1. Gary Dennis Danielson was born on September 10,1951 and is a former American college football commentator and football quarterback.
42 Facts About Gary Danielson
1. 2.
Gary Danielson played professional football in the World Football League in 1974 and 1975 and in the National Football League for the Detroit Lions from 1976 to 1984 and for the Cleveland Browns from 1985 to 1988.
3.
Gary Danielson broke the Lions' single-season record with 3,223 passing yards in 1980 and had the second highest total to that time with 3,076 yards in 1984.
4.
Since 2006, Gary Danielson has worked for CBS Sports as the lead analyst for its college football coverage.
5.
Gary Danielson played high school football under Tony Versaci at Divine Child High School in Dearborn, Michigan, graduating in 1969.
6.
Gary Danielson played college football at Purdue University from 1969 to 1972.
7.
Gary Danielson succeeded Mike Phipps as the Boilermakers' starting quarterback in 1970.
8.
Gary Danielson led the Big Ten in 1971 with 10 touchdown passes and a 147.6 quarterback rating.
9.
Gary Danielson set a Purdue single-game quarterback record with 213 rushing yards on 16 carries against Washington in September 1972.
10.
Gary Danielson graduated in 1973 with a Bachelor of Science in industrial management.
11.
Gary Danielson later earned a master's degree in physical education in 1976.
12.
Gary Danielson was cut after the Stampeders signed Pete Liske.
13.
In 1974, Gary Danielson signed with the New York Stars of the newly-formed World Football League.
14.
Gary Danielson completed 27 of 54 passes for 293 yards and one touchdown and no interceptions for Charlotte.
15.
Gary Danielson wrote to every team in the National Football League, but the Detroit Lions were the only team to respond.
16.
Gary Danielson signed as a free agent with the Lions in April 1976.
17.
Gary Danielson was cut shortly before the opening game of the regular season, and went to work in a friend's sheet metal plant.
18.
Gary Danielson remained on the bench during the 1976 season, with no pass attempts, as Greg Landry was the team's starting quarterback and Joe Reed was the backup.
19.
In 1977, Gary Danielson began the season as a backup to Greg Landry but appeared in 13 games with two starts and 445 passing yards.
20.
Gary Danielson returned to the Lions in 1980 and had the best season of his career.
21.
Gary Danielson started all 16 games, completing 244 of 417 passes for 3,223 yards with 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
22.
Gary Danielson's 3,224 passing yards in 1980 was set a Lions' single-season record.
23.
Gary Danielson rushed for a career-high 242 yards on 48 carries.
24.
In 1981, Gary Danielson lost the starting quarterback job to Eric Hipple.
25.
Gary Danielson started only four games and completed 56 of 96 passes for 784 yards, three touchdowns and five interceptions.
26.
In 1983, Gary Danielson again lost the starting quarterback job to Eric Hipple.
27.
Hipple started all 16 games, and Gary Danielson saw limited action, completing 59 of 113 passes for 720 yards with seven touchdowns and four interceptions.
28.
Gary Danielson started 14 games, completing 252 of 410 passes for 3,076 yards with 17 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.
29.
Gary Danielson tallied 218 rushing yards on 41 carries, 5.4 yards per carry.
30.
At the time of his retirement, Gary Danielson ranked third in Detroit Lions history in passing yards, passes completed, and passing touchdowns.
31.
Gary Danielson ended up starting six games for the Browns in 1985, completing 97 of 163 passes for 1,274 yards with eight touchdowns and six interceptions.
32.
Gary Danielson broke an ankle in the 1986 preseason and missed the entire season.
33.
Kosar became entrenched as the Browns' starting quarterback, and Gary Danielson saw limited action thereafter.
34.
In 1988, his final year in the NFL, Gary Danielson completed 31 of 52 passes for 324 yards.
35.
Gary Danielson amassed 13,764 passing yards, 1,105 pass completions, and 81 touchdown passes in 101 games in the NFL.
36.
In Cleveland, Gary Danielson co-hosted a sports talk show while a member of the Browns.
37.
Gary Danielson worked in that capacity for ESPN for several years, then switching to ABC Sports, where he remained through the 2005 season.
38.
Gary Danielson partnered originally with Verne Lundquist on the network's primary college football telecasts.
39.
Gary Danielson announced his plans to retire from broadcasting at the end of the 2025 college football season.
40.
The Gary Danielson family resided in Rochester Hills, Michigan and the children attended Rochester Adams High School.
41.
Gary Danielson ran an importing and exporting business with former Lions teammate James Jones in the early 1990s.
42.
Gary Danielson has invested in business ventures with former Browns teammate Bernie Kosar.