Dan Fouts
A native of San Francisco and graduate of St. Ignatius High School, Dan first gained national attention as a record-setting quarterback for the Ducks at the University of Oregon, where he and teammate Ahmad Rashad played under future NFL coaches George Seifert and John Robinson. He was elected to the university's Hall of Fame in 1992 and named Alumni Man of the Year in 1993.
Drafted by the San Diego Chargers in 1973, Fouts began his rookie season alongside the legendary Johnny Unitas, who had left the Baltimore Colts and was playing in his final year in the NFL. By the late '70s, Fouts had become one of the top quarterbacks in the league and was on his way to a Hall of Fame career.
He retired from the NFL after 15 seasons with the Chargers, where he was a six-time Pro Bowl selection. His years as pilot of the "Air Coryell" offense -- named for the innovative passing game developed by his renowned head coach, Don Coryell -- led to 42 team records and eight NFL records upon his retirement, including most 300-yard passing games. His 43,040 total passing yards made him the second most prolific passer in NFL history when he retired. He earned NFL and AFC Player of the Year honors in 1982, and was named AFC Most Valuable Player in 1983 and league co-MVP in 1983. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993, after being elected in his first year of eligibility.
Dan has been a broadcaster for twenty-one years, most recently as a play-by-play announcer and color analyst for ESPN and ABC, where his partners have included Tim Brant, Brent Musburger and the legendary Keith Jackson. Among his career highlights was his work as an analyst on ABC-TV's "Monday Night Football" alongside Al Michaels and Dennis Miller.
He also served for three years as sports anchor for KPIX-TV in San Francisco, where his work earned him two Emmy Awards. In addition to his nightly sports reports, he anchored the "Bay to Breakers" and the San Francisco Marathon, and was host of the popular "Hidden Hikes" series. He also hosted his own Sunday night show, "Game Day with Dan Fouts," and handled play-by-play for the San Francisco 49ers and San Diego Chargers preseason games.
His credits include covering four Rose Bowls, the 2004 Fiesta Bowl National Championship Game, four Pro Bowls, the NFL Playoffs, the Sugar Bowl, the Aloha Bowl, ABC's Superstars, NFL's "Air it Out," ABC's "Battle of the Gridiron Greats," and guest hosting Fox's "Best Damn Sports Show." In 1998, Fouts made his big-screen debut when he and Musburger portrayed themselves in the hit film, "The Waterboy," starring Adam Sandler.
He was among the first athletes signed to endorse Nike products in the early '70s, and in 1990 was honored by the company when they named a building after him at the Nike World Headquarters Walk of Fame in Beaverton, Oregon. Other honors he has received include being named to the San Diego Chargers Hall of Fame, San Diego Hall of Champions Hall of Fame, State of Oregon Sports Hall of Fame, and San Francisco Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame.
He and his wife, Jeri, reside in Sisters, Oregon, and are the parents of four children: Dominic, Suzanne, Ryan and Shannon.