Dan Fouts (born June 10, 1951 in San Francisco,
California) was an American football quarterback
in the National Football League for the San Diego
Chargers from 1973 through 1987.

Drafted in the third round out of the University
of Oregon, Fouts helped lead the Chargers to the
playoffs from 1979 to 1982 and twice to the AFC
title game. Fouts played in the Pro Bowl six times
(1979 - 1983 and 1985) and was elected to three.
He led the league four times in passing yards;
ending his career with over 40,000, the third
player to surpass that landmark. Fouts was elected
to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1993.

Fouts first few years in the league were
inauspicious, but with the arrival of Don "Air"
Coryell in 1978 the Chargers fortunes turned. Yet
it was actually two years earlier, with the
arrival of Bill Walsh as the Charger's offensive
coordinator, that the seeds of success were
planted. Under Coryell, the Chargers were known
for the deep passing game and the involvement of
the tight end as a key receiver. This required a
tough, intelligent quarterback with a strong arm.
Fouts filled the bill. In his prime, Fouts was not
a mobile quarterback and the deep passing game led
to many hits. Fouts ability to take punishment and
still play at a very high level is unique. Rarely
(never?) using the shotgun, Fouts would drop back
from center and look for one of a bevy of great
receivers. Wide receiver Charlie Joiner and tight
end Kellen Winslow were the most famous, both now
in the Hall of Fame, but John Jefferson and Wes
Chandler, among others, were key. Pass protection
was also critical for such an offense. The
Chargers had a good pass blocking offensive line
which included Don Macek, Ed White, and Billy
Shields.

Yet the Chargers never went to the Super Bowl even
with the powerful and innovative passing offense
led by Fouts. Usually this is attributed to poor
defense—yet the Chargers defense led the league in
1978. In later years the defense was not as
stellar, but the running game became far better.
The defense was great when the passing game was
just starting to gel, and as the offe