LONG before he was a preseason play by play announcer for the team and the butt of many jokes (some justified, some not), Bernie Kosar was leading "The U" to a national championship. The whole swagger and attitude that became the University of Miami started back in Kosar's time there. Bernie was young, confident, smart and GOOD. He didn't just want to win, he EXPECTED to win.
He grew up in Boardman Ohio as a Browns fan and made no bones about the fact that he wanted to play for Cleveland. The fans embraced the brash young star and loved it when the team picked him up in the supplemental draft. He immediately energized the team and the fan-base and quickly had the team in the playoffs.
Watching Bernie, it was hard to tell exactly HOW he was so good. I don't know if he could outrun Dan Marino in a foot race, and his passes were rarely perfect spirals, but before all the injuries, he could surgically desect a defense and light up the scoreboard. Wounded duck for six should have been his battle cry.
After leading the team to the brink of the Super Bowl and enduring the heartache of both "the drive" and "the fumble" in AFC Championship games against Denver, Kosar began to slow down due to repeated lower leg injuries. He was tough and always tried to stay in there and it cost him in the long run. The injuries robbed him of the lower leg strength needed to overcome his unorthodox side arm delivery and the interceptions grew.
He was demoted to back up and eventually ended up in Dallas as the back up to Troy Aikman. While there, Bernie at last enjoyed the feeling of a Super Bowl Championship...something he was unable to bring to the lake despite all his efforts. Young Browns fans who only know him as the somewhat befuddled preseason play by play man owe it to themselves to view some of the old game tape. At his zenith, Bernie was one of the best and he was ours. Go Browns!
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Bernie Kosar
LONG before he was a preseason play by play announcer for the team and the butt of many jokes (some justified, some not), Bernie Kosar was leading "The U" to a national championship. The whole swagger and attitude that became the University of Miami started back in Kosar's time there. Bernie was young, confident, smart and GOOD. He didn't just want to win, he EXPECTED to win.
He grew up in Boardman Ohio as a Browns fan and made no bones about the fact that he wanted to play for Cleveland. The fans embraced the brash young star and loved it when the team picked him up in the supplemental draft. He immediately energized the team and the fan-base and quickly had the team in the playoffs.
Watching Bernie, it was hard to tell exactly HOW he was so good. I don't know if he could outrun Dan Marino in a foot race, and his passes were rarely perfect spirals, but before all the injuries, he could surgically desect a defense and light up the scoreboard. Wounded duck for six should have been his battle cry.
After leading the team to the brink of the Super Bowl and enduring the heartache of both "the drive" and "the fumble" in AFC Championship games against Denver, Kosar began to slow down due to repeated lower leg injuries. He was tough and always tried to stay in there and it cost him in the long run. The injuries robbed him of the lower leg strength needed to overcome his unorthodox side arm delivery and the interceptions grew.
He was demoted to back up and eventually ended up in Dallas as the back up to Troy Aikman. While there, Bernie at last enjoyed the feeling of a Super Bowl Championship...something he was unable to bring to the lake despite all his efforts. Young Browns fans who only know him as the somewhat befuddled preseason play by play man owe it to themselves to view some of the old game tape. At his zenith, Bernie was one of the best and he was ours. Go Browns!
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