The Top 3 Pass Catchers in UConn Football History all overlapped each other...Glenn Antrum, Alex Davis and Mark Didio. Along with Tight End Brian Kozlowski and the QB duo of Matt Degennaro and Cornelius Benton, the numbers put up were record breaking...Didio still owning 5 single season and career records...And it gave him a shot in the NFL...
A product of Henninger HS in Syracuse, Didio arrived in Storrs in the Fall of 1988...where Glenn Antrum was the top receiver on a successful team to mentor not only the young pass catching corp, but Sophomore QB Matt DeGennaro, who threw for 2,200 yds in his freshman season He'd up the numbers in 1988, where Antrum led I-AA in receiving to earn him All American Honors...But his mentoring paved the way, for Didio in 1989..
Where in 1989, Didio's opening game resulted in a 135y opening week against CCSU, followed by a 148y night at old Texas Stadium against SMU. He added a third 100y pass catching day later in the season, a win over Boston University, a team he'd have great success against....Didio 62 catches for 867 yards and 3 TD's in an 8-3 season for UConn....
The 1990 Team featured Didio and Alex Davis on the Outside and big Kozlowski at Tight End...all producing for DeGennaro as prime targets...That included 4 times that season Didio was part of a duo who each had 100 yard receiving days...Didio had 8, 100y days...His high of the season was 182 and 2 TD's in a season ending rout of Rhode Island. Mark Didio's season of 78 catches and 1153 yds set single season records at UConn. And he became the first wideout to catch double digit TD passes in program with 10. Only Carl Bond's 11 in the playoff year of 1998 was better....Didio named 1st Team All Conference with DeGennaro joining many Huskies...along with 3rd Team I-AA All American Honors.
Didio's Senior Season saw the Huskies struggle in the win department...just 3-8. DeGennaro graduated and Cornelius Benton took over at the QB spot...Benton and Didio put up fantastic numbers despite the struggles. Benton a school record 2701yds, with 18 TD Passes....Didio, who had 6 more 100+ yard games, became just the second UConn Receiver to have a 200y receiving day in his next to last game against B.U. as he caught a pair of TD passes and 229y...still second best in program history...
Didio's 123.9 yards per game receiving that year remains a team record for a season. as does his 1,354 yards...his 88 catches in 1991 is now second best for a season. And it earned Mark Didio First Team I-AA All American Honors. The Career Numbers 239 catches (1st), 3535 yards (1st), 21 TD (4th) and 80.3 yards per game for career (1st) ...Not to mention a 33 game streak where he caught at least one pass in a game...
Mark Didio wasn't drafted, but caught on and earned a roster spot in 1992...with the Pittsburgh Steelers practice squad. He bided his team and earned some playing time in week 9, 17-13 win over the Lions where Didio caught 3 passes...all for first downs. He only played two games that season , then was waived in training camp 1993....
Today, Mark and family reside in the Westport Area as a VP of Global Speciality Sales for Melissa & Doug. And it appears his son, Mark, Jr is a WR/DB at the Taft School in Watertown...
Wideout Mark Didio, a record breaking pass catcher for the Huskies, an All American and a UConn Legend !