Mark Robert Rypien is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He is the first Canadian-born quarterback to start in the NFL. After attending Shadle Park high school in Spokane, Washington, Rypien played college football at Washington State University. He is a member of Delta Tau Delta International Fraternity. He then left college early and was selected in the sixth round of the 1986 NFL Draft. He spent the next two years on the Washington Redskins injured reserved list. He watched from the sidelines as the Redskins won Super Bowl XXII under coach Joe Gibbs in... January 1988. With Doug Williams aging and the trading of Jay Schroeder to the Los Angeles Raiders, Rypien emerged. In his first full year as a starter, he threw for 3,768 yards with 22 touchdowns. He gained his first Pro Bowl berth, albeit as an injury replacement. He was best known for his accuracy as a deep passer, developing an incredible sense of timing with receivers downfield.
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