Mark "Super" Duper (born January 25, 1959) is an American former professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
player who was a
wide receiver
A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...
for the
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL) from 1982 to 1992. He played
college football
College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
for the
Northwestern State Demons and was selected by the Dolphins in the second round of the
1982 NFL draft. A three-time
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players.
The format has changed ...
selection, he was named a second-team
All-Pro
All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list t ...
in 1983.
Professional career
Nicknamed "Super Duper", he played 11 seasons for the Dolphins where his best years came while teamed with
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...
quarterback
The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine Marino Jr. ( ; born September 15, 1961) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 17 seasons with the Miami Dolphins. He played college f ...
and fellow wide receiver
Mark Clayton, the other half of the "Marks Brothers" wide receiver tandem. Duper, who wore #85, was a 3-time
Pro Bowl
The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players.
The format has changed ...
selection in
1983
1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call.
Events January
* January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...
,
1984
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
and
1986. His best season was
1984
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
, when he had 71 catches, 1306 yards and 8 touchdowns, and in
1986, when he tallied 67 catches, 1313 yards and 11 touchdowns. Duper had four 1,000-yard seasons, with the final one coming in
1991
It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
at age 32, when he posted 1085 yards. In 1990, Duper became only the second Dolphins player to surpass 7,000 career receiving yards. On July 17, 1993, the Dolphins released Duper, after re-hauling their receiving corps bringing in
O.J. McDuffie,
Irving Fryar, and
Mark Ingram Sr.
Mark Valentino Ingram Sr. (born August 23, 1965) is an American former professional football player who was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for the New York Giants (1987–1992), the Miami Dolphins (1993 to 1994), the Gr ...
, and letting go of the Marks Brothers.
Duper was also a track star, he won in the finals of the 400-meter relay at the 1981 NCAA track and field championships at Northwestern State University, and from the 1980 Olympic trials finished seventh in the 200-meter dash and reached the semifinals of the 100. He competed in the
100 meters and
200 meters
The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400-metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slight ...
, posting personal bests of 10.21 seconds and 20.77 seconds, respectively.
In 11 NFL seasons, he caught 511 passes for 8,869 yards and 59 touchdowns. In 1994, he also appeared in two games with the
Miami Hooters of the
Arena Football League
The Arena Football League (AFL) was a professional arena football league in the United States. It was founded in 1986, but played its first official games in the 1987 Arena Football League season, 1987 season, making it the third longest-runnin ...
.
On November 8, 2013, Duper revealed he had been diagnosed with
chronic traumatic encephalopathy
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease linked to repeated trauma to the head. The encephalopathy symptoms can include behavioral problems, mood problems, and problems with thinking. The disease often gets wor ...
(CTE).
Duper was inducted (with
Mark Clayton) into the
Miami Dolphins Honor Roll
The Miami Dolphins Ring of Honor is a ring around the second tier at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, which honors former players, coaches, contributors, and officials who have made significant contributions to the Miami Dolphins franc ...
on December 15, 2003.
NFL career statistics
Regular season
See also
*
Living former players diagnosed with or reporting symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy
References
External links
NFL statsAFL stats
{{DEFAULTSORT:Duper, Mark
1959 births
Living people
Players of American football from Louisiana
American football wide receivers
Northwestern State Demons football players
Miami Dolphins players
American Conference Pro Bowl players
Miami Hooters players
People from Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana
21st-century African-American sportsmen
20th-century African-American sportsmen
20th-century American sportsmen
NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners
Northwestern State Demons track and field athletes
Track and field athletes from Louisiana
American male sprinters