42.2K. Toney is the flashiest player in this draft. Except he was fast. We just couldn't figure out how to get it to him." 100 Yard Dash: 10.18: 1982 Preliminary 4 . Award is part of $3 million in new grants to athletic fields nationwide, 2023 The Cincinnati Bengals. His speed flashes often, and he consistently pulled away from SEC defenders. He's not nearly as physical as Virginia Tech's Christian Darrisaw, but Slater is an incredible pass protector. 39 the Vikings picked McDole, one of the receivers whom had been unfavorably compared to Collinsworth and whose career consisted of three catches. This isn't a sexy pick, but it gives the Titans a powerful guard, if they choose to play Leatherwood inside, or a solid run-blocking tackle who will need some support in pass protection. Checkout the latest stats for Cris Collinsworth. Cris not only had the speed and touch on the football field, he also had the brains. He will fight to get in the action as a tackler, but his big shots can also lead to missed tackles. [29][30], On March 12, 2011, Collinsworth reportedly was among 83 people rescued from Jeff Ruby's Waterfront restaurant in Covington, Kentucky, when the floating restaurant tore loose from its moorings and began to drift on the Ohio River, only to be stopped by the Brent Spence Bridge that links Ohio to Kentucky. NFL World Is Not Happy With Cris Collinsworth Sunday Night. I loved watching his creative route running, which features subtle pauses and an ability to bounce off defenders to gain position. Good running ability after catch. Tennessee had some success getting linemen on him and attacking downhill, but generally, he is very difficult to block. He is Brady-like with his in-pocket movements but still has enough speed to be a factor in the running game. I think he has plenty of time and the physical skills to improve there, though. Before Cris Collinsworth became an All-American at the University of Florida, a three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver with the Cincinnati Bengals, and an Emmy Award-winning broadcaster, he was a star at Astronaut High School in Titusville, Florida. Sunday Night Football announcers Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth are wowed by Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen's legs on his bruising 9-yard rushing touchdown. Atlanta is in cap hell and would love to trade for additional picks to rebuild this team with lower-priced rookies. Here we go! He began his career with the Gators as a run-first quarterback but transitioned to wide receiver as a sophomore and was a First-Team All-SEC selection for three consecutive seasons, also earning All-American honors in 1980 as a senior. New Career In 107 regular-season games. A series of head injuries forced him to retire from football early in his college career, but after his return, nobody was better rushing the quarterback in the second half of the 2020 season. [10][8] Though Florida's offense did not improve enough to save the jobs of Dickey or his coaching staff, Collinsworth flourished in his new role. [23], In 1990, he became a part of the NBC network's NFL broadcasts, as well as some of the college programming. The way the story goes, which is now locked somewhere between myth and microfilm, Bengals founder Paul Brown watched offensive coordinator Lindy Infante climb off the table after his impassioned plea to take Collinsworth at No. Collinsworth, who disclosed neatly on his Bengals information form that he was studying accounting, wore contacts and glasses while supplying the address and phone number of parents Donetta and Abe Collinsworth in Titusville, Fla., had been recruited by Infante when Infante was the offensive coordinator at Tulane. By 2006, he was a sports superstar and well known by the public. Marshall is an uninterested blocker, but he has the size to do it at the next level, where there will be added motivation. Collinsworth, a senior, had 40 receptions for 599 yards and three touchdowns. But dont let his thin frame fool you: He will show some pop against linemen trying to pull and kick him out. He is not afraid of man coverage and brings a very aggressive mindset. "I figured there was no way they were going to take another receiver," Collinsworth says. He can also drop into coverage for new Jets head coach Robert Saleh. Rousseau did get cut blocked a few too many times, but when you consider he may put on another 20 pounds, you cant help but think about what he might become. He likes to grab a little jersey at the catch point, which may catch up to him. Most of the pressures Leatherwood gave up at Alabama were to speed rushers, but with his strength, he may never allow a pressure if bumped inside to guard. His son, Austin is currently the Vice President of Distribution for Pro Football Focus. His father, Abe Collinsworth, who played for a national championship basketball team under Adolph Rupp at the University of Kentucky, was his high school principal. He spent 8 years in the NFL, all of them with the Cincinnati Bengals. Cris spent the next several years gaining broadcasting experience on several networks including HBO and the NFL Network. Fans enjoyed how he broke down plays during the game. "He's a very smart individual," the papers quoted Infante as he explained how he was attracted to Collinsworth by his height and productivity in Florida's pro-style offense. Some 30 years before Rutgers wide receiver Mohamed Sanu got pranked by a caller that said the Bengals were picking him in the first round before they really draftedhim in the third, Collinsworth got a phony call that said the New York media was poised to talk to him. His 5.24-second 40-yard dash didn't dazzle, but he has great feet and doesn't separate on blocks. When he sees something, he fires fast and wants to blow plays up. While all this back and forth was going on in Cincinnati in the months leading up to the draft, Collinsworth didn't know he was a prospect until the Hula Bowl invited him in the preseason for the post-season all-star game. Waddle likely would have been a top-10 pick but for his injury. He reads plays so quickly that zone-blocking offensive linemen often cant reach him. In addition to these receiving yards, Collinsworth also stacked on an extra 726 yards on kickoff returns, averaging 24.2 yards per return on 30 total returns. Initially, he was a guest host for Bob Trumpy (also a Bengals alumnus), but took over the show full-time as Trumpy accepted more television assignments. Emmy Award Winner. George, 60, is the eldest of the eight McTear kidsolder than Houston by one yearand was a champion high school sprinter himself. ("But I was only trying to make him feel better," the agent pleaded is how Collinsworth remembers it) and he can't recall who called from the team. But, the first 10 yards for a receiver are not relevant. He was named a first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection in 1978, 1979 and 1980, and was named both a first-team All-American and a first-team Academic All-America in 1980. The draft has always been an Ouija board interspersed with 40-yard dashes to the unknown and vertical leaps into uncertainty. He would likely be the first cornerback taken in this draft but for his recent back surgery. "It is the fact that when you got the ball to David Verser, he was hell on wheels. Home Astronaut Highs Cris Collinsworth; Winner Of Multiple Emmy Awards, NFL Pro Bowler, By SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME // January 16, 2017. Here's the Collinsworth's audio. Was Cris Collinsworth Any Good as an NFL Player? Oweh didn't even play football until his junior year of high school, which may explain his lack of pass-rushing skills. Born in 1959, Anthony Cris Collinsworth played quarterback and ran sprints at Astronaut High School in Titusville, becoming a Florida High School Athletic Association Class 3A 100-yard-dash state champion in 1976. When Chase ran under 4.4 at his pro day, I knew he would be the first receiver off the board. 1 on the Bengals list, Collinsworth No. "You watch the tape of him and think of a boxer who is great with that movement, he's hard to get a hand on, he's hard to jam. And while he is one of the least impressive catchers of the ball in this class, it appeared his confidence grew as the season went along. Brown is my choice to surprise this year in the same way Justin Jefferson did in 2020. Farley has the size, too, measuring in at 6-foot-2 and 207 pounds, so he would be a steal at Pick 17 if healthy. He finished his outstanding career at Florida with 120 receptions for 1,937 yards and 14 touchdowns. The second-round draft choice. Cris Collinsworth led the acquisition of Pro Football Focus (PFF) in 2015. He wasn't going to beat many people in a 40 yard sprint, but he got into and out of his cuts at his top speed. [24] He also continued his work on Inside the NFL when it debuted on its new home on Showtime.[24]. Your email address will not be published. [15] He was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 1991, and as part of a recognition of 100 years of Florida football in 2006, The Gainesville Sun recognized him as the No. WHY did they run 4.4? My mock draft features one trade, as I have the New England Patriots moving up for Ohio State's Justin Fields, while thefirst two picks rank first and second on PFF's draft board. His mother left the room in tears, still recalling what the agent had said about the Bengals not being a fit. "My only memory of how Cris was built is at the weigh-in at Tampa, which is where the combine was then. The Browns for their roster building. 170.39.79.101 The Ravens can rush anybody on the field from any position. Does that mean he knows that anybody with a build that would conjure up ungainly comparisons from Don Knotts to Ichabod Crane shouldn't even think about being selected in the first round of any NFL Draft? His double-moves are frightening, given his speed, and few receivers run them more often. We had a guy, Lionel Manuel, who ran in the 4.6's, but was tough to cover. 9221 SE Event Center Place (Complete Story), The Life And Career Of Ickey Woods (Complete Story), What Happened To Ki-Jana Carter? In track, Collinsworth, who graduated from Astronaut in 1977, posted a state championship winning time of 10.0 seconds in the 100 as the 6-foot-5 Collinsworth out-leaned the competition at the tape. Infante, who passed away five years ago at age 75, coached and played at the University of Florida in the two decades before Collinsworth enrolled at Gainesville. He will fight and hold and jam the entire game. Cris Collinsworth . He catches the ball so easily that converting to his great running skills happens very quickly. This draft had become more than a passing fancy with Collinsworth still there at No. He had quickness, size and he was fast. 37.Three Hall of Famers were already off the board in Lawrence Taylor, Kenny Easley and Ronnie Lott. His father played in the NBA for eight years, and if Rashawn's feet are anything to go by, the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. He then started working for HBO as a reporter in 1989. And while he has the weakest arm of these top five quarterbacks, it is plenty strong enough to win a Super Bowl. But Riverfront Stadium wasn't exactly some kind of barnyard in that rookie season of 1981. He is the majority owner and CEO of PFF. He was a quick runner, at a 4.4 second 40 yard dash speed, he was a true threat to opponents. [3], Collinsworth was born in Dayton, Ohio,[4] the son of Abraham Lincoln "Abe" Collinsworth (who was born on Abraham Lincoln's birthday) and Donetta Browning Collinsworth. Going head-to-head with long time rival Lawrence, . During my entire career I watched the Bengals bring to camp these small wide receivers, all of whom ran 4.4 or less, but they were not football fast. Three-time Pro Bowl Selection. Cris Collinsworth is among Brevard Countys greatest four-sport athletes as he starred in football, basketball, track and field and baseball for Astronaut High School. Despite his reputation of having a limited route tree, I think he will prove that it had nothing to do with him. 407-575-7801 Collinsworth is currently second on the Bengals' all-time list for receivers with 417 catches for 6,698 yards. Cris Collinsworth Welcomes The "Their Time," Bengals To The Super Bowl 40 Years Later. 2. At No. In 1985, Collinsworth signed with the Tampa Bay Bandits of the United States Football League (USFL), but the contract was voided when he failed the physical due to a bad ankle. It was announced on April 16, 2009 that Collinsworth would replace John Madden in NBCs Sunday Night Football, leaving the NFL Network. His running skill was inherited by his daughter Ashley who won the Kentucky High School title in the 100 meters race, and ran for Harvard later where she became a team captain. The following season Collinsworth led the way in one of the biggest turnarounds in NCAA college football history as Florida finished 8-4. Later in 1991 he earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Cincinnatis College of Law. Collinsworth on being a modern athletic rarity, a four-sport (football, basketball, baseball, track) star at Astronaut High in Titusville, the metropolis of 31,494 people adjacent to Mims: "It's. At 6-foot-5 and 310 pounds, Barmore is surprisingly nimble. 2nd) if you are able to run precise routes& can make excellent breaks and cuts out your route, you will always be able to create separation since the DB is by nature of the game reacting to you. Then Brown, 72 years young, the man who sketched the beginnings of the modern passing game as the head coach in Cleveland three decades before, bounced out of the room cocking his arm to throw an imaginary football. He has power and a great inside move; his one-armed jam creates space that he takes advantage of, and he just has a frenzied approach to the game. His diving catch and collision against Missouri showed his toughness. The Chargers' history of offensive line issues has been erased in just one offseason. What we do know now on the 40th anniversary of that draft is that just not Tom Brady is a result of fate and fortune. He began his broadcasting career as a sports radio talk show host for WLW in Cincinnati and later became a reporter for HBOs Inside the NFL in 1989. Collinsworth retired from professional football in 1989. He has a great feel for loops and stunts and is the best player available at a position of desperate need for Pittsburgh. Video game fans around the world can recognize his voice even if they dont know who he is. "Uncle Willie was 40 years older than us," he says . [5], His family, including Cris and his younger brother Greg, moved from Ohio to Melbourne, Florida, in 1963, when Cris was four years old. 10 and then chose Verser when he took one last look at Collinsworth in his shorts. . The family was full of speed and quick runners. He is nearly impossible to cover inside on option routes. By using BiJog.com you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. He did get bulled into the QB at times, though. Pro Football Hall of Fame, Draft History. No one projected that in their reports. 4. He says he felt all the emotions as he watched the draft in his Gainesville apartment with his parents. Collinsworth was highly successful in the classroom as well as he was named an Academic All-American. Abroken hand slowed Collinsworth his first season as he moved to wide receiver for his sophomore season, and began a three-year stretch where he would be named All-Southeastern Conference first-team each season. The Bears would love to sizzle in this draft, but only solid picks remain. [24] In addition to co-hosting Inside the NFL on HBO, he returned to NBC as a studio analyst for that network's Sunday night NFL coverage and did color commentary on the NFL Network. His children were also successful scholars. Despite his flaws, he still carries a very impressive 26% pass-rush win rate. Just like you, we are excited to get back to football. In his first game, Collinsworth tied a collegiate record with a 99-yard scoring pass to Derrick Gaffney. And Newsome is rock solid. Jan 1, 2023 . The ubiquitous Cowboys and Raiders had told him they could take him late in the first round. Again, position versatility gives Vera-Tucker the nod here. "I have a very distinct memory of that practice when they first came in," Mike Brown says. So was Collinsworth's future Bengals Super Bowl teammate James Brooks. When drafting at the end of the first round, you can pick physical freaks and hope to coach them in ways they may have missed during the coronavirus-impacted season. "This man gets open consistently Will catch underneath, runs routes hard every down.". Feb 11, 2022 at 06:24 AM. At Notre Dame, Owusu-Koramoah would play in the slot but often rush off the edge, stealing pitches, blowing up screens and creating big negative plays for offenses. He tends to struggle one-on-one against offensive linemen, as his speed can run him past or out of gaps if blocks are made. 10, his agent went to great lengths to assure him that Cincinnati wasn't the place for him. And when I watched the tape, my first question was, what am I suppose to not like about Mac Jones?. He is currently ranked 4th in school pass receiving charts and is even tied for NCAA record for longest touchdown pass (99 yards against Rice as a freshman quarterback in 1977).

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