Former NFL quarterback Trent Dilfer enjoyed a nice run under center and even has a Super Bowl ring. He also had a solid career as an analyst with ESPN after retiring.
However, there is more to Dilfer's life than the National Football League.
He is a man with a family — a family that has overcome tragedy.
Trent Dilfer's Football Career
Related: Trent Dilfer Won a Super Bowl, But Where is He Now?
A California boy through and through, Trent Farris Dilfer went to high school in Aptos, California, and played his college football at Fresno State.
Dilfer started for the Bulldogs, and actually set a record for the most-consecutive passing attempts without an interception with 271 — a record that was eventually broken by Andre Woodson. In 1993 alone, he threw for 30 touchdowns against only five interceptions.
In the 1994 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Dilfer the sixth-overall pick — the second quarterback taken after Heath Shuler.
His time with the Bucs got off to a brutal start. For a guy who didn't through many interceptions in college, Dilfer threw four touchdowns against a whopping 18 interceptions in his first season as Tampa Bay's starting quarterback. He would eventually make his only Pro Bowl in 1997 with the franchise.
That being said, Dilfer's legacy will always be tied to the 2000 season with the Baltimore Ravens. When the season began, Dilfer was the backup quarterback to Tony Banks, but would eventually become the team's starting quarterback.
Dilfer started only eight games during the regular season and threw 12 touchdowns against 11 interceptions. However, the 2000 Baltimore Ravens were led by the likes of Ray Lewis and had perhaps the best defense of all time.
The Ravens made it all the way to Super Bowl XXXV on the strength of that defense and even though Dilfer only threw for 153 yards, the team trounced the New York Giants.
Many say Dilfer is the worst quarterback to win a Super Bowl, but they don't take away your ring just because people say that. For the rest of his life, he can say he is a Super Bowl champion.
Trent Dilfer was done with the Baltimore Ravens after winning the Super Bowl. He spent a few years with the Seattle Seahawks, but saw spot action over four seasons. Dilfer then spent one season with the Cleveland Browns where he started 11 games, but threw 11 touchdowns versus 12 picks.
After that, he spent two years with the San Francisco 49ers before retiring after the 2007 season. He didn't even see the field for the 49ers in 2006.
Trent Dilfer's Wife & Family
Trent Dilfer is married to Cassandra Dilfer, who was a college swimmer at Fresno State.
The couple has three daughters: Madeleine (aka Maddie), Victoria (aka Tori), and Delaney.
Trent and Cassandra Dilfer also had a son, Trevin, who tragically died of a heart disease in 2003 when he was only a 5-year-old.
Dilfer has spoken openly about how much he was affected by this during his time with the Seattle Seahawks, and credits fellow quarterback Matt Hasselbeck with saving his life at the time.
Trent Dilfer's alma mater — Aptos High School —has named their field Trevin Dilfer Field in honor of his lost son.
After retiring, Dilfer took a job as an analyst with NFL Network before moving to ESPN in 2010. He served as an NFL analyst and also called a couple Monday Night Football games.
Dilfer was let go in 2017, but he has stayed in football.
In addition to being the head coach of the Elite 11 quarterback competition, he has also been the head coach of Lipscomb Academy in Nashville, Tennessee since 2019.
Trent and Cassandra Dilfer's daughters are also no sporting slouches. Madeleine, Victoria, and Delaney have all been successful volleyball players.
A football player and a swimmer having volleyball players for kids? Family is a funny thing sometimes, even for a former NFL starting quarterback.
