Despite weighing only 177 pounds, he shows power when running over potential tacklers. The play after the Chargers cut the lead to 10-7 in the second quarter, Verser returned the kickoff 40 yards and seven plays later the Bengals were up 17-7 and on the way to their first Super Bowl. You can rely on him to do what he's told to do.". I hope he is there Only (Isaac) Curtis has better catching abilities (on the Bengals). You've got to create space and most importantly with all of these guys we 've talked about, catch the football. He never shied away from traffic He was a great player.". January 30, 2023 Space Coast Daily News Brevard Countys Best Newspaper, College Cant Wait! So, the 49ers go the developmental route with Trey Lance and let Jimmy Garoppolo play one more year. However, as a student at the University of Florida he switched to wide receiver and made the College Football All-America Team as a senior. It might have come up (during the draft), but if it did, I don't remember. 7. "You knew right away that you had a special player. He broke through early to help the Bengals to Super Bowl XVI.. 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. Later in the 2020 season, Moehrig started making more and more plays. 1 WR in the draft. 3 that no trade seemed fair. He had quickness, size and he was fast. January 16, 2023 Space Coast Daily News Brevard Countys Best Newspaper. The 6 foot 5 Chris was an outstanding football receiver with 417 receptions in 107 games played in the NFL, he was a very skilled player. [8] He also returned 30 kickoffs for 726 yards for an average of 24.2 yards per return. He is the majority owner and CEO of PFF. 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. With a 3.9+ GPA, he got a degree in Accounting from the University of Florida. Tough pick here. This page was last edited on 23 February 2023, at 07:02. 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? But, the first 10 yards for a receiver are not relevant. Jerry will be tempted to go for Caleb Farley, the best athlete in this cornerback class, but the injury risk associated with the Virginia Tech corner is just too great. 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. 2,579. Despite his flaws, he still carries a very impressive 26% pass-rush win rate. Cris Collinsworth's 2021 NFL Mock Draft: Penei Sewell goes to the Cincinnati Bengals at No. "(Infante) was a Florida guy Some people you just connect with. The only other items he's wearing are a wrist watch and a slight, crooked grin he can't quite hide. February 27, 2023 endeavor air pilot contract No Comments . He was incredibly fast, which not only helped him succeed on the football field but as a track and field star as well. Miami even dropped him into coverage from the nose tackle position. Gregg for his discipline. He will run down backs trying to bounce outside, and as quarterbacks get more mobile, defenders will have to match those skills. You had to think your way through it.It ended up being a nice fit. "We had them graded closely enough to talk about it," says Brown, the Bengals president, of that first round. But Verser was a hell of a player. Free agents Corey Linsley and Matt Feiler will team with Darrisaw to complete the transformation. ProFootballHistory.com. Mon-Fri : 9am to 5pm - 603-459-8358 After Hours : 603-921-6158 And he looked as though he was toying with defenses at times this past year. (Complete Story), The Life And Career Of Ickey Woods (Complete Story), What Happened To Ki-Jana Carter? 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. Michigan Wolverine defensive end Aidan Hutchinson runs 40-yard dash at 2022 NFL Scouting Combine. Ohio State put a tight end outside him and just beat him up. In 107 regular-season games in the NFL, 90 of them starts, Collinsworth had 417 receptions for 6,698 yards and 36 touchdowns. 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. [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. My personal choice would have been North Carolinas Dyami Brown, but Marshall likely gets the nod due to his size. Interior pressure is hard to generate, but Barmore does so consistently. 170.39.79.101 Good quickness on cuts. That is why CC was a Pro Bowler. "Cris Collinsworth gushed over Mahomes throwing a ball into the dirt, and yet criticized Lawrence for overthrowing a. Still, Lawrences running skills will make the RPO game very difficult to stop. He ran a 4.38-second 40-yard dash at his Pro Day, showed great poise on deep balls and got his head around easily to locate the ball at Northwestern. He also led the country in forced fumbles, with six. As of now, his inside move is his best. Polite pulled up hurt after running a 4.84-second 40-yard dash, a slow time given his penchant for harassing opposing quarterbacks in college as an electric pass-rusher. Video game fans around the world can recognize his voice even if they dont know who he is. In Super Bowl XVI, Collinsworth caught 4 passes for 107 yards, but committed a costly fumble when he was hit by San Francisco defensive back Eric Wright. A guy that would leave eight years later as the franchise's all-time leading receiver with a game of guts and guile that Brown would call great? I would also not be surprised if Tennessee drafts Minnesota's Rashod Bateman to replace wide receiver Corey Davis, who signed with the Jets in free agency. Austin was also a football player and team captain for Notre Dame. His daughter Katie was a Manager of Marketing and Education Projects at GolfNow. [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. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that from December on Verser was No. 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. Cris spent his entire NFL career with the Bengals. Cris not only had the speed and touch on the football field, he also had the brains. He is Brady-like with his in-pocket movements but still has enough speed to be a factor in the running game. [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. Cris Collinsworth is a former NFL player and is currently a famous Emmy Award winning sportscaster. Cris Collinsworth led the acquisition of Pro Football Focus (PFF) in 2015. 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. He has a great feel for loops and stunts and is the best player available at a position of desperate need for Pittsburgh. He catches the ball so easily that converting to his great running skills happens very quickly. The pivotal moment comes when you are already running, make that move on the DB, and THEN burst into the extra gear. 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. 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. 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. He scored 14 touchdowns receiving, two rushing, one on a kickoff return, and threw two touchdown passes. Port St. Lucie, FL 34952, Stay alert on sports news and events from the Hall. "Makes things happen!" He had some explosive catch-and-run plays against Vanderbilt, Missouri and South Carolina last season. THE 2017 SPACE COAST SPORTS HALL OF FAME Banquet and Induction Ceremony will take place at the Cocoa Beach Country Club on Friday, May 12 with a cocktail reception at 6 p.m. and dinner and ceremony at 7 p.m. Forinformation aboutthe Space Coast Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2017, or to make a nomination, call 321-615-8111 or e-mailContact@SpaceCoastDaily.com. Pro Bowl & Super Bowl I could see Cullen drawing up crazy blitz schemes to take advantage of his skill set. [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. Infante for his innovative passing game. [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. 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. He did get bulled into the QB at times, though. The Chargers' history of offensive line issues has been erased in just one offseason. He was great as a sophomore and led the country in yards per route run. Arthur Smith did great things in Tennessee with multiple tight end sets, and despite having a defense that needs help everywhere, the value with Pitts here is just too high to draft defense. February 13, 2023 Space Coast Daily News Brevard Countys Best Newspaper, WATCH! What he said always seemed to make sense and he had a gift in explaining the game to casual fans. After college, Collinsworth was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2nd round of the 1981 NFL Draft. 3 years later he worked on the Super Bowl. 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. [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. 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. 5, New England Patriots trade up for Justin Fields By Cris Collinsworth Apr 29, 2021 Welcome to PFF draft week! He had a famous 99 yard touchdown pass when he was playing for his college squad, the Florida Gators. He faced the best receivers in the country, and his physical style created issues for almost everyone he faced. All hell was breaking loose. Nobody is better with mobile quarterbacks than Urban Meyer, as Tim Tebow and Alex Smith will attest. But, the first 10 yards for a receiver are not relevant. Retweets. He is a big playmaker A quality athlete. Dan Quinn takes over as the defensive coordinator and needs a Richard Sherman to run this defense. Cris Collinsworth American football player, wide receiver, sports broadcaster. He finished his eight-season career with 417 receptions for 6,698 yards and 36 touchdowns in 107 games. 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. Im expecting new defensive coordinator Joe Cullen to attack much like Wink Martindale does in Baltimore. Billions of hours of game play were played with his voice in the background calling plays while gamers controlled their virtual teams. Clemsons team in 2020 was not as good as it was in past seasons, so he did struggle at times, and Miamis athletes and pressure did unsettle him some. Its time to move on". He's the kind of player that, at least at the college level, opposing offensive coordinators had to gameplan around. The draft has always been an Ouija board interspersed with 40-yard dashes to the unknown and vertical leaps into uncertainty. 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. The official source for NFL news, video highlights, fantasy football, game-day coverage, schedules, stats, scores and more. "This is a guy who can rush the passer from a lot of different positions," Collinsworth said on a video he tweeted after watching Polite's game film. He also has a way of gaining separation early in the route and then holding it with his size and strength. So was Collinsworth's future Bengals Super Bowl teammate James Brooks. Emmy Award Winner. Short legs get running faster than long legs, so the taller receiver always has to make up ground in the last 30 yards. He has great eyes and awareness in zone coverage and makes plays on the ball. [2] He is also the majority owner of Pro Football Focus. Slater's footwork might not yet be on the same level as David Bakhtiaris, but his ability to stay in front of elite pass-rushers will keep him in the league for a long time. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [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. He currently takes a lot of short, choppy steps that put little pressure on the tackle. Sunday night, the longtime NBC NFL analyst gave fans what they wanted prior to kickoff between the Buccaneers and the Chiefs. [24] He lives in Fort Thomas, Kentucky, with his wife, Holly (Bankemper) Collinsworth, an attorney, and their four children. Despite a cordial chat with legendary coach Paul Bear Bryant, who wanted him to be his option quarterback, and a recruiting pitch from eventual Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath, Collinsworth chose to play quarterback for coach Doug Dickey at the University of Florida. He knew all about Collinsworth," Wood says. "It is the fact that when you got the ball to David Verser, he was hell on wheels. If Infante was livid that he didn't get Collinsworth first, he didn't let the media know it. He will fight and hold and jam the entire game. The Lions will take the win. With a wide receiver class filled with slot guys, Terrace Marshall Jr. sticks out. Anthony Cris Collinsworth [1] (born January 27, 1959) is an American sports broadcaster and former professional American football player. Fans have been ripping Collinsworth for his description of the play. This is where the action really begins. 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. He can also drop into coverage for new Jets head coach Robert Saleh. "Back then, nobody knew anything.". Playing quarterback for the War Eagles outstanding coach Jay Donnelly, he was also named to the all-state team in basketball during his senior year, and won the 100-yard dash in the Class 3A State Track and Field Championships as a junior. Hes won a total of 16 Emmy Awards. Better runner than our running backs.". Part of that is that Polite is dealing with a nagging hamstring injury, which has impacted him. His play in the College Football Playoff elevated him to the next level. But the 49ers paid so much to get to No. 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. The best word to describe him is probably slippery. He can look completely blocked at times and still find a way to sneak through for the sack as the quarterback steps up. Checkdowns will become his best friend in the new 17-game season. 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. "Memories have been made to conform with what you wish you had done or said," Brown says. Oweh didn't even play football until his junior year of high school, which may explain his lack of pass-rushing skills. PO Box 568234 He is currently a television sportscaster for NBC, Showtime, and the NFL Network, and winner of 17 Sports Emmy Awards. Accuracy is the key, and Jones is very accurate. He also carried the ball 18 times for 100 yards. He didn't run with a pretty or classic running style. "He has the intelligence to learn any or all three positions in which we use wide receivers, the kind of guy who I think will be extremely dependable. Count Collinsworth in the camp of those who believe he can have that same kind of impact at the next level, poor pre-draft workouts or not. 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. Offensive linemen are just not sure which part of Rousseau's body to aim for. 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. Collinsworth retired from professional football in 1989. After a while I figured out what they wanted.". The Ravens can rush anybody on the field from any position. ", 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. He will not beat himself with penalties, either. 39 the Vikings picked McDole, one of the receivers whom had been unfavorably compared to Collinsworth and whose career consisted of three catches. 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. [24], In 2006, Collinsworth could be seen on three networks during football season. He was a Pro Day superstar. . I guess it just goes to show the draft is potluck to some degree.". Nobody hates being predictable more than Jerry Jones, but Surtain is the safe choice for Dallas. Collinsworth was moved to wide receiver, where his new position coach was former Gator quarterback Steve Spurrier in his first year as a coach. Academic All-America Hall of Fame inductee (class of 2001). He has a habit of jump cradle catching, but he can extend if it is required. He retired from the NFL following the 1988 season. He has much to learn, but sometimes, that's what teams are looking for: guys who can improve. "You get an idea what those two boys are going to be doing," Paul Brown said, pointing to Gregg and Infante in the doorway of the news conference room. The "XL," stamped on the shorts is a gag. Darrisaw is a physical mauler, a legitimate tough guy, and should create real opportunities in the running game, as well. But football certainly wasnt the only sport in which Collinsworth excelled as he also played baseball, was a four-year letterman in basketball, and also won a state championship in track. Jaylen Hurts gets an intimidator outside. Net Worth: $25 Million. Surtain has many of those traits: he sees route combinations coming, he studies the QB and not the receiver, he easily gets his head around and finds the ball on deep passes, he is very physical tackling in the flat and he plays with the savvy of a much older player. He then started working for HBO as a reporter in 1989. The backs that are trying to chip him can't really get a clean hit on him.". Jay Feely. Good concentration on streak. Jaylon Waddle is certainly in play here, but Smith won the Heisman voters and me over with his end-of-season run. The more tape I watched, the more I was convinced that Phillips was the best defender in this class. He had a short stride and could make a 90 degree cut, at full speed, without slowing down, or chopping his feet. 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? 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. But dont let his thin frame fool you: He will show some pop against linemen trying to pull and kick him out. The Browns for their roster building. There are still good edge players on the board, but defensive improvement is key this year in Cleveland. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. I agree 100%. "It's always a wild ride," Collinsworth says of a draft he now covers as one of the NFL's best and visible network analysts, another confirmation of those smart kid scouting reports. Mar 21, 2022. One scouting report from December with an indecipherable signature concluded Verser is "the No. 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. [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. "Because I know we took him in the second round and I know my father was in charge. The start is not relevant. Over the course of his three years playing wide receiver, Collinsworth hauled in 120 passes for a total of 1,937 yards. 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. Cris Collinsworth . The official time for his 40-yard dash at Pro Day was 5.04 seconds, the kind of number that has most draft analysts projecting Polite to fall well out of the first-round projection range they had initially pegged him at. In 1990, he began what has become a successful broadcasting career as a part of the NBC networks NFL broadcasts. (Complete Story), What Happened To Peter Warrick? Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary went with the next pick. Milt von Mann, the ex-Marine, filed his military-crisp report on Collinsworth on "1 Nov. 80," and circled '2,' for the round he'd take him. The 40 yard dash is all about the start and the first 10 yards. Batemans 4.39-second 40-yard dash time surprised me. Prep Football All-American 100 Yard Dash: 10.18: 1982 Preliminary 4 . The Bears would love to sizzle in this draft, but only solid picks remain. 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. [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. The competition was first rate across the board, as records were scored in several events. Because they were short. Fields has so much talent as both a passer and a runner that I think he will become a star. No one projected that in their reports. In 2001, he was inducted into the Verizon Academic All-America Hall of Fame. "When I got the call, I didn't really trust it when I got it. Collinsworth played wide receiver on a competitive Cincinnati Bengals team that made the Super Bowl twice during his eight-year career. Can he play the same when he isnt perfectly protected like at BYU? It is usually more difficult for long striders to choke it down and make those cuts and be great route runners. [24] His son, Austin Collinsworth, is a former football player and team captain at the University of Notre Dame. [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. [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. 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 was just a blur against Notre Dame in Alabama's semifinal contest. So will this one coming up when it starts with Thursday's first round, 40 years to the day the morning newspapers hit the street bannering the news that the Bengals' antiquated offense had taken two receivers in the first two rounds. [4], After his retirement as an NFL player, Collinsworth began a broadcasting career as a sports radio talk show host on Cincinnati station WLW. Collinsworth finished his collegiate career by being named the MVP of the 1980 Tangerine Bowl. The official time for his 40-yard dash at Pro Day was 5.04 seconds, the kind of number that has most draft analysts projecting Polite to fall well out of the first-round projection range they had . . Collinsworth basically told them to take a hike, went to the Japan Bowl and was the MVP. "This man gets open consistently Will catch underneath, runs routes hard every down.". He reads plays so quickly that zone-blocking offensive linemen often cant reach him. It is highly recommended that you use the latest versions of a supported browser in order to receive an optimal viewing experience. Relentless effort will always work for defensive coordinator Wink Martindale. One of his runs helped us get into the Super Bowl.". Collinsworth, who was born in Dayton, Ohio in 1959, has won five Emmy Awards. If Farley can maintain his health, he will make Deion Sanders-like flashy plays running down overthrown balls. 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. When he sees backs blocking, he adds on as that extra rusher very quickly. Plus he caught everything. Dyami Brown blew past Virginia Techs corners in 2020. Meanwhile, earlier in the game when Mahomes threw a pass straight to the ground for an incompletion, Collinsworth said . James Lofton, Cris Collinsworth, Nolan Cromwell, Joe Cribbs, Jimmie Giles Click to reveal He is nearly impossible to cover inside on option routes. 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.
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