Martin F. Domres ’69, Lions Football and NFL Hero

Martin F. Domres ’69, one of the most accomplished student-athletes in Columbia football history as well as a professional player for the NFL, died on Oct. 13, 2025. He was 78.

A longtime resident of Baltimore, Domres was born in Ithaca, N.Y.; when he was young his family moved to Syracuse, where he played football, basketball and baseball at Christian Brothers Academy. Domres made his mark as a Lions quarterback in the late 1960s. He earned All-Ivy League honors and established himself as one of the most prolific passers in Columbia football history. In 1968, during his senior year, Domres led the Ivy League in passing; he graduated holding 15 school records and two national records for passing and total offense.

“Marty represented the best of what it means to be a Columbian,” said Peter Pilling, the Campbell Family Director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Physical Education. “He was a gifted athlete, a devoted teammate and an ambassador for Ivy League football at the highest level.”

After graduating with a degree in economics, Domres was selected in the first round of the 1969 NFL-AFL draft by the San Diego Chargers. In 1972 the Baltimore Colts brought Domres in to replace Johnny Unitas as the starting quarterback; he left in 1976 to join the San Francisco 49ers, then signed with the New York Jets the following year.

Domres built a career in finance after retiring from the gridiron in 1978. He was inducted into the Greater Syracuse Sports Hall of Fame in 1995, the Christian Brothers Academy LaSallian Athletic Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Columbia University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008.

He is survived by his wife, Cheryl; stepson, Christian Cummings; and sisters, Cindy, Barbara Rehberg and Nancy Flattery.