Hall of Fame
A game-breaking wide receiver and punt return specialist, All-American Mark Orlando finished his career as Towson’s all-time leader in pass receiving yardage, touchdown receptions and punt return yardage.
In his four-year career, Mark caught 178 passes for a record 3,460 yards and 31 touchdowns. During his career, he averaged an amazing 19.4 yards per catch. He also established Towson’s all-time punt return record. From 1991 to 1994, he amassed 644 yards on 41 punt returns, a 15.7 average. As a senior, he led NCAA Division I-AA by averaging 19.8 yards on 19 returns for 377 yards and one touchdown.
Mark holds the distinction of scoring the Tigers’ only winning touchdown on an untimed play when, in his sophomore year, he gathered in a 10-yard Dan Crowley pass in the corner of the end zone following a defensive penalty as time expired to lift Towson to a 33-32 victory over Northeastern.
As a junior Mark paced the Tigers with 55 receptions for a then program record 1,223 yards, an amazing 22.2 average, earning him the team’s Offensive MVP award. His 12 TD catches were a school record. In his senior year he posted four 200-yard receiving games, the only Towson player to accomplish that feat in the first 50 years of Tiger Football. In a 48-6 win over AIC, he caught 11 passes for a single game school record 266 yards and three touchdowns. In a 36-31 victory over Kutztown, he had 10 receptions for 244 yards and one TD. Mark also led the Tigers to a 32-16 win over Buffalo by catching nine passes for 238 yards and a pair of touchdowns. At Bucknell, he had ten receptions for 200 yards and two touchdowns.
Named as a first team All-American wide receiver in 1994, Mark helped the Tigers post back-to-back 8-2 records in 1993 and 1994 and crack the NCAA I-AA national rankings for the first time.
After graduating from Towson with his B.S. degree in biology, the Eldersburg, Maryland native earned a free agent tryout with the San Francisco 49ers. Although he didn’t make the team, he was signed by the Baltimore Stallions of the Canadian Football League in time for the 1995 season. As a wide receiver, he caught six passes for 125 yards and one touchdown and was part of the Stallions’ Grey Cup championship team. When the Stallions beat Calgary to win the Grey Cup, they became the only American team to win the CFL championship.
A three-sport letter winner in football, basketball and baseball at Liberty High School, Mark is a 2020 inductee in the Carroll County Sports Hall of Fame.
Mark is a Program Manager at CGI where he has been employed since 1998. He and his wife, Julie, have three children.
