21 Facts About Dan Pastorini

Dante Anthony Pastorini was born on May 26,1949 and is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League for 13 seasons, primarily with the Houston Oilers.

Dan Pastorini played college football for the Santa Clara Broncos and was selected third overall by the Oilers in the 1971 NFL draft.

Dan Pastorini played college football at Santa Clara University and received second-team honors on the 1970 Little All-America college football team.

Dan Pastorini played college baseball and was drafted straight out of high school by the New York Mets in the 32nd round of 1967 MLB draft along with future Saints quarterback Archie Manning, but ultimately decided to play football.

Dan Pastorini was drafted by the Houston Oilers in the first round of the 1971 NFL draft out of Santa Clara University.

The draft was dubbed "The Year of the Quarterback" with Dan Pastorini taken third behind Jim Plunkett and Archie Manning.

Dan Pastorini was known as a tough quarterback throughout his career.

From 1971 through 1979, Dan Pastorini missed only five regular season games, playing through broken ribs and even a punctured lung at times.

Dan Pastorini was the first player to wear the now ubiquitous "flak jacket" under his uniform to protect broken ribs.

Dan Pastorini did not play behind what would be considered a quality offensive line until 1977, when the Oilers hired Joe Bugel as offensive line coach and brought in players like Greg Sampson and, later, Leon Gray.

Dan Pastorini's feet according to the replays were both in bounds when he had possession of the ball.

Dan Pastorini took over and led the Raiders to a Super Bowl victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in January 1981.

Dan Pastorini raced hydroplanes, drag-raced cars, judged wet T-shirt contests, starred in a 1975 movie called Weed: The Florida Connection, and co-starred in a 1979 Lee Majors movie Killer Fish.

Dian Hanson reported that Dan Pastorini frequented Plato's Retreat at the height of his career in the 1970s.

Dan Pastorini drove a Top Fuel dragster as part of the NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series in the mid-1980s.

Dan Pastorini won many individual races at national events, but claimed only one event championship in 1986 at the NHRA Southern Nationals in Atlanta, finishing 7th in NHRA Championship Points that year.

Dan Pastorini was the third man to break the 270-mph barrier in a Top Fuel Dragster.

Dan Pastorini participated in the 2009 Lamborghini Race located at Sebring International Raceway.

Dan Pastorini is British and nine years older, and appeared in Playboy magazine in the 1960s.

In January 2012, on The Jim Rome Radio Show, Dan Pastorini recalled a story how then-Raider owner Al Davis completely blew him off in the locker room after a game.

Dan Pastorini's autobiography, Taking Flak: My Life in the Fast Lane, was released in November 2011.