10-29-2025 7:44pm

Marty Domres Honored

Jeff Barto Editor

DOMRES, MARTIN (Marty) FRANCIS - It is with deep sadness we announce Marty passed away peacefully on October 13, 2025, at the age of 78.

A long-time resident of Baltimore, Marty Domres was born April 17, 1947, in Ithaca, New York. While very young the family moved to Syracuse, NY where he attended Christian Brothers Academy, playing football, basketball, and baseball- launching his lifelong love of sports. While Marty had college football scholarship offers, he chose to attend Columbia University where he set 15 Columbia records and 2 national records for passing and total offense. He was selected first team all Ivy League quarterback and inducted into the Columbia University Sports Hall of Fame. In the 1969 NFL draft, San Diego Chargers made him their first pick, ninth pick overall in the first round. In 1972 the Colts brought Marty in to replace Johnny Unitas in Baltimore and in 1976 he left for the San Francisco 49ers, then to the Jets in 1977 before retiring football in 1978.

It was Baltimore that Marty would forever call his home and where he went on to build a long and successful career in finance. Fiercely competitive with a wonderful sense of humor and wit, Marty loved football, golf and finance. He is survived by his loving wife Cheryl Domres, devoted step-son Christian Cummings, and his sisters Cindy Domres, Barbara Rehberg, and Nancy Flattery.

There will be a memorial service held at: St Joseph Parish, 100 Church Lane, Cockeysville, MD on Thursday, October 30, 2025 at 11 AM.

In lieu of flowers, please consider memorial contributions to The Ronald McDonald House where Marty was a devoted Board member for many years. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.peacefulalternatives.com

Marty Domres

Class 1969
Induction 2008
Sport(s) Football

MARTY DOMRES
football

inducted October 2, 2008

It is never easy to follow in the footsteps of a legend. But former Lion standout Marty Domres did just that in 1972, replacing Johnny Unitas as quarterback of the Baltimore Colts.

Though his three seasons with the Colts didn't quite live up to Unitas, the greatest quarterback in the team's history, Domres held his own. And it was more than enough. After all, Domres is a legend in his own right: he graduated in 1969 as one of the best football players Columbia had ever seen.

At various points in his career, Domres broke at least ten different Columbia football records. The native of upstate New York set school records for career passing attempts (702), completions (368), yards (4,492) and rushing attempts.

He set single-seasons records in 1968 for passing attempts (183), completions (344), and yards (2,206). And he held single-game records for attempts (54), completions (30) and yards (396).

Domres had 250 or more yards passing in a game five different times. He led the Ivy League in total offense in both 1967 and 1968. And his impressive play has stood the test of time: his 4,492 career passing yards still rank third all-time at Columbia, and his 5,345 yards of total offense ranks third all-time.

Selected to Columbia Football's “Team of the 20th Century,” Domres was an honorable mention All-American and a first team All-Ivy League quarterback in 1968.

Drafted in the first round of the 1969 NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers, Domres' NFL career spanned nine years with the Chargers, Colts, 49ers and Jets. Upon his retirement in 1978, Domres had played in 90 NFL games and thrown 27 touchdowns.

Domres returned to Baltimore after his playing career and settled there.