He reads plays so quickly that zone-blocking offensive linemen often cant reach him. Ginger Kane Tough pick here. Plus, his hustle sticks out, as he often chased down scrambling quarterbacks running downfield. You can tell he is smart and has a plan on each and every snap. He's able to wiggle around into gaps. Ojularis balance sticks out, too. Fans have been ripping Collinsworth for his description of the play. 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. Can he play the same when he isnt perfectly protected like at BYU? After college, Collinsworth was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2nd round of the 1981 NFL Draft. 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. Still, Lawrences running skills will make the RPO game very difficult to stop. Your email address will not be published. The ubiquitous Cowboys and Raiders had told him they could take him late in the first round. 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. He comes off the ball low and powerfully in the run game and has plenty of athleticism in space. At Notre Dame, his son earned an MBA in Investments. Collinsworth finished his collegiate career by being named the MVP of the 1980 Tangerine Bowl. His tight spirals and ease of release really are something to watch. ginger@flasportshof.org, Mailing Address: All hell was breaking loose. It is also possible that Pittsburgh could draft injured Alabama center Landon Dickerson and wait for him to recover. Was Cris Collinsworth Any Good as an NFL Player? "Because I know we took him in the second round and I know my father was in charge. The backs that are trying to chip him can't really get a clean hit on him.". ProFootballHistory.com. Functional football speed is what it is all about. Brady's competitiveness during his time with the New England Patriots. 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. Cris Collinsworths speed provided him with plenty of scholarship opportunities and he chose to stay in the Sunshine State to attend the University of Florida. He will not beat himself with penalties, either. 3 that no trade seemed fair. "The guy had me on the hook for five minutes," Collinsworth says. 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. We just couldn't figure out how to get it to him." Knows how to set up a DB to go by Could be a big play guy could start for us. New Career In 107 regular-season games. If Infante was livid that he didn't get Collinsworth first, he didn't let the media know it. January 30, 2023 Space Coast Daily News Brevard Countys Best Newspaper, College Cant Wait! In 107 regular-season games in the NFL, 90 of them starts, Collinsworth had 417 receptions for 6,698 yards and 36 touchdowns. I found myself laughing while watching people trying to tackle or cover him. He surpassed 1,000 yards receiving four times (in 1981, 1983, 1985, and 1986) and was named to the Pro Bowl 3 times. Three others finished with the exact same time but the 65 Collinsworth outleaned his competitors at the tape to take the title. When the hands hit 12, Verser caught 23 balls in his career and by the time Collinsworth played in his second Super Bowl, he was out of the league. "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. This page was last edited on 23 February 2023, at 07:02. Cris Collinsworth: Picture of productivity. Jay Feely. The following season Collinsworth led the way in one of the biggest turnarounds in NCAA college football history as Florida finished 8-4. Checkout the latest stats for Cris Collinsworth. Anthony Cris Collinsworth [1] (born January 27, 1959) is an American sports broadcaster and former professional American football player. 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. [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. 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. Wilson misses throws rolling right more than he should, but his skills are special and he could be great. I think he has plenty of time and the physical skills to improve there, though. Cris spent the next several years gaining broadcasting experience on several networks including HBO and the NFL Network. And he looked as though he was toying with defenses at times this past year. It was a challenge to play Cover 0 versus Florida because you couldnt leave Toney one on one with anybody. 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. 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. So was Collinsworth's future Bengals Super Bowl teammate James Brooks. This draft had become more than a passing fancy with Collinsworth still there at No. Checkdowns will become his best friend in the new 17-game season. What he said always seemed to make sense and he had a gift in explaining the game to casual fans. Interior pressure is hard to generate, but Barmore does so consistently. I just remember they were both in the discussion and I remember how vehement Lindy was for Collinsworth. Still, football is rarely played in a phone booth anymore, so his skills should match todays NFL. 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 was incredibly fast, which not only helped him succeed on the football field but as a track and field star as well. Cris Collinsworth: Picture of productivity. The Bears would love to sizzle in this draft, but only solid picks remain. 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 received a Sports Emmy Award in April 1998 as Outstanding Studio Analyst and his second in 1999. My concern is how he'll fare against speed off the edge; he has such great energy in the running game, but I would just like to see him use that same energy finishing in protection. Brown is my choice to surprise this year in the same way Justin Jefferson did in 2020. What a tough SOB Collinsworth was, He'd get killed over the middle and get right back up. 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. running the 40-yard dash at either 4.43 or 4.44, depending on the . I could see Cullen drawing up crazy blitz schemes to take advantage of his skill set. (Complete Story), The Life And Career Of Corey Dillon (Complete Story), What Happened To Dan "Big Daddy" Wilkinson? But his best two sports were clearly football and track and field. "It's not like it is today," Collinsworth says. 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. It's a rare sight to see a quarterback escape Ojulari in space. His diving catch and collision against Missouri showed his toughness. If all it took was straight line speed, every Olympic sprinter would be a great wideout. 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. Prep Football All-American 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. The draft has always been an Ouija board interspersed with 40-yard dashes to the unknown and vertical leaps into uncertainty. What makes Polite so intriguing as a prospect is that his game film certainly doesn't match the profile of the prospect who worked out and turned in such terrible numbers at the Combine and Pro Day. Despite weighing only 177 pounds, he shows power when running over potential tacklers. The 40 yard dash is all about the start and the first 10 yards. Fields has so much talent as both a passer and a runner that I think he will become a star. 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. He had some explosive catch-and-run plays against Vanderbilt, Missouri and South Carolina last season. 7. 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. [5] They moved to nearby Titusville in 1972, where his brother and he attended Astronaut High School, while their father was the principal. [24], In 2006, Collinsworth could be seen on three networks during football season. 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. 10, his agent went to great lengths to assure him that Cincinnati wasn't the place for him. your life your choice quotes cris collinsworth 40 yard dash time 37.Three Hall of Famers were already off the board in Lawrence Taylor, Kenny Easley and Ronnie Lott. He's the kind of player that, at least at the college level, opposing offensive coordinators had to gameplan around. Collinsworth and Costas paired again during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada. He didn't run with a pretty or classic running style. James Lofton, Cris Collinsworth, Nolan Cromwell, Joe Cribbs, Jimmie Giles His RPO footwork is special, he is a dangerous runner in space and he has a great feel for back-shoulder and high-and-away throws to protect the ball and receivers. He broke through early to help the Bengals to Super Bowl XVI.. 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. You are right on the money about his route running ability. His daughter Katie was a Manager of Marketing and Education Projects at GolfNow. [24] He joined the NBC pregame show in 1996.[24]. GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Florida rush end Jachai Polite became one of the most talked about names coming out of the NFL Combine last month. 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. As much as I would love to see the Bengals trade back, it just never seems to happen in Cincinnati. After all, he came up just two sacks short of tying Florida's school record for sacks in a single season, notching 11 as a junior in 2018. This was a tough choice. He was smart . Horn could easily be the best corner in this class when we look back in five years. My personal choice would have been North Carolinas Dyami Brown, but Marshall likely gets the nod due to his size. He even lent his broadcasting talent to video games. At No. 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. player's strike of 1982 and broadcast on Monday night in the usual Monday Night Football time slot featured twelve N.F.L. Write by: . He shoots gaps quickly and seems to always be a step ahead on his reads. [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. Collinsworth retired from professional football in 1989. He had a famous 99 yard touchdown pass when he was playing for his college squad, the Florida Gators. Austin was also a football player and team captain for Notre Dame. Collinsworth played wide receiver on a competitive Cincinnati Bengals team that made the Super Bowl twice during his eight-year career. 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. 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. 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. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, college, draft, and more on Pro-football-reference.com. His accuracy, touch, poise, anticipation, ability to quickly read defenses and distribute the ball are all unmatched in the class. Billions of hours of game play were played with his voice in the background calling plays while gamers controlled their virtual teams. He received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 1991. He also has a 39.5-inch vertical and an 85.0 PFF grade in 2020 to his name but no sacks this past year. 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 competition was first rate across the board, as records were scored in several events. He can play any position on the defensive line and create problems. 37, the Bengals took the kid with the watch. (Complete Story), What Happened To Peter Warrick? As of now, his inside move is his best. 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. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah could play slot corner or inside linebacker. Just like you, we are excited to get back to football. He is a very comfortable catcher of the ball and has good top-of-the-route moves, similar to Keenan Allen. 407-575-7801 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. Hall of Fame linebacker Mike Singletary went with the next pick. The Gators struggled the next season but Collinsworth caught 41 passes for 593 yards and two touchdowns despite Florida finishing 0-10-1. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks. His hand swats are a thing of beauty, as he often runs right through punches. Ubile wrote. We wouldn't have taken him except my father consented to us taking him in the second round. 5, New England Patriots trade up for Justin Fields By Cris Collinsworth Apr 29, 2021 Welcome to PFF draft week! That is why CC was a Pro Bowler. The Michigan product isn't a polished pass rusher, but he will learn a lot in Baltimore. [2] He is also the majority owner of Pro Football Focus. 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 Browns for their roster building. But make no mistake, he is a bad man. I guess it just goes to show the draft is potluck to some degree.". 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. He isnt a power player or a finesse player, but he lands somewhere dependably in between. The Chargers' history of offensive line issues has been erased in just one offseason. "You knew right away that you had a special player. Atlanta is in cap hell and would love to trade for additional picks to rebuild this team with lower-priced rookies. 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. Check Out Some Great Areas to Explore On and Off Road on a Can-Am Maverick from Route 1 Motorsports, HOT OFF THE PRESS! [31] Collinsworth also has a steak named after him by the same restaurant.[32]. He's an easy pick for No. 8 years later he joined FOX's team. He spent 8 years in the NFL, all of them with the Cincinnati Bengals. In addition to his height advantage, he was a legitimate deep threat due to his speed. Collinsworth is also the color commentator on the popular video game, Madden NFL. [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. If there is one big loser here, it is the 49ers, who would have loved the Patriots to have missed out on one of the top quarterbacks to keep a possible trade for Jimmy Garoppolo alive, but those dreams just ended. January 16, 2023 Space Coast Daily News Brevard Countys Best Newspaper. Unlock all tools and content including Player Grades, Fantasy, NFL Draft, Premium Stats, Greenline and DFS. "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. Can jump for a high ball. 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. Collinsworth played in his second Super Bowl during his final season in 1988. I was running around like a chicken with my head cut off. At 6-foot-5 and 310 pounds, Barmore is surprisingly nimble. He and his wife Holly have four children. 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 . 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. At the same time, the FCS product has so little experience against top competition that this is still a very risky move. His flexibility and ability to contort his body to make plays is just fun to watch; he also has genuine breakaway speed and will be a nightmare as the single receiver in 31 sets. There is the 6-4 Collinsworth, stripped to gray shorts and gangling at maybe 180 pounds, Mike Brown recalls. After a while I figured out what they wanted.". Known more for pregame slides and an intense affinity for line play, Collinsworth was one of the better receivers of the 1980s.