oldschooler Posted June 28, 2011 Report Share Posted June 28, 2011 [b]1.[/b] Collinsworth was born Jan. 27, 1959, in Dayton, Ohio, the same day as TV personality Keith Olbermann. Collinsworth also shares a birthday with former NFL star Billy "White Shoes" Johnson (born in 1952), kicker Matt Stover (1968) and running back Fred Taylor (1976). [b]2.[/b] He and his family moved to Titusville, Fla., when Collinsworth was a child. He attended Astronaut High School in Titusville, where he was an All-America quarterback and the Florida high school Class 3A 100-yard dash state champion in 1976. [b]3.[/b] In his first game at the University of Florida, he threw a 99-yard touchdown pass to Derrick Gaffney against Rice, which remains tied for the longest touchdown pass in NCAA history. [b]4.[/b] Collinsworth later switched to wide receiver at Florida, where he was a three-time first-team All-Southeastern Conference pick in 1978-80 in addition to being a first-team All-American and a first-team Academic All-American in 1980. [b]5.[/b] As a senior, Collinsworth was a member of the Florida team that posted the biggest one-year turnaround in the history of NCAA Division I football, going from 0-10-1 in 1979 to 8-4 and a bowl game in 1980. [b]6.[/b] He was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame in 1991, the same year he got his law degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Law. [b]7.[/b] The Bengals selected Collinsworth in the second round of the 1981 NFL draft (37th overall) after taking Kansas wide receiver David Verser with their first pick (10th overall). Verser played for the Bengals for four years (1981-84), totaling 23 receptions for 454 yards, while Collinsworth had four 1,000-yard receiving seasons on the way to 417 career catches for 6,698 yards and 36 touchdowns. The three-time Pro Bowler was first-team All-Pro in 1983. [b]8.[/b] Collinsworth signed with the Tampa Bay Bandits of the United States Football League in 1985, but his contract was voided when he failed a physical due to an injured ankle. He returned to the Bengals. He had three receptions for 40 yards in Super Bowl XXIII, the final game of his NFL career. (Click the link for the entire article) [url="http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20110627/SPT02/106280325/"]http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/AB/20110627/SPT02/106280325/[/url] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigris Posted June 28, 2011 Report Share Posted June 28, 2011 Collinsworth's career seemed short... did he get forced up because of injuries? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texbengal Posted June 28, 2011 Report Share Posted June 28, 2011 [quote name='Tigris' timestamp='1309271175' post='998912'] Collinsworth's career seemed short... did he get forced up because of injuries? [/quote] After he took the USFL gig, he seemed to lose speed, so that and the injuries made him a has-been pretty quickly. He was fun to watch early in his career, though. A lanky, gangly-kinda WR who had very deceptive speed, and he'd mix it up, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-GoBengals- Posted June 28, 2011 Report Share Posted June 28, 2011 beforemy time really... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|Elflocko| Posted June 28, 2011 Report Share Posted June 28, 2011 [quote name='GoBengals' timestamp='1309275155' post='998920'] beforemy time really... [/quote] Your loss, really as he was a blast to watch play. Growing up I would always be Anderson throwing to Collinsworth for the touchdown down the sideline... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigris Posted June 28, 2011 Report Share Posted June 28, 2011 [quote name='texbengal' timestamp='1309272424' post='998914'] After he took the USFL gig, he seemed to lose speed, so that and the injuries made him a has-been pretty quickly. He was fun to watch early in his career, though. A lanky, gangly-kinda WR who had very deceptive speed, and he'd mix it up, too. [/quote] So he just left the NFL for the USFL? It wasn't because he couldn't find work in the NFL? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saphead Posted June 28, 2011 Report Share Posted June 28, 2011 Someone needs to throw up some highlights of the 81' season on youtube. CC had a great rookie year. Goofy lookin sumbitch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|Elflocko| Posted June 28, 2011 Report Share Posted June 28, 2011 [quote name='Tigris' timestamp='1309280138' post='998927'] So he just left the NFL for the USFL? It wasn't because he couldn't find work in the NFL? [/quote] No, it was all about the money. A lot of NFL players jumped ship around that time as the USFL was offering obnoxious contracts, which is also why they went tits up... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaineBengal Posted June 28, 2011 Report Share Posted June 28, 2011 I used to love watch him going on deep 9 routes. He had this awkward-looking way of running, with his back arched and his head looking straight up and back.... even in that position he'd outrun the cornerback, Kenny would just loft it up, and he'd run underneath and catch it. I used to try to imitate that, which was kinda funny given that my position was DT.... LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Posted June 28, 2011 Report Share Posted June 28, 2011 [quote name='MaineBengal' timestamp='1309284192' post='998943'] I used to love watch him going on deep 9 routes. He had this awkward-looking way of running, [b]with his back arched and his head looking straight up and back.[/b]... even in that position he'd outrun the cornerback, Kenny would just loft it up, and he'd run underneath and catch it. I used to try to imitate that, which was kinda funny given that my position was DT.... LOL [/quote] I remember that too. It worked for him though. It's amazing how fast he was for being a tall skinny Caucasian kid. A little reminiscent of Drew Stubbs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|Elflocko| Posted June 28, 2011 Report Share Posted June 28, 2011 [quote name='Jason' timestamp='1309284343' post='998944'] I remember that too. It worked for him though. It's amazing how fast he was for being a tall skinny Caucasian kid. A little reminiscent of Drew Stubbs. [/quote] X3... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tigris Posted June 28, 2011 Report Share Posted June 28, 2011 [quote name='Elflocko' timestamp='1309280608' post='998931'] No, it was all about the money. A lot of NFL players jumped ship around that time as the USFL was offering obnoxious contracts, which is also why they went tits up... [/quote] Ahhhhh, I see. Seems more like a sprinter than a football player (in terms of his running style). I seem to remember a bunch of guys in high school that ran with that back arch, chest out, head back style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Posted June 28, 2011 Report Share Posted June 28, 2011 [quote name='Tigris' timestamp='1309286933' post='998952'] Ahhhhh, I see. Seems more like a sprinter than a football player (in terms of his running style). I seem to remember a bunch of guys in high school that ran with that back arch, chest out, head back style. [/quote] It was the USFL that brought on the goofy rookie contracts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|Elflocko| Posted June 28, 2011 Report Share Posted June 28, 2011 [quote name='Jason' timestamp='1309288183' post='998953'] It was the USFL that brought on the goofy rookie contracts. [/quote] Yeah, pretty sure that's right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|Numbers| Posted June 28, 2011 Report Share Posted June 28, 2011 Another useless factoid: Mike Shanahan was his offensive coordinator in 1980 with University of Florida. Collinsworth knows who the 5 teammates were that contributed to Stanley Wilson's concaine binge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|SF2| Posted June 28, 2011 Report Share Posted June 28, 2011 He had hamstring problems which slowed him down. Couldn't stay healthy and his speed WAS his only real weapon. He didn't have the size to go over the middle and last long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredtoast Posted June 28, 2011 Report Share Posted June 28, 2011 [quote name='saphead' timestamp='1309280602' post='998930'] CC had a great rookie year. Goofy lookin sumbitch. [/quote] When Collinsworth racked up 1009 receiving yards in 1981 it was the highest total by a rookie in 20 years and the fifth highest by a rookie in NFL history. It was a really amazing rookie season. Although he would go to 3 Pro Bowls and have 3 more 1,000+ yard seasons he never caught more passes in a season than he did his rookie year (67). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleeds Orange Posted June 28, 2011 Report Share Posted June 28, 2011 This really good article came out during that magical 1981 season. I'll never forget it. He was the first Bengals player to ever be featured on the cover of SI, and the first from the organization since Paul Brown made the cover in 1968... [url="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1125084/index.htm"]http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1125084/index.htm[/url] [img]http://i.cdn.turner.com/sivault/si_online/covers/images/1981/1214_thumb.jpg[/img] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|Elflocko| Posted June 28, 2011 Report Share Posted June 28, 2011 [quote name='Bleeds Orange' timestamp='1309299367' post='998976'] This really good article came out during that magical 1981 season. I'll never forget it. He was the first Bengals player to ever be featured on the cover of SI, and the first from the organization since Paul Brown made the cover in 1968... [url="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1125084/index.htm"]http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1125084/index.htm[/url] [img]http://i.cdn.turner.com/sivault/si_online/covers/images/1981/1214_thumb.jpg[/img] [/quote] I remember that fondly as well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|Bunghole| Posted June 28, 2011 Report Share Posted June 28, 2011 Thanks for posting that article. Love this quote:[color=#333333][font=verdana][size=2] "The [Buffalo] linebacker rammed his helmet up under my chin and split it open, four stitches worth. It was gross. Blood flying all over the place, a big chunk of chin falling onto the carpet. But my coach at Astronaut, Jay Donnelly, always said never show 'em you're hurt because that gives 'em a psychological advantage. So I got up and kind of flung the ball behind me, and it hit the linebacker right in the head."[/size][/font][/color] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bleeds Orange Posted June 29, 2011 Report Share Posted June 29, 2011 The quote that stuck in my mind at the time, and that I have never forgotten, came from this paragraph: [quote][color="#333333"][font="verdana"][size="2"]Collinsworth on the Bengals' emergence as a force in the NFL: "The writers keep asking us, 'Are you thinking about the playoffs?' They expect us to say things like, 'This is a tough league,' and 'It's a long season,' but when they ask me I tell 'em, 'Go ahead and make reservations for Detroit. We'll be there in January.' The fans are loving it. It's been about six years since we started like this, and everybody wants to go to the Super Bowl. I'm worried about finding enough tickets. I've got relatives in this area. I discover a new one every day."[/size][/font][/color][/quote] I spent much of the 1981 season just hoping the Bengals could go 9-7 and possibly get a wildcard spot. After all, they had just gone 4-12, 4-12, and 6-10, so it was outrageous to even consider an 11- or 12-win season. If I recall correctly, the quotes in the article came after the Bengals had beaten the Oilers to go 6-3, so it was still reasonable to expect they could slump to 3-4 in the final seven games and finish with that 9-7. It wasn't until I read that quote from Collinsworth that the thought actually occurred to me that the Bengals could play in a Super Bowl. It took me a long time after that to let myself believe that it actually could happen, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MULLY Posted June 29, 2011 Report Share Posted June 29, 2011 [quote name='Elflocko' timestamp='1309276770' post='998924'] Your loss, really as he was a blast to watch play. Growing up I would always be Anderson throwing to Collinsworth for the touchdown down the sideline... [/quote] Yeah, definitely his loss. I grew up watching Collinsworth too. He was too fun to watch for me ever to hate on him. MULLY Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
|Elflocko| Posted June 29, 2011 Report Share Posted June 29, 2011 Found this and it made me smile... [media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BwiaCECsSDI[/media] Bengals vs Bills - 1982 Playoffs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sois Posted June 29, 2011 Report Share Posted June 29, 2011 I like at 1:30 how #40 splits out wide and then gets in a 3 point stance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fredtoast Posted June 29, 2011 Report Share Posted June 29, 2011 [quote name='sois' timestamp='1309360328' post='999087'] I like at 1:30 how #40 splits out wide and then gets in a 3 point stance. [/quote] Charles Alexander. I wonder why more receivers don't come out of a three point stance. Isn't that the fastest way to get started? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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