Dan Marino: Steelers not drafting me ‘probably the best thing to happen to me’

Steelers fans, especially the old timers who were around when the Terrible Towels were becoming a thing, allow yourself to play a what-if game. How good could Pittsburgh have been if the team had selected native son Dan Marino.

Marino, the Pro Football Hall of Famer, is making the interview rounds this week in Las Vegas, giving his thoughts about the Chiefs and 49ers as the Super Bowl hype builds each day. Playing 17 years for the Dolphins for legendary coach Don Shula gives him that kind of cache.

But fate could’ve pushed Marino’s career another way more than four decades ago, What would have happened if the Steelers selected Marino? The quarterback could not have been more perfect, given that he grew up in Steel City and stayed in town to play collegiately for the Pitt Panthers. He’s almost like current quarterback Kenny Pickett, although Pickett grew up in New Jersey. And through year two, Pickett’s career is no where near a Hall of Fame track, but it’s still early.

Marino was part of that great NFL quarterback draft class of 1983. And the Steelers were looking for the heir apparent to Terry Bradshaw. Marino was there for Pittsburgh at pick No. 21. Instead, the Steelers opted for Texas Tech defensive lineman Gabe Rivera from Texas Tech. Rivera’s football career ended in October, 1983 after Rivera was involved in a devastating car wreck. Meanwhile, the Dolphins selected Marino at No. 26.

Even Marino plays the what-if game.

“I thought about it many times during my career, Marino told Pat McAfee. “I think at the time, though, it probably was the best thing to happen to me. Because I played four years of high school right there at Central Catholic, then I played at Pitt right there in Oakland.

“To leave, I think, made me mature a lot quicker,” Marino said. “And (it) made me able to play a lot quicker than maybe if I would’ve stayed in Pittsburgh. But it would’ve been fun. It would’ve been a lot of fun.”