Ed Marinaro
Encyclopedia
Ed Marinaro is an American former football
player turned actor.
in New Milford, New Jersey
, for the New Milford High School Knights.
Marinaro played college football
at Cornell University
where he set over 16 NCAA
records. He was the first running back
in NCAA history to run for 4,000 career rushing yards and led the nation in rushing in both 1970 and 1971.
Marinaro was runner-up to Pat Sullivan
for the Heisman Trophy
in 1971, the highest finish for an Ivy League
player since the league de-emphasized football in the mid-1950s. Princeton
's Dick Kazmaier
won the award in 1951 when the Ivy was still considered a major football conference. Marinaro won the 1971 Maxwell Award
and the UPI College Football Player of the Year
as the top player in college football. He holds two NCAA records: most rushes per game in a season (39.6 in 1971) and career average carries per game (34.0, 1969-71).
While at Cornell, Marinaro was a member of Psi Upsilon
and was selected for membership in the Sphinx Head Society. He went on to play professional football for six seasons with the Minnesota Vikings
, New York Jets
and Seattle Seahawks
, appearing in Super Bowl VIII
and Super Bowl IX
with the Vikings. He scored 13 touchdowns over his career.
Marinaro was inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame
in 1991.
and Sisters. He joined the regular cast of Hill Street Blues
in 1981 playing officer Joe Coffey until 1986. He also appeared in the 2006 film Circus Island
.
Marinaro plays the head football coach on Spike TV's new comedy, Blue Mountain State
, which started airing in January 2010. Currently, he has a guest role on "Days of our Lives
" as Leo.
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 turned actor.
Football career
Marinaro played high school footballHigh school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
in New Milford, New Jersey
New Milford, New Jersey
New Milford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 16,341.New Milford was incorporated as a borough on March 11, 1922, from what remained of Palisades Township, based on the results of a referendum held on April 18,...
, for the New Milford High School Knights.
Marinaro played college football
College 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 Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
where he set over 16 NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
records. He was the first running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
in NCAA history to run for 4,000 career rushing yards and led the nation in rushing in both 1970 and 1971.
Marinaro was runner-up to Pat Sullivan
Pat Sullivan (American football)
Patrick Joseph Sullivan is an American football coach and former player. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1971 playing quarterback for the Auburn Tigers and then played in the NFL with the Atlanta Falcons and Washington Redskins. Sullivan is currently the head coach at Samford University...
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...
in 1971, the highest finish for an Ivy League
Ivy League
The Ivy League is an athletic conference comprising eight private institutions of higher education in the Northeastern United States. The conference name is also commonly used to refer to those eight schools as a group...
player since the league de-emphasized football in the mid-1950s. Princeton
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
's Dick Kazmaier
Dick Kazmaier
Richard Kazmaier was an American football player for Princeton University from 1949 through 1951 and winner of the 1951 Heisman Trophy. As a halfback, kicker and quarterback, he ended his career third all time in Princeton history with over 4000 yards of offense and 55 touchdowns...
won the award in 1951 when the Ivy was still considered a major football conference. Marinaro won the 1971 Maxwell Award
Maxwell Award
The Maxwell Award is presented annually to the collegiate American football player judged by a panel of sportscasters, sportswriters, and National Collegiate Athletic Association head coaches and the membership of the Maxwell Football Club to be the best football player in the United States. The...
and the UPI College Football Player of the Year
UPI College Football Player of the Year
The United Press International College Football Player of the Year Award was among the first and most recognized college football awards. With the demise of UPI in 1997 the award was discontinued. Offensive and defensive players were eligible. Tommy Nobis was the runner-up that season...
as the top player in college football. He holds two NCAA records: most rushes per game in a season (39.6 in 1971) and career average carries per game (34.0, 1969-71).
While at Cornell, Marinaro was a member of Psi Upsilon
Psi Upsilon
Psi Upsilon is the fifth oldest college fraternity in the United States, founded at Union College in 1833. It has chapters at colleges and universities throughout North America. For most of its history, Psi Upsilon, like most social fraternities, limited its membership to men only...
and was selected for membership in the Sphinx Head Society. He went on to play professional football for six seasons with the Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
, New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Seattle Seahawks
Seattle Seahawks
The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle, Washington. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team joined the NFL in 1976 as an expansion team...
, appearing in Super Bowl VIII
Super Bowl VIII
Super Bowl VIII was a professional American football game played on January 13, 1974 at Rice Stadium. in Houston, Texas to decide the National Football League champion following the 1973 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Miami Dolphins defeated the National Football...
and Super Bowl IX
Super Bowl IX
Super Bowl IX was an American football game played on January 12, 1975 at Tulane Stadium in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1974 regular season. It would be the last pro game at legendary Tulane Stadium...
with the Vikings. He scored 13 touchdowns over his career.
Marinaro was inducted in the College Football Hall of Fame
College Football Hall of Fame
The College Football Hall of Fame is a hall of fame and museum devoted to college football. Located in South Bend, Indiana, it is connected to a convention center and situated in the city's renovated downtown district, two miles south of the University of Notre Dame campus. It is slated to move...
in 1991.
Acting career
After leaving football, Marinaro became an actor. He has been a cast member on a number of television series, including Laverne & ShirleyLaverne & Shirley
Laverne & Shirley is an American television situation comedy that ran on ABC from January 26, 1976, to May 10, 1983...
and Sisters. He joined the regular cast of Hill Street Blues
Hill Street Blues
Hill Street Blues is an American serial police drama that was first aired on NBC in 1981 and ran for 146 episodes on primetime into 1987. Chronicling the lives of the staff of a single police precinct in an unnamed American city, the show received critical acclaim and its production innovations ...
in 1981 playing officer Joe Coffey until 1986. He also appeared in the 2006 film Circus Island
Circus Island
Circus Island is a 2006 family film by the Landers family.The story is about Gabrielle, a teenager who runs away to find her absent father.-Cast:* Ed Marinaro as Carlos Carrera...
.
Marinaro plays the head football coach on Spike TV's new comedy, Blue Mountain State
Blue Mountain State
Blue Mountain State is an American comedy series that premiered on Spike on January 11, 2010. The series producers include Chris Romano and Eric Falconer and is produced by Lionsgate Television...
, which started airing in January 2010. Currently, he has a guest role on "Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives
Days of our Lives is a long running daytime soap opera broadcast on the NBC television network. It is one of the longest-running scripted television programs in the world, airing nearly every weekday in the United States since November 8, 1965. It has since been syndicated to many countries around...
" as Leo.