Sacramento Attack :...
of the Arena Football League
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League is the highest level of professional indoor American football in the United States. It is currently the second longest running professional football league in the United States, after the National Football League. It was founded in 1987 by Jim Foster...
for one season in 1993. The following season he moved on to be the head coach of the Massachusetts Marauders
Massachusetts Marauders
The Massachusetts Marauders was a professional arena football team that played in the Arena Football League in 1994.-Detroit Drive :...
and again only stayed for one season. He then moved on to be an assistant coach of the Rhein Fire
Rhein Fire
The Rhein Fire was a professional American football team in NFL Europe, formerly the World League of American Football. Established in Germany in 1995, the franchise resurrected the name of the former Birmingham Fire team which was active during the 1991-1992 WLAF seasons.-History:The team was...
in the World League
World League of American Football
The World League of American Football was founded in 1990 with support from the National Football League to play professional American football in North America, Europe and later possibly Asia...
during 1995 season. Between 1996–1998 seasons, he was the quarterbacks coach of the Baltimore Ravens
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional football franchise based in Baltimore, Maryland.The Baltimore Ravens are officially a quasi-expansion franchise, having originated in 1995 with the Cleveland Browns relocation controversy after Art Modell, then owner of the Cleveland Browns, announced his...
in the NFL.
Florida International University
On September 13, 2000, Strock was named the first head football coach in FIU's history. He was named to the position just shy of two years before the university's inaugural football game. Prior to being named head coach he was the director of football operations, a job he had obtained the year before. His overall record through the 2006 football season was 15–41.On November 15, 2006 Strock resigned as head coach of the FIU Golden Panthers. Of his 15 career victories, none came during the 2006 campaign and only three of them came against Division I-A opponents. His resignation came after an 0–9 start and a much-publicized brawl against the University of Miami Hurricanes
Miami Hurricanes
The Miami Hurricanes, of Coral Gables, Florida, are the varsity sports teams of the University of Miami. They compete in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference . The university fields 15 athletic teams for 17 varsity sports...
caused 16 players from FIU to be suspended. His resignation became effective following FIU's last game against Troy University
Troy University
Troy University is a public university that is located in Troy, Alabama, United States. It was originally founded in 1887 as Troy Normal School. Its main campus enrollment is 7,194 students. The total enrollment of all Troy University campuses is 29,689...
on December 2, 2006.