# Trent Dilfer

**Trent Dilfer** (born 1972) is an American former professional football quarterback who won [Super Bowl XXXV](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-bowl-xxxv) as the starter for the [Baltimore Ravens](https://www.edgepedia.org/baltimore-ravens) and later worked as an ESPN analyst and a college head coach at UAB. He played 14 NFL seasons with five teams: the [Tampa Bay Buccaneers](https://www.edgepedia.org/tampa-bay-buccaneers) (1994–99), Baltimore Ravens (2000), Seattle Seahawks (2001–04), Cleveland Browns (2005), and San Francisco 49ers (2006–07).

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born / college | 1972; Fresno State<sup>[1](https://www.profootballhof.com/news/super-bowl-starting-qbs)</sup> |
| Draft | First round, 6th overall, 1994 NFL Draft, by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers<sup>[2](https://www.49ers.com/news/49ers-terminate-dilfer-s-contract-519499)</sup> |
| Career totals | 131 games, 113 starts; 1,759 of 3,172 passing for 20,518 yards, 113 touchdowns, 129 interceptions, 70.2 passer rating<sup>[2](https://www.49ers.com/news/49ers-terminate-dilfer-s-contract-519499)</sup> |
| Pro Bowl | 1997 with Tampa Bay, after passing for 2,555 yards and 21 touchdowns<sup>[2](https://www.49ers.com/news/49ers-terminate-dilfer-s-contract-519499)</sup> |
| Super Bowl XXXV | Ravens 34, Giants 7, January 28, 2001; Dilfer completed 12 of 25 for 153 yards, 1 touchdown, 80.9 rating<sup>[3](https://static.www.nfl.com/image/upload/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2024/2024_Record_and_Fact_Book_incl_Supplemental.pdf)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-jan-29-ss-18564-story.html)</sup> |
| 2000 season | Started the final 8 regular-season games and all 4 playoff wins, going 11–1 (.917)<sup>[5](https://www.nfl.info/nflmedia/w_releases/2005w%20releases/Capsules/WEEK%206.pdf)</sup> |
| Coaching | Named UAB's seventh head football coach in November 2022; parted ways with the program in October 2025<sup>[6](https://uabsports.com/news/2025/10/12/a-statement-on-the-uab-football-program)</sup> |

## Tampa Bay years

Dilfer entered the league as a high pick, taken sixth overall by the Buccaneers in the 1994 draft, and became their full-time starter from 1995 through 1999. His best season came in 1997, when he threw for 2,555 yards and 21 touchdowns and earned [Pro Bowl](https://www.edgepedia.org/pro-bowl) recognition.<sup>[2](https://www.49ers.com/news/49ers-terminate-dilfer-s-contract-519499)</sup> His 1995 season included 224 completions for 2,774 yards but only 4 touchdowns against 18 interceptions, a 60.1 passer rating.<sup>[7](https://www.nfl.com/players/trent-dilfer/stats/)</sup>

## The 2000 Ravens and Super Bowl XXXV

Dilfer signed with Baltimore in 2000 and took over as the starter when coach [Brian Billick](https://www.edgepedia.org/brian-billick) benched Tony Banks.<sup>[8](https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/purple-rewind-the-2000-baltimore-ravens)</sup> He started the final 8 games of the regular season and all 4 playoff wins, finishing 11–1 (.917) as a starter.<sup>[5](https://www.nfl.info/nflmedia/w_releases/2005w%20releases/Capsules/WEEK%206.pdf)</sup> The team around him was built on defense: the Ravens set a record for fewest points allowed in a 16-game season (165), recorded 49 takeaways, posted four shutouts, and held opponents to an average of 10.3 points per game, with [Ray Lewis](https://www.edgepedia.org/ray-lewis) named Super Bowl MVP.<sup>[9](https://www.nfl.com/news/great-offenses-grab-headlines-but-defense-wins-super-bowls-09000d5d80e2f758)</sup>

In the AFC Championship against Oakland, with Baltimore pinned at its own 4-yard line facing third-and-18, Dilfer threw a short pass to a slanting [Shannon Sharpe](https://www.edgepedia.org/shannon-sharpe), who ran untouched for a 96-yard touchdown.<sup>[10](https://operations.nfl.com/media/4115/2019-postseason_media_guide.pdf)</sup>

**Super Bowl XXXV.** The Ravens beat the [New York Giants](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-york-giants) 34–7 on January 28, 2001, at [Raymond James Stadium](https://www.edgepedia.org/raymond-james-stadium) in Tampa before 71,921 fans, the franchise's first [Super Bowl](https://www.edgepedia.org/super-bowl) title. Baltimore's defense allowed just 152 yards, forced 5 turnovers, recorded 4 sacks, and did not allow an offensive touchdown. Dilfer's 38-yard touchdown pass to Brandon Stokley, two plays after Jermaine Lewis's punt return, opened the scoring, and his 36-yard pass to Qadry Ismail set up a field goal.<sup>[3](https://static.www.nfl.com/image/upload/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2024/2024_Record_and_Fact_Book_incl_Supplemental.pdf)</sup> He finished 12 of 25 for 153 yards with 1 touchdown and no interceptions, an 80.9 passer rating.<sup>[11](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/super-bowl/plays.cgi?player=DilfTr00)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-jan-29-ss-18564-story.html)</sup> The Ravens did not re-sign him afterward, a decision that drew criticism, and Dilfer later said the split was poorly evaluated given an injury he was playing through.<sup>[12](https://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/peyton-manning-gives-trent-dilfer-super-bowl-company-16806337)</sup>

## Later playing career

Dilfer spent four seasons with Seattle (2001–04), one with [Cleveland](https://www.edgepedia.org/cleveland) (2005), and two with San Francisco (2006–07). His 2001 season in Seattle was his most efficient, with 7 touchdowns against 4 interceptions and a 92.0 passer rating in 6 games.<sup>[7](https://www.nfl.com/players/trent-dilfer/stats/)</sup> He was traded from Cleveland to San Francisco in 2006 in exchange for quarterback [Ken Dorsey](https://www.edgepedia.org/ken-dorsey) and a 2007 seventh-round pick, saw no action in 2006, and started 6 of 7 games in 2007, throwing 7 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. The 49ers terminated his contract on March 12, 2008, ending his 14-year career.<sup>[2](https://www.49ers.com/news/49ers-terminate-dilfer-s-contract-519499)</sup>

## Broadcasting and coaching

Dilfer moved into television analysis at ESPN, where his NFL studio role was later expanded under a new deal with the network.<sup>[13](https://espnpressroom.com/press-release/trent-dilfer-expands-nfl-studio-role-new-espn-deal/)</sup> He has remained a public commentator on quarterback play; in a 2017 profile of [Tom Brady](https://www.edgepedia.org/tom-brady)'s season, he described the quarterback as playing with "a little more edge."<sup>[14](https://time.com/4649894/tom-bradys-payback-play/)</sup>

In November 2022, UAB Director of Athletics Mark Ingram named Dilfer, a 14-year NFL veteran and Super Bowl XXXV champion, the seventh head coach in the program's history.<sup>[15](https://uabsports.com/documents/download/2025/8/15/2025_Media_Guide.pdf)</sup> In October 2025, UAB announced it had parted ways with Dilfer and named Alex Mortensen interim head coach.<sup>[6](https://uabsports.com/news/2025/10/12/a-statement-on-the-uab-football-program)</sup>

## References

1. [Super Bowl Starting QBs, Pro Football Hall of Fame](https://www.profootballhof.com/news/super-bowl-starting-qbs)
2. [49ers Terminate Dilfer's Contract, 49ers.com](https://www.49ers.com/news/49ers-terminate-dilfer-s-contract-519499)
3. [Super Bowl Summaries, 2024 NFL Record and Fact Book](https://static.www.nfl.com/image/upload/league/apps/league-site/media-guides/2024/2024_Record_and_Fact_Book_incl_Supplemental.pdf)
4. [Quarterbacks Throw Off Game, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-jan-29-ss-18564-story.html)
5. [NFL Week 6 2005 press release capsule](https://www.nfl.info/nflmedia/w_releases/2005w%20releases/Capsules/WEEK%206.pdf)
6. [A Statement on the UAB Football Program, UAB Athletics](https://uabsports.com/news/2025/10/12/a-statement-on-the-uab-football-program)
7. [Trent Dilfer Stats Summary, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/players/trent-dilfer/stats/)
8. [Purple Rewind: The 2000 Baltimore Ravens, FOX Sports](https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/purple-rewind-the-2000-baltimore-ravens)
9. [Great offenses grab headlines, but defense wins Super Bowls, NFL.com](https://www.nfl.com/news/great-offenses-grab-headlines-but-defense-wins-super-bowls-09000d5d80e2f758)
10. [2019 Postseason Media Guide, NFL Operations](https://operations.nfl.com/media/4115/2019-postseason_media_guide.pdf)
11. [Trent Dilfer Super Bowl Plays, Pro-Football-Reference.com](https://www.pro-football-reference.com/super-bowl/plays.cgi?player=DilfTr00)
12. [Peyton Manning Gives Trent Dilfer Super Bowl Company, Baltimore Ravens](https://www.baltimoreravens.com/news/peyton-manning-gives-trent-dilfer-super-bowl-company-16806337)
13. [Trent Dilfer Expands NFL Studio Role in New ESPN Deal, ESPN Press Room](https://espnpressroom.com/press-release/trent-dilfer-expands-nfl-studio-role-new-espn-deal/)
14. [Tom Brady's Payback Play, TIME](https://time.com/4649894/tom-bradys-payback-play/)
15. [2025 UAB Football Media Guide](https://uabsports.com/documents/download/2025/8/15/2025_Media_Guide.pdf)

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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › American football players, coaches, and executives › Quarterbacks › 1990s and 2000s quarterbacks*

*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 30, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*

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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license