[24], In the NBC broadcasts of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Collinsworth appeared alongside Bob Costas as a commentator on numerous occasions. You can rely on him to do what he's told to do.". 4. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 1991. Personal life Collinsworth currently lives in Fort Thomas, Kentucky, with his wife Holly, and their four children. The Gators struggled the next season but Collinsworth caught 41 passes for 593 yards and two touchdowns despite Florida finishing 0-10-1. When he got off to a slow start his senior year, they took away the invite and when he finished strong they invited him again. Cris Collinsworth American football player, wide receiver, sports broadcaster. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. "He has some wayward motion with his arms. If Infante was livid that he didn't get Collinsworth first, he didn't let the media know it. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. some comments that probably would have been best kept to himself, he tweeted after watching Polite's game film. The Bears would love to sizzle in this draft, but only solid picks remain. Accuracy is the key, and Jones is very accurate. He is a big playmaker A quality athlete. He returned to the Bengals and played for them through the end of the 1988 season, catching three passes for 40 yards in Super Bowl XXIII, the final game of his career. . 43. Running Infante's choice routes where the receivers reacted to the defender and could do it because of the deep trust in Anderson's precision, Collinsworth became the Bengals' first 1,000-yard receiver in the first of four such seasons. That rover position has been used a lot in college, but the wide college hash marks that created such a need don't really exist in the NFL. ProFootballHistory.com. He is powerful and quick inside, as well. Cris Collinsworth begged Colts to do one thing during 'Sunday Night Football' Collinsworth served as the analyst for the Week 13 "Sunday Night Football" game between the Colts and Cowboys,. You had to think your way through it.It ended up being a nice fit. "It worked out," said the kid who was all arms, legs and brains, "just fine and dandy.". 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. You are right on the money about his route running ability. 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. Gregg for his discipline. Born in Dayton and the son of a Cincinnati educator before the family moved south, Collinsworth was already popular in town before he became one of the most iconic Bengals. We got lucky He was brave. Brady's competitiveness during his time with the New England Patriots. Apply & Register TODAY for Spring 2023 Classes at Eastern Florida State College, HOT OFF THE PRESS! But Verser was a hell of a player. The Browns for their roster building. 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. As a sophomore, Collinsworth caught 39 passes for 745 yards and nine touchdowns. Cris definitely ran by a lot of "speed corners" for the reasons he said, but he also could sink his hips and get in and out of cuts and get separation. He picks apart zone defenses and has a quick release when he pulls the trigger. 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 only other items he's wearing are a wrist watch and a slight, crooked grin he can't quite hide. "If he somehow slips to the second round, he is going to be a big-time steal.". Andrew Livingston Later in 1991 he earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Cincinnatis College of Law. The "XL," stamped on the shorts is a gag. Good running ability after catch. His pedigree as a former five-star recruit doesn't hurt matters, either. It is usually more difficult for long striders to choke it down and make those cuts and be great route runners. No one projected that in their reports. Part of that is that Polite is dealing with a nagging hamstring injury, which has impacted him. Functional football speed is what it is all about. More of PFF's 2021 NFL Draft tools here: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah could play slot corner or inside linebacker. In the next round at No. PFF is a football performance data and technology company. maybe not the end for Al and Cris just yet. I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off. [24] He also continued his work on Inside the NFL when it debuted on its new home on Showtime.[24]. Very good balance and agility.". He looks like a skinny NBA power forward, and he is often playing nose tackle. ", They must have had it like the rest of the league. 37. He can catch the ball in his hands. Cris Collinsworth led the acquisition of Pro Football Focus (PFF) in 2015. Wilson misses throws rolling right more than he should, but his skills are special and he could be great. It was announced on April 16, 2009 that Collinsworth would replace John Madden in NBCs Sunday Night Football, leaving the NFL Network. Just like you, we are excited to get back to football. [25] and as of 2022 is in his fourteenth season of the high-profile telecast, and is now paired with Mike Tirico, after Michaels was named the new play-by-play announcer for Prime Videos coverage of Thursday Night Football. 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. Collinsworth, a senior, had 40 receptions for 599 yards and three touchdowns. He is by far the most skilled pass rusher of the players left on the board. [23], In 1990, he became a part of the NBC network's NFL broadcasts, as well as some of the college programming. Cris Collinsworth preps to announce a Super Bowl with his Bengals. One of the things I really like about Waddle is that he tends to hold his speed and create comfort for the defensive back before hitting the jets, and then it is all over. I dont believe the Niners traded up with Trey Lance in mind. Scout Frank Ubile compared Collinsworth favorably to a current Bengal ("A Pat McInally with speed") and some of the draft's top receivers, such as Mississippi State's Mardye McDole and UNLV's Sam Greene:"More speed than Verser, much more than McDole more consistentthan Verser and Greene. [14] He graduated with a bachelor's degree in accounting in 1981 and was inducted into the University of Florida Student Hall of Fame the same year. Jones also dealt with plenty of pressure from SEC defenses, as Alabamas protection wasnt always perfect. He isnt a power player or a finesse player, but he lands somewhere dependably in between. 100 Yard Dash: 10.18: 1982 Preliminary 4 . He was a high school quarterback whose 58 total touchdowns still rank third all-time in North Carolina state history. Before NBC, he co-hosted as a studio analyst Inside the NFL on HBO for that network's Sunday night NFL coverage and did color commentary on the NFL Network. Chase can block and even played some tailback, but there is no arguing with the fact that he caught 24 deep balls against SEC competition at just 19 years of age and almost beat Clemson by himself in the 2019 National Championship Game. (Complete Story), The Life And Career Of Ickey Woods (Complete Story), What Happened To Ki-Jana Carter? Retweets. What he said always seemed to make sense and he had a gift in explaining the game to casual fans. 1 on the Bengals list, Collinsworth No. 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. With a 3.9+ GPA, he got a degree in Accounting from the University of Florida. Moehrig led all college safeties in pass breakups over the past two years. During his career at Florida, Cris caught 120 passes for 1,977 yards and 14 touchdowns, while also scoring two rushing touchdowns and one on a kickoff return. The backs that are trying to chip him can't really get a clean hit on him.". When Collinsworth started to attend the same church (United Trinity Methodist), Chris realized his destiny. Plus, he has shown that he can displace people as a run-blocker including Alabama's defensive line. Just like you, we are excited to get back to football. I think he could easily be the best lineman out of this draft. The FHSAA named him an all-state quarterback on two occasions and he was named the All-Southern first-team quarterback for his play during his senior season with the War Eagles. When he came back, Infante worked him out in Gainesville and while he didn't figure it out until later when he hooked with an NFL passing champion in Bengals quarterback Ken Anderson, he realized what Infante was doing matched his cerebral game of leverage and speed. [7], Collinsworth's combination of height and speed attracted the attention of college football programs throughout the South, and he accepted an athletic scholarship from coach Doug Dickey to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. "It was a fortuitous pick. 3 that no trade seemed fair. Both of Cris's parents were educators; Donetta was a teacher, and Abe was a high-school teacher and coach who later became a principal and eventually the superintendent of schools for Brevard County. SUPER BOWL,. Collinsworth was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons (1981-1988), all with the Cincinnati Bengals. 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 draft has always been an Ouija board interspersed with 40-yard dashes to the unknown and vertical leaps into uncertainty. Even when he does (get jammed), he doesn't fall down. 7. Plus, his hustle sticks out, as he often chased down scrambling quarterbacks running downfield. At one point in time, Cris Collinsworth could be soon on HBO hosting Inside the NFL, on the NFL Network doing color commentary, and on NBC as a studio analyst when the network got the NFL back with Sunday Night Football. The team will take him out of that four-point stance and work on his explosion off the ball. 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. It was a challenge to play Cover 0 versus Florida because you couldnt leave Toney one on one with anybody. Phillips flew all over the field with a violent approach and never showed any signs that he was dealing with a history of concussions. The talented edge rusher expressed some regret for how he handled things up in Indianapolis at his Pro Day -- be sure to check out this piece as Polite was quite frank about his missteps -- but he still failed to turn in better numbers running and looked a bit stiff in positional drills. [8] Though he was recruited as a run-first quarterback for the Gators' option offense, Collinsworth threw a 99-yard touchdown pass to Derrick Gaffney against the Rice Owls in his first collegiate attempt, a toss which remains tied for the longest touchdown pass in NCAA history. Quote Tweets. San Francisco already fields the most creative offense in the NFL, and Lance may add that final piece that proves too much to stop. His wiggly moves will remind you a little of Jason Pierre-Paul in his early years. He didn't run with a pretty or classic running style. This was a tough choice. Cris spent the next several years gaining broadcasting experience on several networks including HBO and the NFL Network. Collinsworth's strength coach at Florida told Wood that the kid was muscular enough to have been named to an All-American strength team. [24] He joined the NBC pregame show in 1996.[24]. QB | RB | WR | TE | T | iOL | DI | EDGE | LB | CB | S. Billed as one of the best draft prospects in the country since his high school days, Lawrence consistently won big games with great play against top competition. He would likely be the first cornerback taken in this draft but for his recent back surgery. But the Ohio State product will have to break the habit of running as a second option in his passing reads, or he will get blitzed to death in the NFL. American football player and sports broadcaster (born 1959). All rights reserved. The Lions, meanwhile, are quietly building their own war chest as protection behind a one-year trial with quarterback Jared Goff. He fights hard to get to the edge against guards, using his hands well, and then is just too much to keep from turning the corner. Austin was also a football player and team captain for Notre Dame. Alabama running back Najee Harris could be the choice here if the Steelers opt to go for one of the more powerful offensive linemen in Round 2. Jay Feely. Collinsworth, who was born in Dayton, Ohio in 1959, has won five Emmy Awards. He never shied away from traffic He was a great player.". Collinsworth book-ended his career in the Super Bowl with his 107 yards leading all receivers in Super Bowl XVI and his last career catch converting a third-and-eight on the drive the Bengals. Cris Collinsworth Bengals timeline April 28, 1981: The Bengals select Collinsworth, a receiver out of Florida, with the 37th overall pick of the 1981 NFL Draft. INDIANAPOLIS _ What we hear about the Bengals as we prowl the halls of the NFL scouting combine this week: INDIANAPOLIS _ Returning Wednesday to the spot where at last year's NFL scouting combine he declared he was on the look out for "Glass-Eaters," Bengals offensive line coach Frank Pollack said Jackson Carman chewed enough chards in his two playoff starts to be in the mix at right tackle if La'el Collins isn't ready Opening Day. Graduate of the University of Florida, chosen in the second round of the 1981 NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals, where he had a eight-year NFL career that included three Pro Bowl appearances (1981-'83) and a pair of Super Bowls. His 5.24-second 40-yard dash didn't dazzle, but he has great feet and doesn't separate on blocks. It is also possible that Pittsburgh could draft injured Alabama center Landon Dickerson and wait for him to recover. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Life And Career Of David Klingler (Story), The Life And Career Of Carl Pickens (Story), The Life And Career Of Archie Griffin (Story), The Life And Career Of Anthony Muoz (Story), The Life And Career Of Jack "Throwin' Samoan" Thompson (Story), What Happened To Chris Henry? PO Box 568234 [8][9], Florida's option attack struggled against top defenses in Collinsworth's freshman season of 1977, so Coach Dickey decided to transition his team from a run-oriented offense to a more balanced pro set attack for 1978. The Michigan product isn't a polished pass rusher, but he will learn a lot in Baltimore. . He finally figured out it was a Florida teammate and not the Giants. "I figured there was no way they were going to take another receiver," Collinsworth says. Verser one, Collinsworth two. Cris Collinsworth when he was honored as one of the First 50 Bengals. How about Steve Largent? [8] He also returned 30 kickoffs for 726 yards for an average of 24.2 yards per return. He also wants to jam with two arms instead of using his length with a one-armed jam. His routes and moves are what really set him apart, though. PFF's Big Board for the 2023 NFL Draft offers three-year player grades, combine measurables, position rankings, and in-depth player analysis for all of the top draft prospects. The family was full of speed and quick runners. The Lions will take the win. I think he has plenty of time and the physical skills to improve there, though. Cris won the 100 yard dash in the 70s with his younger brother taking bets from spectators. I was told that Mac Jones would be a late first-round pick early in the process. Justin Herbert proved his worth last year, so the Chargers respond by investing in his development and protection. Matt Ryan may be my closest comparison, but that works for me. Paul and Mike Brown, along with Infante and second-year head coach Forrest Gregg, were among the chief architects of that '81 Super Bowl team that is regarded as the best pro football team in Cincinnati history. Sunday night, the longtime NBC NFL analyst gave fans what they wanted prior to kickoff between the Buccaneers and the Chiefs. Still seething, the one time Collinsworth kicked back and relaxed was the ninth pick of the second round when the Bengals went to pick at No. I just remember they were both in the discussion and I remember how vehement Lindy was for Collinsworth. The Eagles get lucky here. [11][12][13], During his career at Florida, Collinsworth caught 120 passes for 1,937 yards, and rushed for another 210. Any time you have a 240-pound edge player, there will be physical concerns. He was a quick runner, at a 4.4 second 40 yard dash speed, he was a true threat to opponents. von Mann sensed the room even before Infante went on his trips: "This could be the guy Lindy Infante wants! NFL analyst Cris Collinsworth explains why Jachai Polite will be 'big-time steal' if taken in Round 2 . Good quickness on cuts. His son, Austin is currently the Vice President of Distribution for Pro Football Focus. Continue reading about After a while I figured out what they wanted.". Salary: $12.5 Million Per Year. . Born in Ohio in 1959, Cris Collinsworth moved with his family to Florida at the age of four and later attended Astronaut High School in Titusville, where his father was the basketball coach and later the principal. Sometimes the team is at fault. Port St. Lucie, FL 34952, Stay alert on sports news and events from the Hall. "I don't know where that one came from," Brown says of the photo story. Gender: At one point, there was speculation of NBC letting him go for poor preseason performance which, they said, was a little for a lot of money he earned, "We can replace him with someone cheaper and younger and get just as much production, if not more. At 6-foot-5 and 310 pounds, Barmore is surprisingly nimble. The reports that Fields has been managing epilepsy may have caused him to drop, but he is an accurate passer, will learn to work through progressions better and is an absolute bear as a runner. The ubiquitous Cowboys and Raiders had told him they could take him late in the first round. INDIANAPOLIS _ Bengals director of player personnel Duke Tobin says he only compares Joe Burrow, his quarterback, to Joe Burrow, a Pro Bowler and two-time winner of the AFC North. He comes off the ball low and powerfully in the run game and has plenty of athleticism in space. By 2006, he was a sports superstar and well known by the public. He broke through early to help the Bengals to Super Bowl XVI.. [28] Another son, Jac, also attended Notre Dame and was a features reporter for ESPN's Sunday NFL Countdown before joining his father at NBC, where he is the on-site host for Football Night in America and also hosts NBC's Notre Dame football, NASCAR, and coverage for other big events such as the Indianapolis 500 and Kentucky Derby. 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? 2023 Maverick Multimedia, Inc. 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You must. Wood, appointed by Paul Brown as the NFL's first full-time strength coach, still has an endless network of conditioning contacts and in 1981 he knew the photo didn't translate. Jaelen Phillips will be a rockstar if he stays healthy. He will fight to get in the action as a tackler, but his big shots can also lead to missed tackles. January 16, 2023 Space Coast Daily News Brevard Countys Best Newspaper. For the latest news and events about Florida Sports Hall of Fame, please join our mailing list! Billions of hours of game play were played with his voice in the background calling plays while gamers controlled their virtual teams. [5][6] Cris was successful in multiple sports for the Astronaut War Eagles, and during his senior year in 1976, he won the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Class 3A 100-yard-dash state championship and was named a high-school All-American quarterback.