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Haynie: Marchibroda Impacted The NFL

Ted Marchibroda died this past Saturday at the age of 84 at his home in Virginia. He spent over 50 years in the NFL as player, coach and broadcaster.

He was a creative offensive mind who is considered to be one of the pioneers of the up-tempo passing game. He helped engineer the K-Gun offense that the Buffalo Bills used with great success on their way to four-straight Super Bowls in the early 1990's.

As a player, he beat out Johnny Unitas as the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 1956, Marchibroda finished second in the NFL in touchdown passes behind Tobin Rote of the Green Bay Packers.

Of course, Marchibroda is beloved here in Baltimore as the former Head Coach of the Colts and the Ravens. He led the Colts to three-straight AFC East titles from '75-'77 and was a familiar face on the sidelines when the Ravens played their first game in 1996.

I had the honor of talking to Ted Marchibroda on a few occasions and nicer man you will not find. He was loved by his players and couldn't have been more respected.

I grew up on those mid-'70's Baltimore Colts teams. The 1975 game against the Miami Dolphins in the fog at Memorial Stadium is still one of my favorite football experiences. As a 10-year-old, watching Toni Linhart kick a 31-yard FG to beat Miami in overtime was the most exciting thing I had ever seen. Over 40 years later, thinking of that game still makes me proud to have been a Colts fan.

Those seasons provided me and all Baltimore Colts lovers with memories that will last a lifetime. Their leader was a humble man from Pennsylvania.

R.I.P Ted Marchibroda. You will be missed and never forgotten by many people.

Yours truly included.

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