Gary Danielson
Encyclopedia
Gary Danielson is a former professional football
player, a quarterback
in the National Football League
(NFL). He played for the Detroit Lions
from 1976 to 1984 and for the Cleveland Browns
in 1985, 1987, and 1988. He is currently working for CBS Sports
as a commentator for its college football coverage and previously held the same position for ABC Sports.
at Divine Child High School
under Tony Versaci in Dearborn
, Michigan
, and graduated in 1969. He played college football
at Purdue University
and graduated in 1973. He succeeded Mike Phipps
as the Boilermakers' starting quarterback in 1971, and had 30 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions with a 46 percent completion rate in 2 years as a starter.
Danielson spent two years in the short-lived World Football League
as a non-starter, with the New York Stars/Charlotte Hornets
in 1974 and the Chicago Winds
in 1975. The Winds franchise folded a month before the league's collapse in October, and Danielson signed with the Lions for the 1976 season.
He amassed 13,764 passing yards and 81 touchdown
s in 101 games in the NFL. He ranks fourth in Lions history in passing yards and touchdowns. His five touchdowns in a 1978 game against the Minnesota Vikings
is still tied for a Lions record.
as a college football
analyst. He continued to work in that capacity for ESPN/ABC Sports until 2006, when he joined CBS Sports
as a college football
analyst. At CBS, he works with Verne Lundquist
on the network's primary broadcast team during Southeastern Conference
telecasts. He also serves as the college football radio analyst for Mad Dog Unleashed with Chris Russo
on Sirius XM Radio where he appears weekly during the college football season. Starting in the 2011 college football season, Danielson became a weekly guest on Mike'd Up: Francesa on the FAN
with Mike Francesa
.
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, 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...
in the National Football League
National 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...
(NFL). He played for the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
from 1976 to 1984 and for 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...
in 1985, 1987, and 1988. He is currently working for CBS Sports
SEC on CBS
The SEC on CBS is a presentation of the college football television package owned by CBS Sports...
as a commentator for its college football coverage and previously held the same position for ABC Sports.
Playing career
Danielson 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....
at Divine Child High School
Divine Child High School
Divine Child High School is a private Catholic high school in Dearborn, Wayne County, Michigan, United States. The principal is Peggy Knuth and the Assistant Principal is Damian Hermann. The school's pastor is Father Jim Bilot...
under Tony Versaci in Dearborn
Dearborn, Michigan
-Economy:Ford Motor Company has its world headquarters in Dearborn. In addition its Dearborn campus contains many research, testing, finance and some production facilities. Ford Land controls the numerous properties owned by Ford including sales and leasing to unrelated businesses such as the...
, Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
, and graduated in 1969. He 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 Purdue University
Purdue Boilermakers football
The Purdue Boilermakers football team is the intercollegiate football program of the Purdue University Boilermakers. The program is classified in the NCAA's Division I Bowl Subdivision, and the team competes in the Big Ten Conference. The Boilermakers have an all-time record of...
and graduated in 1973. He succeeded Mike Phipps
Mike Phipps
Michael Elston Phipps is a former professional American football quarterback who played collegiately for the Purdue University Boilermakers , and professionally for both the Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears .-College career:After playing high school for Columbus High School in Columbus,...
as the Boilermakers' starting quarterback in 1971, and had 30 touchdown passes and 14 interceptions with a 46 percent completion rate in 2 years as a starter.
Danielson spent two years in the short-lived World Football League
World Football League
The World Football League was a short-lived gridiron football league that played in 1974 and part of 1975. Although the league's proclaimed ambition was to bring American football onto a worldwide stage, the farthest the WFL reached was placing a team – the Hawaiians – in Honolulu, Hawaii. The...
as a non-starter, with the New York Stars/Charlotte Hornets
Charlotte Hornets (WFL)
The Charlotte Hornets were an American football team in the short-lived World Football League. They were relocated to Charlotte, North Carolina, from New York City in the middle of the 1974 season.-History:...
in 1974 and the Chicago Winds
Chicago Winds
The Chicago Winds was the World Football League's ill-fated 1975 successor to the Chicago Fire. The team was named the Winds because Chicago was nicknamed "The Windy City." The Winds played at Soldier Field and was assigned to the WFL's Western Division for 1975 .-Pursuit of Joe...
in 1975. The Winds franchise folded a month before the league's collapse in October, and Danielson signed with the Lions for the 1976 season.
He amassed 13,764 passing yards and 81 touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s in 101 games in the NFL. He ranks fourth in Lions history in passing yards and touchdowns. His five touchdowns in a 1978 game against 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...
is still tied for a Lions record.
Broadcasting career
After retiring from the Browns, Danielson joined ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
as a 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...
analyst. He continued to work in that capacity for ESPN/ABC Sports until 2006, when he joined CBS Sports
CBS Sports
CBS Sports is a division of CBS Broadcasting which airs sporting events on the American television network. Its headquarters are in the CBS Building on West 52nd Street in midtown Manhattan, New York City, with programs produced out of Studio 43 at the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.CBS...
as a 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...
analyst. At CBS, he works with Verne Lundquist
Verne Lundquist
Merton Laverne "Verne" Lundquist, Jr. is an American sportscaster, currently employed by CBS Sports television.-Early life and career:Lundquist was born in Duluth, Minnesota...
on the network's primary broadcast team during Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
telecasts. He also serves as the college football radio analyst for Mad Dog Unleashed with Chris Russo
Chris Russo
Christopher Michael Russo , known as the "Mad Dog," is an American sports radio personality who is best known as the former co-host of the widely popular Mike and the Mad Dog sports radio show with Mike Francesa, which was broadcast on WFAN in New York City and simulcast on the YES Network...
on Sirius XM Radio where he appears weekly during the college football season. Starting in the 2011 college football season, Danielson became a weekly guest on Mike'd Up: Francesa on the FAN
Mike'd Up
Mike'd Up: Francesa on the Fan is the continuation of the show Mike and The Mad Dog based out of WFAN in New York City that features Mike Francesa. The show is simulcast on the YES Network, under a different title, The Mike Francesa Show...
with Mike Francesa
Mike Francesa
Michael Patrick "Mike" Francesa, Jr. is an American radio talk show host and television commentator. He is primarily known in his former role co-hosting the popular Mike and the Mad Dog show on WFAN in New York City...
.
External links
- Detroit Lions.com - passing records (PDF file)