Mark Sanchez is a former professional quarterback. He played college football at the University of Southern California (USC), where he led USC to a 12–1 record and won the Rose Bowl against Penn State.
Sanchez was drafted by the New York Jets in the first round (fifth overall) of the 2009 NFL Draft. He would go on to play in the NFL for 10 seasons. Sanchez led the Jets to the AFC Championship Game, a losing effort to the Indianapolis Colts, becoming the fourth rookie quarterback in NFL history to win his first playoff game and the second to win two playoff games. In his second season, Sanchez again led the Jets to the AFC Championship Game, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers; he joined Ben Roethlisberger as the only two quarterbacks in NFL history to reach the conference championship in their first two seasons in the league.
Sanchez is a Christian. He announced his retirement on July 23, 2019, and subsequently took a position with ESPN's college football coverage.