Pennsylvania: Dan Marino – Pittsburgh Panthers
There are only two players deserving of the distinction of best college quarterback born in Pennsylvania: Notre Dame’s Joe Montana and Pittsburgh’s Dan Marino. Montana has the 1977 National Championship and a 1979 Cotton Bowl victory, when he played with hypothermia, on his resume. However, he didn’t have the same prolific career as Marino.
Dan was born and raised in Pittsburgh and attended Central Catholic High School. He became an All-American in football and was a star on the baseball diamond as well. Marino decided to play for the Pittsburgh Panthers and had a ton of success.
Marino led the 1980 team to the nation’s No. 2 ranking. The following season, he had Pitt ranked No. 1 for most of the season and finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting. Marino’s numbers would decrease in his final year due to a coaching change, but he still finished ninth in the Heisman voting.
He went on to star in the NFL for the Miami Dolphins and had a record-breaking career. Marino also won awards such as the 1983 Rookie of the Year Award and the 1984 league MVP. He’s currently an inductee in both the Pro and College Football Halls of Fame. Joe Montana’s college heroics will always be respected, but the title of best college quarterback born in the Keystone State belongs to Dan Marino.