If Infante was livid that he didn't get Collinsworth first, he didn't let the media know it. After several years as a color commentator on the Fox NFL Sunday pregame show, Collinsworth was assigned to the network's lead game broadcasting crew (teaming with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman) in 2002. von Mann sensed the room even before Infante went on his trips: "This could be the guy Lindy Infante wants! 37.Three Hall of Famers were already off the board in Lawrence Taylor, Kenny Easley and Ronnie Lott. NFL World Is Not Happy With Cris Collinsworth Sunday Night. running the 40-yard dash at either 4.43 or 4.44, depending on the . At the same time, the FCS product has so little experience against top competition that this is still a very risky move. Despite all of his accomplishments on the football field, Cris Collinsworth still says that the biggest thrill he ever had in sports was winning that race. [24], In 2006, Collinsworth could be seen on three networks during football season. A Superstars special that was held during the N.F.L. Only Mike Brown is alive from that day the Bengals stunned the world and took receivers with the first two picks. As a sick-of-this-stuff shot at the combine, Collinsworth says he swiped an offensive lineman's XL shorts for the photo. "(Infante) was a Florida guy Some people you just connect with. 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. 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. 5, New England Patriots trade up for Justin Fields By Cris Collinsworth Apr 29, 2021 Welcome to PFF draft week! He would likely be the first cornerback taken in this draft but for his recent back surgery. One of the biggest decisions that Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni faced in Super Bowl LVII came on a fourth-and-six from the Chiefs' 15-yard-line with the Eagles up 24-21 late in the third quarter. He was smart . Pro Bowl & Super Bowl 1 announce team from 2002-2004 alongside Joe Buck and Troy Aikman before leaving the network. He was also recognized with his 3rd and 4th Sports Emmy Awards in 2003 and 2004 as Outstanding Sports Personality/Studio Analyst. In May 2006 he added a 5th Emmy Award in the same category for his work with HBO. Home Astronaut Highs Cris Collinsworth; Winner Of Multiple Emmy Awards, NFL Pro Bowler, By SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME // January 16, 2017. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. "It was a fortuitous pick. By 2006, he was a sports superstar and well known by the public. 170.39.79.101 He finally figured out it was a Florida teammate and not the Giants. [24] He joined the NBC pregame show in 1996.[24]. Who could? Collinsworth was highly successful in the classroom as well as he was named an Academic All-American. In his first game, Collinsworth tied a collegiate record with a 99-yard scoring pass to Derrick Gaffney. You must. Pro Football Hall of Fame, Draft History. This is a big swing for the fences. 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. He scored 14 touchdowns receiving, two rushing, one on a kickoff return, and threw two touchdown passes. So, the 49ers go the developmental route with Trey Lance and let Jimmy Garoppolo play one more year. His accuracy, touch, poise, anticipation, ability to quickly read defenses and distribute the ball are all unmatched in the class. By using BiJog.com you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Fans have been ripping Collinsworth for his description of the play. Quote Tweets. He surpassed 1,000 yards receiving four times (in 1981, 1983, 1985, and 1986) and was named to the Pro Bowl 3 times. Lance will eventually give the 49ers that final element: a QB who can run on bootlegs opposite those stretch runs. Collinsworth played wide receiver on a competitive Cincinnati Bengals team that made the Super Bowl twice during his eight-year career. Ginger Kane He spent three years on the networks No. The Lions will take the win. Welcome to PFF draft week! [23], In 1990, he became a part of the NBC network's NFL broadcasts, as well as some of the college programming. But dont let his thin frame fool you: He will show some pop against linemen trying to pull and kick him out. Sewell is a potential Hall of Fame talent, and the Bengals know who their best player in franchise history is Anthony Muoz. [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. He was a Pro Day superstar. Despite weighing only 177 pounds, he shows power when running over potential tacklers. He has a great feel for loops and stunts and is the best player available at a position of desperate need for Pittsburgh. When Collinsworth started to attend the same church (United Trinity Methodist), Chris realized his destiny. I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off. 2023 Maverick Multimedia, Inc. 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In 1990, he began what has become a successful broadcasting career as a part of the NBC networks NFL broadcasts. [31] Collinsworth also has a steak named after him by the same restaurant.[32]. Cris Collinsworth hall of fame He was great as a sophomore and led the country in yards per route run. It was a challenge to play Cover 0 versus Florida because you couldnt leave Toney one on one with anybody. Cris Collinsworth is a former NFL player and is currently a famous Emmy Award winning sportscaster. Continue reading about I found myself laughing while watching people trying to tackle or cover him. "Back then, nobody knew anything.". He is much more physical after the catch than his size would indicate and would be a legitimate tough guy blocking for a run-dominant Ravens offense. 9221 SE Event Center Place [24], In the NBC broadcasts of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Collinsworth appeared alongside Bob Costas as a commentator on numerous occasions. It was reported the day after the draft that he had spent the offseason visiting the top ten receivers on campus and put them through the high jump, broad jump, made them run dashes and patterns and asked them questions. Collinsworth, who was born in Dayton, Ohio in 1959, has won five Emmy Awards. 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. 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. 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. He then became a reporter for HBO's (now Showtime's) Inside the NFL in 1989. His speed flashes often, and he consistently pulled away from SEC defenders. They don't get it out of the guy for whatever reason.". 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. Or does that mean he knows that in that first round everyone is going to miss out on one of the toughest and most productive wide receivers in the 1980s NFL? [24] He worked on Fox's Super Bowl XXXIX telecast three years later. "I figured there was no way they were going to take another receiver," Collinsworth says. You've got to create space and most importantly with all of these guys we 've talked about, catch the football. Jan 1, 2023 . He retired from the NFL following the 1988 season. Collinsworth hadn't done the slide earlier in the year, but he. But make no mistake, he is a bad man. Collinsworth was a wide receiver in the National Football League (NFL) for eight seasons (1981-1988), all with the Cincinnati Bengals. Jaylen Hurts gets an intimidator outside. Except he was fast. His hard step up the field outside the guard and then loop inside to smash an unsuspecting center makes for great theatre. 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. 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. Infante told the press the Verser pick was a consensus choice and that's what the notes from that 1981 draft reveal among the scouts. [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. But, the first 10 yards for a receiver are not relevant. He allowed only 12 catches on 34 targets for 93 yards in 2020. Collinsworth has been both a studio host and color commentator for NBC, Fox and the NFL Network. After retirement, Cris started sportscasting, first on the radio as a guest host, then he took on the show by himself. He will fight and hold and jam the entire game. The next year was big for him as he became a part of NBC's family. He joined NBC for the first time in 1990, calling both NFL and college football games, before moving to Fox in the late 1990s after NBC lost their NFL broadcast rights to CBS. He gave no indications that he was going into, or coming out of a cut. "My only memory of how Cris was built is at the weigh-in at Tampa, which is where the combine was then. Gender: The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that from December on Verser was No. He could catch. It is also possible that Pittsburgh could draft injured Alabama center Landon Dickerson and wait for him to recover. San Francisco already fields the most creative offense in the NFL, and Lance may add that final piece that proves too much to stop. Accuracy is the key, and Jones is very accurate. He has great eyes and awareness in zone coverage and makes plays on the ball. Collinsworth is also the color commentator on Madden NFL 09 and Madden NFL 10 with Tom Hammond, as well as in Madden NFL 11 and Madden NFL 12 with Gus Johnson. [20] In his first season, Collinsworth was the team's leading receiver and set the Bengals franchise record for receptions by a rookie with 67, the most by an NFL rookie wide receiver in 21 years. 2,579. Oweh didn't even play football until his junior year of high school, which may explain his lack of pass-rushing skills. Right away you knew. There are still good edge players on the board, but defensive improvement is key this year in Cleveland. The Dallas defense really struggled last year, and while Surtain is not the fastest corner in this class, he has played 662 snaps in press coverage over the last two years, by far the most of any corner in this class. Collinsworth was taken in the second round of the 1981 NFL draft with the 37th overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals and was named to the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons. His ball skills and creative contested catches are really special; he knows how to position/stack his body against the defender in very creative ways, and he doesnt foul while doing it. 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. 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. Live picks, grades and reaction to the 2023 NFL Draft. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Nobody is better with mobile quarterbacks than Urban Meyer, as Tim Tebow and Alex Smith will attest. He is fast enough for any stunt or loop and wins quickly in one-on-one situations. His flaws will be as an inline blocker and any route that requires him to stop quickly and come back to the ball, but when he is moving forward, Pitts is almost unstoppable. Better runner than our running backs.". On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Bateman is a free-flowing route runner who doesnt look overly fast or quick on tape. At 6-foot-5 and 257 pounds, Oweh ran a remarkable 4.3-second 40-yard dash. Check Out Some Great Areas to Explore On and Off Road on a Can-Am Maverick from Route 1 Motorsports, HOT OFF THE PRESS! [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. 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. Was Cris Collinsworth Any Good as an NFL Player? [5], His family, including Cris and his younger brother Greg, moved from Ohio to Melbourne, Florida, in 1963, when Cris was four years old. I dont believe the Niners traded up with Trey Lance in mind. He comes off the ball low and powerfully in the run game and has plenty of athleticism in space. I guess it just goes to show the draft is potluck to some degree.". In the next round at No. The family was full of speed and quick runners. Fletcher Cox is a good comparison. He will run down backs trying to bounce outside, and as quarterbacks get more mobile, defenders will have to match those skills. Collinsworth played in 107 games, catching 417 passes for 6,698 yards and 36 touchdowns. Here we go! Meanwhile, earlier in the game when Mahomes threw a pass straight to the ground for an incompletion, Collinsworth said . Collinsworth finished his collegiate career by being named the MVP of the 1980 Tangerine Bowl. Ohio State put a tight end outside him and just beat him up. He broke through early to help the Bengals to Super Bowl XVI.. 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. Copyright 2023 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. 39 the Vikings picked McDole, one of the receivers whom had been unfavorably compared to Collinsworth and whose career consisted of three catches. He then started working for HBO as a reporter in 1989. Collinsworth, a senior, had 40 receptions for 599 yards and three touchdowns. Please join us over on PFFs YouTube channel before, during and after the draft for a complete analysis of every pick. At 6ft 5in (1.96m) in height, Collinsworth often created mismatches against much smaller cornerbacks. Good post pattern runner because he can really run once under way Good player, good target, good deep speed.". Collinsworth played his final NFL game in the 1989 Super Bowl, catching three passes for 40 yards as the Bengals fell 20-16 to the San Francisco Giants. Moehrig led all college safeties in pass breakups over the past two years. He will not beat himself with penalties, either. 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. "The guy had me on the hook for five minutes," Collinsworth says. 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. ProFootballHistory.com. Im expecting new defensive coordinator Joe Cullen to attack much like Wink Martindale does in Baltimore. He also has a way of gaining separation early in the route and then holding it with his size and strength. [24] His son, Austin Collinsworth, is a former football player and team captain at the University of Notre Dame. James Lofton, Cris Collinsworth, Nolan Cromwell, Joe Cribbs, Jimmie Giles The upside with Parsons is that he may end up an even better edge player than a linebacker and he is a good linebacker. His son worked as a reporter for NBC. Emmy Award Winner. 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. 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. He had some explosive catch-and-run plays against Vanderbilt, Missouri and South Carolina last season. Date of Birth: Jan 27, 1959 (64 years old) Place of Birth: Dayton. 100 Yard Dash: 10.18: 1982 Preliminary 4 . He makes the kind of plays that can break open a football game. He spent 8 years in the NFL, all of them with the Cincinnati Bengals. He picks apart zone defenses and has a quick release when he pulls the trigger. "Lindy was from Florida. . All hell was breaking loose. But his best two sports were clearly football and track and field. (Complete Story), The Life And Career Of Ickey Woods (Complete Story), What Happened To Ki-Jana Carter? It was announced on April 16, 2009 that Collinsworth would replace John Madden in NBCs Sunday Night Football, leaving the NFL Network. Plus, his hustle sticks out, as he often chased down scrambling quarterbacks running downfield. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. With Justin Jefferson headed to the NFL in 2020, Marshall took over the slot this year in LSU's offense. 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. "It worked out," said the kid who was all arms, legs and brains, "just fine and dandy.". After college, Collinsworth was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2nd round of the 1981 NFL Draft. He could play anywhere inside, including defensive end in a 3-4 defense. Worse, he seemed to compound the issue with a set of poorly timed remarks to reporters about what he went through in the NFL interview process at the Combine, airing some comments that probably would have been best kept to himself. [24] Collinsworth and Costas paired again during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. You will see him flip out on scrambles like a Russell Wilson, and he is just as mobile. One of his runs helped us get into the Super Bowl.". ", On 22 Jan 81, von Mann said Verser "is my choice of the receivers I've seen Rare and exceptional ability, he should be an outstanding performer in his first year. I remember the conversation afterward," Collinsworth says. The start is not relevant. 42.2K. Part of that is that Polite is dealing with a nagging hamstring injury, which has impacted him. The Gators even played him at running back against LSU to try to isolate him, and the Tigers still doubled him. The Browns for their roster building. MidFlorida Credit Union Event Center When he sees something, he fires fast and wants to blow plays up. "He has some wayward motion with his arms. Moehrigs passion will fit perfectly in Tampa, and he likely wont be left in as many slot man coverages with the Bucs. Not the scouts. You can rely on him to do what he's told to do.". [24] He also served as color commentator for NFL Network Thursday night games (and one Saturday-night game) alongside play-by-play man Bryant Gumbel and Bob Papa. "I'm not here to condemn anyone. But, the first 10 yards for a receiver are not relevant. . Your IP: 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. And while he has the weakest arm of these top five quarterbacks, it is plenty strong enough to win a Super Bowl. Award is part of $3 million in new grants to athletic fields nationwide, 2023 The Cincinnati Bengals. He would provide instant offense for Ryan Fitzpatrick in Washington. "I don't remember the workout. 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. If Farley can maintain his health, he will make Deion Sanders-like flashy plays running down overthrown balls. Collinsworth was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round (37th pick overall) of the 1981 NFL Draft,[19] and spent his entire eight-year NFL career with the Bengals. He finished his outstanding career at Florida with 120 receptions for 1,937 yards and 14 touchdowns. [26], One of the most well-known trademarks of Collinsworth's work in the broadcasting booth was his performance of the "Collinsworth Slide" before each game. He just doesn't remember it that way. 8 years later he joined FOX's team. Bolton possesses untapped potential as a man coverage linebacker and likely will not come off the field. Here's the Collinsworth's audio. Write by: . Later in 1991 he earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Cincinnatis College of Law. This draft had become more than a passing fancy with Collinsworth still there at No. He remained with the Bengals until the 1988 season, catching three passes for 40 yards in Super Bowl XXIII, the final game of his career. The Butkus Award winner made some of the flashiest plays in college football last year. Performance & security by Cloudflare. Lawrence hit Kirk perfectly in the hands. Miami even dropped him into coverage from the nose tackle position. The following browsers are supported: Chrome, Edge (v80 and later), Firefox and Safari. Toney's weakness comes in traditional route running. 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. [11][12][13], During his career at Florida, Collinsworth caught 120 passes for 1,937 yards, and rushed for another 210. 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. (Complete Story). How much he can get away with is always a factor in his success. 43. American football player and sports broadcaster (born 1959). In 1995, he appeared on HBO broadcasting at Wimbledon with Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, and Barry MacKay. It might have come up (during the draft), but if it did, I don't remember. NFL analyst Cris Collinsworth explains why Jachai Polite will be 'big-time steal' if taken in Round 2 .