Trent Dilfer facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Trent Dilfer

Dilfer with the San Francisco 49ers in 2007
Current position
Title	Head coach
Team	UAB
Conference	AAC
Record	7–17
Annual salary	$1.3 million
Biographical details
Born	(1972-03-13) March 13, 1972 (age 53) Santa Cruz, California, U.S.
Alma mater	California State University, Fresno
Playing career
1990–1993	Fresno State
1994–1999	Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2000	Baltimore Ravens
2001–2004	Seattle Seahawks
2005	Cleveland Browns
2006–2007	San Francisco 49ers
Position(s)	Quarterback
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
2019–2022	Lipscomb Academy (TN)
2023–present	UAB
Head coaching record
Overall	8–16 (college) 44–10 (high school)
Accomplishments and honors
Awards
As a player Super Bowl champion (XXXV) Pro Bowl (1997) Bart Starr Award (2003) Steve Largent Award (2003) Sammy Baugh Trophy (1993) Third-team All-American (1993) WAC Offensive Player of the Year (1993) 2× First-team All-WAC (1992, 1993) Fresno State Bulldogs No. 12 retired NFL record Longest passing completion in playoffs: 96

Trent Farris Dilfer (born March 13, 1972) is an American football coach and former quarterback. A quarterback is a player who leads the team's offense. He is currently the head coach for the UAB Blazers football team.

Dilfer played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He is best known for being the starting quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens when they won the Super Bowl in 2000.

Before playing professionally, Dilfer played college football for the Fresno State Bulldogs. He won the Sammy Baugh Trophy as a junior, which is given to the best college passer. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers chose him sixth overall in the 1994 NFL draft. He played for Tampa Bay for six seasons and was chosen for the Pro Bowl in 1997.

In 2000, Dilfer joined the Ravens as a backup player. He became the starter during the season and led the team to their first Super Bowl victory in Super Bowl XXXV. Even after winning the championship, the Ravens did not re-sign Dilfer. This made him the first starting quarterback to be released after winning a Super Bowl. He then played as a backup for the Seattle Seahawks, Cleveland Browns, and San Francisco 49ers before retiring in 2008.

After retiring, Dilfer worked as an NFL analyst for ESPN until 2017. He also coaches at the Elite 11 quarterback camp. In 2023, Dilfer became the head football coach at UAB.

Early Life and High School Football

Trent Dilfer grew up in Aptos, California. He went to Aptos High School, where he played football.

College Football Career

Dilfer played quarterback for Fresno State for two and a half seasons. He helped the Fresno State Bulldogs win or share their conference title for three years in a row. He also played in two important bowl games.

In his junior year, Dilfer was the best in the nation for passing efficiency. He was named the WAC Offensive Player of the Year. He also set a record for the most pass attempts without an interception (271). This record stood until 2007. After his junior year, he decided to enter the NFL draft early.

College Statistics

Professional Football Career

Trent Dilfer started his professional career when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked him in the 1994 NFL Draft. He was the sixth player chosen overall.

Playing for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Dilfer became the starting quarterback for the Buccaneers in his second year. The team was not very successful during this time. In 1995, he threw only 4 touchdowns but 18 interceptions. He improved slightly the next year but still had many turnovers.

In 1997, Dilfer became the first Tampa Bay quarterback to be chosen for the Pro Bowl. This was a big achievement for him and the team. He helped the Buccaneers reach the playoffs for the first time in 15 years. They beat the Detroit Lions but then lost to the Green Bay Packers.

In a 1995 game, Dilfer was ejected for throwing a punch at an opposing player. This was unusual for a quarterback. He played 76 games as a starter for Tampa Bay, winning 38 of them. This was the most wins for any Buccaneers quarterback at that time.

Winning the Super Bowl with the Baltimore Ravens

Dilfer joined the Baltimore Ravens in 2000 as a backup to Tony Banks. The Ravens' offense was struggling, so Dilfer became the starting quarterback. After he took over, the Ravens won seven games in a row. They earned a spot in the playoffs.

In the playoffs, Dilfer led the Ravens to three wins. They reached Super Bowl XXXV in Tampa, Florida, where they played the New York Giants. The Ravens won the Super Bowl 34–7. Dilfer completed 12 of 25 passes for 153 yards and one touchdown. He was seen as a "game manager" who helped the team win without making big mistakes. The Ravens had a very strong defense that year.

After winning the Super Bowl, the Ravens decided not to keep Dilfer. This made him the only quarterback to be released after leading his team to a Super Bowl victory.

Time with the Seattle Seahawks

On August 3, 2001, Dilfer signed with the Seattle Seahawks as a backup to Matt Hasselbeck. Dilfer played when Hasselbeck was injured. He started and won two games. He also played well in relief roles when Hasselbeck struggled.

In 2002, Dilfer was expected to be the starter, but he injured his knee in a preseason game. He lost the starting job to Hasselbeck. Later that season, he suffered a serious Achilles tendon injury that ended his season.

Dilfer played less in 2003 and 2004, mostly helping to guide Hasselbeck. Dilfer and Hasselbeck are still good friends today.

Playing for the Cleveland Browns

In March 2005, Dilfer was traded to the Cleveland Browns. The team hoped he would help guide rookie quarterback Charlie Frye. Dilfer was named the starting quarterback for the 2005 season. He played in 11 games for the Browns.

Final Seasons with the San Francisco 49ers

In May 2006, Dilfer was traded to the San Francisco 49ers. His role was to help guide young quarterback Alex Smith. Dilfer even wore the retired number 12 jersey to honor former 49ers quarterback John Brodie.

In 2007, Dilfer took over as starter when Alex Smith was injured. He started several games. In December 2007, Dilfer suffered a head injury during a game, which ended his season.

Retirement from Playing

Trent Dilfer officially announced his retirement from playing football on July 9, 2008.

Broadcasting Career

After retiring from playing, Dilfer became a football analyst. He joined the NFL Network in 2006. In 2008, he signed with ESPN as an NFL analyst. He worked on Monday Night Football and had a segment called "Dilfer's Dimes," which showed great passes. ESPN let Dilfer go in 2017. He also worked as an analyst for Fox Sports 1.

Coaching Career

In 2019, Dilfer became the head football coach at Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, Tennessee. In his first year, the team went 5–5.

In 2020, his team went 8–2 and reached the state championship game. In 2021, the Lipscomb Academy Mustangs finished with a 13–1 record. They won the Division II Class AA State Championship game 27–0. In 2022, the Mustangs had a perfect 13–0 season and won their second straight state championship.

On November 30, 2022, Dilfer was named the head football coach for the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). This was his first coaching job at the college level.

College Coaching Record

High School Coaching Record

Personal Life

Trent Dilfer lives in Birmingham, Alabama with his family. He is married to Cassandra Dilfer, who was a swimmer at Fresno State. They have four children. Their only son, Trevin, passed away from heart disease at age five in 2003.

All three of their daughters play or played college volleyball as setters. Maddie played at Notre Dame and Pepperdine. Tori played at TCU and Louisville. Their youngest daughter, Delaney, played at Lipscomb and Liberty University.

Aptos High School, Trent Dilfer's old high school, named its football field Trevin Dilfer Field in honor of his son.

Dilfer is a Christian. He has spoken about how his faith helps him handle challenges and successes in life.

Images for kids

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  Trent Dilfer with the San Francisco 49ers in 2007

See also

In Spanish: Trent Dilfer para niños

• List of NCAA major college football yearly passing leaders