("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. [24] He joined the NBC pregame show in 1996.[24]. Infante for his innovative passing game. All hell was breaking loose. The "XL," stamped on the shorts is a gag. "This man gets open consistently Will catch underneath, runs routes hard every down.". 12 all-time Gator player.[16][17][18]. 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. National Football League, Historical Players. 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. We had a guy, Lionel Manuel, who ran in the 4.6's, but was tough to cover. 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. Dan Quinn takes over as the defensive coordinator and needs a Richard Sherman to run this defense. 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. Cris Collinsworth. This draft had become more than a passing fancy with Collinsworth still there at No. In his first game, Collinsworth tied a collegiate record with a 99-yard scoring pass to Derrick Gaffney. Emmy Award Winner. He looks like a skinny NBA power forward, and he is often playing nose tackle. He likes to grab a little jersey at the catch point, which may catch up to him. His was very much a thinking offense that really relied on the receivers being able to basically play quarterback. After Al Michaels gave a brief introduction for the upcoming game, the camera would pan out slightly and allow Collinsworth to slide himself into the picture via his broadcasting chair, after which he provided insights of his own. In the end, the Falcons draft Kyle Pitts. Mac Jones and Justin Fields are both likely gone the next two picks, so the Patriots pull the trigger, beating out Chicago and Washington for Pick No. He then became a reporter for HBO's (now Showtime's) Inside the NFL in 1989. It might have come up (during the draft), but if it did, I don't remember. 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. stars, six of whom had participated in previous Superstars finals. 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. But Kim Wood never joked about his strength of heart and body. It was announced on April 16, 2009 that Collinsworth would replace John Madden in NBCs Sunday Night Football, leaving the NFL Network. In 1995, he appeared on HBO broadcasting at Wimbledon with Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, and Barry MacKay. 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. 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. 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. Can he play the same when he isnt perfectly protected like at BYU? 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. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that from December on Verser was No. 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. He has a habit of jump cradle catching, but he can extend if it is required. 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. Even the scouting combine photo of Cris Collinsworth, which turned 40 this spring, seems to reflect the audacity of that second-round pick in. ", 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. Collinsworth, a senior, had 40 receptions for 599 yards and three touchdowns. Collinsworth retired from professional football in 1989. Brady's competitiveness during his time with the New England Patriots. Fans have been ripping Collinsworth for his description of the play. He will fight to get in the action as a tackler, but his big shots can also lead to missed tackles. Farley is the higher upside pick, with 4.25-second speed that jumps out on tape. 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. Following the 2018 season, NBC SNF became the first-ever 10-time honoree for Outstanding Live Sports Series and won its 11 th honor in the category . There is no doubt about the player only the position. SUPER BOWL,. Feb 11, 2022 at 06:24 AM. "My only memory of how Cris was built is at the weigh-in at Tampa, which is where the combine was then. I am not sure if the Patriots would prefer Mac Jones or Justin Fields, so I gave them my choice: Justin Fields. In 1990, he began what has become a successful broadcasting career as a part of the NBC networks NFL broadcasts. Functional football speed is what it is all about. 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 also carried the ball 18 times for 100 yards. Hes won a total of 16 Emmy Awards. Despite weighing only 177 pounds, he shows power when running over potential tacklers. He was incredibly fast, which not only helped him succeed on the football field but as a track and field star as well. 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. I could see Cullen drawing up crazy blitz schemes to take advantage of his skill set. His pedigree as a former five-star recruit doesn't hurt matters, either. American football player and sports broadcaster (born 1959). ", They must have had it like the rest of the league. In 2009, Collinsworth filled the color-commentator role vacated by John Madden on NBC's Sunday Night Football, with Al Michaels. 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. "The guy had me on the hook for five minutes," Collinsworth says. Still, for so many to be so down on Polite comes as a bit of a surprise even with the bad numbers. Tough pick here. Sunday night, the longtime NBC NFL analyst gave fans what they wanted prior to kickoff between the Buccaneers and the Chiefs. Good quickness on cuts. With a 3.9+ GPA, he got a degree in Accounting from the University of Florida. By 2006, he was a sports superstar and well known by the public. 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. Fields has so much talent as both a passer and a runner that I think he will become a star. He is powerful and quick inside, as well. Please join us over on PFFs YouTube channel before, during and after the draft for a complete analysis of every pick. As of now, his inside move is his best. 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. Batemans 4.39-second 40-yard dash time surprised me. WHY did they run 4.4? Much like Kwity Paye, he doesnt take advantage of his speed getting off the ball. His routes and moves are what really set him apart, though. They raved about both. 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. His daughter received her degree in Psychology from Harvard. 407-575-7801 Jaylen Hurts gets an intimidator outside. 37, the Bengals took the kid with the watch. He had four 1,000-yard seasons, played in . "Because I know we took him in the second round and I know my father was in charge. 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. James Lofton, Cris Collinsworth, Nolan Cromwell, Joe Cribbs, Jimmie Giles He's not nearly as physical as Virginia Tech's Christian Darrisaw, but Slater is an incredible pass protector. Collinsworth played in his second Super Bowl during his final season in 1988. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. So, the 49ers go the developmental route with Trey Lance and let Jimmy Garoppolo play one more year. He finished his eight-season NFL career with 417 receptions for 6,698 yards and 36 touchdowns in 107 games. He finally figured out it was a Florida teammate and not the Giants. Jaylon Waddle is certainly in play here, but Smith won the Heisman voters and me over with his end-of-season run. [4], After his retirement as an NFL player, Collinsworth began a broadcasting career as a sports radio talk show host on Cincinnati station WLW. A Superstars special that was held during the N.F.L. My personal choice would have been North Carolinas Dyami Brown, but Marshall likely gets the nod due to his size. He also led the country in forced fumbles, with six. Enjoy watching a lot of his highlights this year. Known more for pregame slides and an intense affinity for line play, Collinsworth was one of the better receivers of the 1980s. That is my only doubt. 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. The backs that are trying to chip him can't really get a clean hit on him.". But running a 4.39 with the numbers he put up will get him into the first round. . . His hand swats are a thing of beauty, as he often runs right through punches.