You have to look at the numbers, not Super Bowl rings, when rating Dan Marino's career, says former Miami Dolphins head coach Don Shula.

A special guest on ESPN's Up Close, Shula reminisced to Gary Miller about Marino just hours after the future Hall of Fame quarterback announced his retirement in Miami. Shula said that Marino's record-breaking numbers should overshadow the fact that he never won a championship.

Shula also recalled the thought-process that the coach went through when Marino was drafted in 1983. An edited transcript of Shula's March 13 comments follows.

Miller: How emotional was it today to see the end of Dan Marino's 17-year career?

Shula: Well, it was a tough day. There is no easy way for this to happen. I went through it after 26 years, and when you get up there for that final press conference, it's tough. Dan, I know, has struggled and he had a tough last two weeks in the decision-making process, and to get up there and finally make it happen, I know that it was tough on Dan.

Miller: You see the way (John) Elway went out and you see the humiliation the Dolphins went through in Dan's final game, how do you look at that in perspective?

Shula: Well, I think that's something that people are always going to hold against Dan's accomplishments, the fact that he didn't win a Super Bowl and the fact that he ended up with such a poor game against Jacksonville. Now that he's made the decision, and the fact that he hasn't won a Super Bowl, I would've loved to have had him win a Super Bowl, but it didn't happen. But you have to look at Dan's entire career, look at the accomplishments, and put him next to anybody else that's ever played the position, and Dan's are better than anybody else's and that's how he should be judged.

Miller: What kind of quarterback did you think he was going to be back in '83 when he was the sixth quarterback drafted?

Shula: Well, we had him rated right up there with Elway. We had Elway No. 1 and Marino No. 2, and I was surprised with the fact he slid that far (to No. 27 in the first round). We went with the idea of maybe taking a defensive lineman, and then when it looked like Dan might slide to our pick, I made a couple of hurried phone calls, one to Foge Fazio (his coach at Pittsburgh). I said, "What's going on?" and he said, "I can't believe he's still on the board. This is a guy from a great family and he's a tremendous competitor, he had a fantastic junior year," and he gave him every great recommendation you could give. I said, "That's good enough for me," and we switched, we got Dan Marino.

Miller: What was the biggest change in Dan Marino as he became a pro?

Shula: He always had that quick release, and then as a pro he really studied and he learned how to attack the defense and he made quick decisions. People don't talk enough about the quick decisions Dan makes along with the quick release. So the blitzer could get there, the heavy rush could be there, but Dan somehow was still going to get rid of that football, and I think that's the big difference between Dan and other quarterbacks.

Miller: He (Marino) mentioned today in his news conference having such a great receiving corps, the "Marks" brothers Duper and Clayton, and also having Nat Moore when he first came in, how big a boost was that for him in the early stages of his NFL career?

Shula: It was great, but in his rookie season he just took off and started to throw touchdown passes and then in his second year he broke all the records. But having Duper and Clayton, a great offensive line to protect him, you know we never did get the running game generated the way I would've liked to, to complement Dan's passing, but you know, we put so much emphasis on throwing the football because of his great talent.

Miller: What was the most heated argument that you and Dan got in the years that you were together?

Shula: There were times we had disagreements. There were times where I sent a play in and if it wasn't the right play Dan let me know about it, and I would say to him, "Why didn't you change it at the line of scrimmage?" (laughs), but we had those kinds of discussions. But I think through the years there was always a mutual respect. My respect for Dan as a player, and Dan's respect for me as a coach, I feel that we did have that through 17 years.

Miller: Where do you put him in the legacy of all-time NFL quarterbacks?

Shula: I'm going to put him right on top because I think a player should be judged by his accomplishments, and you take Dan's accomplishments and you put him next to any other quarterback, and Dan's are greater, and I think that's how he should be judged. The fact that he hasn't won a Super Bowl I know is always going to take away from this great career, but his other accomplishments are better than anybody else that's ever played the position, and that should be recognized.