==College career==
===1993–1994===
Wuerffel accepted an athletic scholarship to attend the [[University of Florida]] in Gainesville, Florida, where he played quarterback for head coach Steve Spurrier's [[Florida Gators football]] team from [[1993 Florida Gators football team|1993]] to [[1996 Florida Gators football team|1996]].<ref name=ufmediaguide>''[http://web.gatorzone.com/football/media/2011/media_guide.pdf 2011 Florida Gators Football Media Guide] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402035222/http://web.gatorzone.com/football/media/2011/media_guide.pdf |date=April 2, 2012 }}'', University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 83, 86, 88, 93, 97, 99, 100–103, 125, 158, 159, 162, 173, 186 (2011). Retrieved September 1, 2011.</ref> One of the most decorated players in Florida's football history,<ref name=ufmediaguide/> he was a key member of the Gators teams that won four consecutive [[Southeastern Conference]] titles between 1993 and 1996. Wuerffel graduated from the university with a bachelor's degree in public relations, and was inducted into the [[List of University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame members|University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame]] as a "Gator Great" in 2006.<ref>F Club, Hall of Fame, [http://www.gatorfclub.org/hall-of-fame/greats Gator Greats]. Retrieved December 15, 2014.</ref><ref>Robbie Andreu, "[https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=dPRPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QwkEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6757,1825513&dq=gators+hall-of-fame&hl=en Wuerffel, Doering to enter UF Hall]," ''Ocala Star-Banner'' (April 21, 2006). Retrieved July 22, 2011.</ref> On September 30, 2006, Wuerffel was inducted into the [[Gator Football Ring of Honor]] alongside his former coach Spurrier and two other former Gator players, [[Jack Youngblood]] and [[Emmitt Smith]]. Wuerffel was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2013.<ref>Ivan Maisel, "[http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/9250529/vinny-testaverde-danny-wuerffel-ron-dayne-lead-college-football-hall-fame-class Heisman trio highlight Class of 2013]," ESPN (May 7, 2013). Retrieved May 7, 2013.</ref><ref>"[https://footballfoundation.org/news/2013/5/7/_53641.aspx?path=football NFF Proudly Announces Stellar 2013 College Football Hall of Fame Class]," National Football Foundation (May 7, 2013). Retrieved May 7, 2013.</ref>
The [[1993 Florida Gators football team|1993 season]] was the first in which the Gators were ranked in the AP top 10 every week. In the second week, quarterbacks Wuerffel and Terry Dean throw a total of seven interceptions against [[1993 Kentucky Wildcats football team|Kentucky]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20100921/ARTICLES/100929892?p=2&tc=pg|title=Gators' streak vs. 'Cats filled with close calls|work=Gatorsports.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150928170800/http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20100921/ARTICLES/100929892?p=2&tc=pg|archive-date=September 28, 2015}}</ref> With eight seconds left, Wuerffel threw a pass down the middle to walk-on receiver [[Chris Doering]] for the game-winning touchdown; Gator play-by-play announcer [[Mick Hubert]] shouted, "Doering's got a touchdown!"<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gatorcountry.com/florida-gators-football/flashback-friday-with-the-florida-gators-chris-doering-and-kentucky-1993/|title=FlashBack Friday with the Florida Gators: Chris Doering|author=Kassidy Hill|work=GatorCountry.com}}</ref> The next week, Florida recovered and defeated [[Heath Shuler]]-led and fifth-ranked [[1993 Tennessee Volunteers football team|Tennessee]] 41–34 in a "shootout".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1995-09-14/sports/9509130481_1_heath-shuler-tennessee-florida-s-offense|title=Shuler's Advice To Vols: Avoid A Gator Shootout|work=tribunedigital-sunsentinel|access-date=2016-04-12|archive-date=2015-09-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150928222917/http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1995-09-14/sports/9509130481_1_heath-shuler-tennessee-florida-s-offense|url-status=dead}}</ref>
===1995–1996===
[[File:Danny Wuerffel University of Florida Heisman Quarterback 01.jpg|thumb|Wuerffel playing for the [[1996 Florida Gators football team|Florida Gators]], October 1996]]
Wuerffel had split playing time with fellow quarterback [[Terry Dean]] for much of the 1993 and 1994 seasons. With Dean graduated, Wuerffel was the clear starter coming into the 1995 season, and he made the most of his opportunity. The Gators went through the regular season undefeated, and Wuerffel set several [[Southeastern Conference]] (SEC) and NCAA records for passing, including the SEC season record for touchdown passes and the NCAA record for [[passing efficiency]] .<ref>[http://assets.espn.go.com/SEC/football/2015/Record%20Book.pdf SEC Record book]</ref> Highlights included a September win over rival [[1995 Tennessee Volunteers football team|Tennessee]] in which Florida rallied from a 30–14 deficit to win 62-37 behind Wuerffel's SEC record 6 touchdown passes. ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' had sent a team of reporters to cover the top-10 matchup and had planned to put Tennessee quarterback [[Peyton Manning]] on the cover. However, after the Gators' win, they decided to put Wuerffel on the cover instead, bringing him his first major national attention.<ref name="NCAAcover">{{Cite web |url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2016-09-22/college-football-throwback-thursday-top-florida-tennessee-rivalry |title=College football Throwback Thursday: Top Florida-Tennessee rivalry moments |last=Harris |first=Janie |date=September 22, 2006 |website=NCAA.com}}</ref><ref>[http://www.tnjn.com/2015/09/25/greatest-moments-tennessee-florida-football/ "Greatest Moments: Tennessee-Florida Football. ''Tennessee Journalist''. 15 September 2015]</ref><ref name="Spurriercover">{{Cite web |url=http://floridagators.com/news/2016/8/25/chris-harry-spurriers-11-favorite-games-on-the-field-to-bear-his-name.aspx |title=Spurrier's 11 Favorite Games on the Field to Bear His Name |last=Harry |first=Chris |date=September 1, 2016 |website=floridagators.com}}</ref><ref name="sentinelcover">{{Cite news |url=http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1996-09-15/sports/9609200328_1_eric-kresser-danny-wuerffel-gators |title=Gators' QB Playing for an "Audience of One" |last=Harry |first=Chris |date=September 15, 1996 |newspaper=Orlando Sentinel}}</ref><ref name="bookcover">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RK2DBQAAQBAJ&q=wuerffel+%22sports+illustrated%22+cover+manning&pg=PA183 |title=Spurrier: How The Ball Coach Taught the South to Play Football |last=Henry |first=Ran |publisher=Lyons Press |year=2014 |isbn=978-0762791842}}</ref>
==Professional career==
Wuerffel was considered a "marginal" prospect for the [[1997 NFL Draft]].<ref>https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1997/04/21/ditka-ordains-wuerffel-a-saint/</ref> As such, the [[New Orleans Saints]] selected Wuerffel in the fourth round of the [[1997 NFL Draft]] as the third quarterback selected in the draft.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1997 NFL Draft Listing |url=https://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/1997/draft.htm |access-date=2023-03-30 |website=Pro-Football-Reference.com |language=en}}</ref> He was selected to potentially serve as the number three quarterback, as the team already had [[Heath Shuler]] and [[Jim Everett]] on the roster under new head coach [[Mike Ditka]]. He played for the Saints for three seasons from {{NFL Year|1997}} to {{NFL Year|1999}}.<ref name=nflprofile>National Football League, Historical Players, [http://www.nfl.com/players/dannywuerffel/profile?id=WUE563610 Danny Wuerffel]. Retrieved April 7, 2011.</ref> Wuerffel spent the offseason before the [[2000 NFL season]] with the [[Rhein Fire (NFL Europe)|Rhein Fire]] in [[NFL Europa]], where he led the team to a league championship and was named [[Most Valuable Player|MVP]] of [[World Bowl 2000]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.footballdb.com/teams/nfle/rhein-fire/stats/2000 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111120142440/http://footballdb.com/teams/nfle/rhein-fire/stats/2000 |archive-date=2011-11-20 |title=2000 Rhein Fire Stats - The Football Database}}</ref> He spent single seasons as a backup with the [[Green Bay Packers]] and [[Chicago Bears]] in 2000 and 2001. Wuerffel was drafted by the [[Houston Texans]] in the [[2002 NFL Expansion Draft]], only to be traded to the [[Washington Redskins]] a week later, reuniting him with college coach Steve Spurrier.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://a.espncdn.com/nfl/columns/pasquarelli_len/1340816.html|title=Texans deal Wuerffel to 'Skins in first-ever trade|author=Len Pasquarelli|author-link=Len Pasquarelli|work=[[ESPN]]|access-date=September 20, 2016|date=February 26, 2002}}</ref> Wuerffel started several games that season, alternating with fellow Florida Gator alumnus [[Shane Matthews]], but was released by the team before the 2003 season, much to the chagrin of Spurrier.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Low|first=Chris|date=December 11, 2012|title=Why did Steve Spurrier fail in NFL?|work=ESPN|url=https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/8735835/college-football-unhealthy-culture-contributed-steve-spurrier-failure-nfl|access-date=December 16, 2020}}</ref>
After not being signed by another team in 2003, Wuerffel decided to retire from professional football in February 2004.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A54670-2004Feb19.html?sections=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/sports|title=Wuerffel Announces Retirement From NFL|agency=[[Associated Press]]|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=September 21, 2016|date=February 19, 2004}}</ref>
Wuerffel is currently a motivational speaker, executive director of Desire Street Ministries and maintains a personal website at [https://Dannywuerffel.com dannywuerffel.com] .
Before the [[Pickleball]] craze hit the USAUS, Wuerffel was one of the first celebrity players trying to grow the game. In 2022, Wuerffel hosted his first Picklebowl tournament, a play on the [[Super Bowl]] , the event is a [[Celebrity]] [[Pro–am]] , where a [[Professional sports|Professional]] plays with celebrity from their [[Alma mater]]. In the first event ever Wuerffel and his teammate [[Kyle Yates]], who was a former [[Florida Gators|UF tennis]] player, won the event.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Davis |first1=Derrick |title=PICKLEBALL FOR ALL: Danny Wuerffel, Drew Brees, Rick Barry join pickleball craze on St. Simons |url=https://thebrunswicknews.com/sports/local_sports/pickleball-for-all-danny-wuerffel-drew-brees-rick-barry-join-pickleball-craze-on-st-simons/article_0f9d038a-6842-5e27-9094-166c63376fc2.html |work=The Brunswick News |date=October 27, 2022 |language=en}}</ref>
==See also==
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wuerffel, Danny}}
[[Category:1974 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
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