Gino Torretta

Gino Torretta

Gino Torretta in 1993
No. 13
Quarterback
Personal information
Date of birth: August 10, 1970 (1970-08-10)
Place of birth: Pinole, California
High School: Pinole Valley High School
Height: 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	Weight: 215 lb (98 kg)
Career information
College: University of Miami
NFL Draft: 1993 / Round: 7 / Pick: 192
Debuted in 1993 for the Minnesota Vikings
Last played in 1996 for the Seattle Seahawks
Career history
Minnesota Vikings (1993) Detroit Lions (1994) San Francisco 49ers (1995–(1996) Seattle Seahawks (1996–(1997) Indianapolis Colts (1997)
Career highlights and awards
Heisman Trophy (1992) Consensus All-American (1992) Davey O'Brien Award (1992) Johnny Unitas Award (1992) Maxwell Award (1992) Walter Camp Award (1992) Harley Award (1992) National championships (1989, 1991)
Stats at NFL.com
Stats at pro-football-reference.com
Stats at DatabaseFootball.com
College Football Hall of Fame

Gino Louis Torretta (born August 10, 1970) is a former American college and professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons. He played college football for the University of Miami, won the Heisman Trophy in 1992, and was a member of the Miami Hurricanes' national championship teams of 1989 and 1991. A seventh-round pick in the 1993 NFL Draft, he was a member of several NFL teams, but never became a regular starter as a pro. He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010.

Early years

Torretta was born in Pinole, California. He graduated from Pinole Valley High School, where he was a standout high school football quarterback for the Pinole Spartans.

College career

Torretta accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Miami, where he played for the Miami Hurricanes football team from 1989 to 1992.

1989 and 1990 seasons

See also: 1989 Miami Hurricanes football team and 1990 Miami Hurricanes football team

As a quarterback for the Hurricanes, Torretta spent his first two seasons mostly on the bench behind then starting quarterback Craig Erickson, with his only significant playing time coming with three starts in 1989 after Erickson injured his throwing hand. During that span, however, the then-unknown Torretta lit up San Diego State for 485 yards, setting a school record for most passing yards in a game that has not since been broken.

1991 season

See also: 1991 Miami Hurricanes football team

In his first year as a starter, Torretta garnered further attention by stealing the show in a nationally-televised 1991 game versus the Houston Cougars and their Heisman-frontrunning quarterback, David Klingler. As Miami's defense cut down Houston's run-and-shoot offense, Torretta put on the performance that many expected out of Klingler en route to a 40–10 victory; Klingler's lone touchdown pass in the game came with three seconds left in the fourth quarter against Miami's third-string defense, long after the game was decided. Torretta went on to lead Miami to a fourth-quarter comeback win on the road versus #1 Florida State and ultimately to an undefeated season and a co-national championship.

1992 season

See also: 1992 Miami Hurricanes football team

Torretta passed for more than 3,000 yards his senior year in 1992 on his way to winning the Heisman and the Davey O'Brien Award that season. He also won the Walter Camp Award, the Maxwell Award, the Johnny Unitas Trophy and the Chic Harley Award. One of the key games of the season came against West Virginia when he threw for 363 yards and two touchdowns in the 35–23 victory. His career as quarterback at Miami was hugely successful, with Torretta leading the team to 26 wins and only one loss.

In the 1993 Sugar Bowl, Torretta's Hurricanes were dominated by the Alabama Crimson Tide's defense. Alabama won the game, 34–13, and the national championship.

Statistics

Year	Comp.	Att.	Comp %	Passing	TD	INT
1991	205	371	55.3	3,095	20	8
1992	228	402	56.7	3,060	19	7

NFL career

1993–1994

Despite his collegiate-level success, Torretta was not a top NFL draft pick, and his NFL career was fairly unremarkable. He was not selected until the Minnesota Vikings took him in the seventh round in the 1993 NFL draft and then did not play him at all that year. In 1994, Torretta was on the Vikings' roster, and then was picked up by the Detroit Lions. As was the case in 1993, he failed to play at all in 1994, serving the entire season in a backup role with the Lions.

1995–1997

In 1995, Torretta moved to NFL Europe and was also on the roster for the San Francisco 49ers and Detroit Lions but again was relegated to backup roles. He was cut by the 49ers in 1996 and subsequently picked up by the Seattle Seahawks. His only chance to play in an NFL game came in the 1996 season finale when he came off the bench for the Seahawks against the Oakland Raiders. He immediately threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Joey Galloway that put Seattle ahead, leading the team to victory.

In 1997, Torretta was on the roster for Seattle and later the Indianapolis Colts but again did not play. After that season, he retired from the NFL.

Financial and broadcasting careers

Torretta followed his NFL career with a position at Wachovia Securities as a Senior Financial Advisor. He now works in the institutional and high net worth marketing team of Gabelli Asset Management in the company's Florida office. He is also Chairman/CEO of Touchdown Radio, broadcasting an NCAA game of the week on national radio.

Torretta splits time between his offices in New York City and West Palm Beach, Florida. He also voluntarily serves the City of Coral Gables, home to the University of Miami, on the City's Financial Advisory Board. Torretta also has a radio show on Miami's 560 WQAM from 10AM until noon and then followed by Michael Irvin. Torretta previously worked with his friends Steve White and Noonan at WQAM in Miami, airing weekdays from 10a-noon on 560 WQAM and WQAM.com. The station dropped the show, starting with new programming in the time-slot as of January 2, 2012.

External links

• Gino Torretta on Twitter
• Gino Torretta at the Heisman Trophy