Bernie Kosar

Bernie Joseph Kosar, Jr. (born November 25, 1963 in Boardman, Ohio) is a former American football quarterback who played for the Cleveland Browns from 1985 to 1993 and then finished his career with stints with the Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins.

College career

Kosar attended Ohio's Boardman High School, where he earned Parade All-American honors as a senior in 1981. He chose to go to the University of Miami, which had a passing-oriented offense.

Related Topics:
Ohio - 1981 - University of Miami

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After being redshirted in 1982, Kosar started all 12 games as a freshman in 1983. He completed 61.5 percent of his passes for 2,328 yards and 15 touchdowns, leading the Hurricanes to a 11-1 regular season and a berth in the Orange Bowl against top-ranked Nebraska, which had won 22 consecutive games. In the game, Kosar passed for 300 yards and two touchdowns, and the Hurricanes topped the Cornhuskers 31-30 for Miami?s first national championship.

Related Topics:
Redshirted - 1982 - Freshman - 1983 - Orange Bowl - Nebraska

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Now a national celebrity, Kosar did not disappoint in 1984. He set Hurricane records with 3,642 yards and 25 touchdowns, was a second-team All-American and finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting. Kosar?s career completion percentage of 62.3 percent is still a Hurricanes record.

Related Topics:
1984 - All-America - Heisman Trophy

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Under National Football League rules at the time, only seniors and graduates could be drafted. Amazingly, despite all the time he spent with the football team, Kosar was about to graduate a year early with a double major. The Browns convinced Kosar, who wanted to play for his hometown team, to wait until after the NFL draft to declare himself eligible for the pros. That allowed the Browns to take Kosar in a special supplemental draft.

Related Topics:
National Football League - Seniors - Draft

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