Boomer Esiason
East Islip | |||||||||||||
College: | Maryland (1979–1983) | ||||||||||||
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NFL draft: | 1984 / Round: 2 / Pick: 38 | ||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||
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Career NFL statistics | |||||||||||||
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Player stats at NFL.com · PFR |
Norman Julius "Boomer" Esiason (
Esiason's most successful season was in 1988 when he won
Since retiring from football, Esiason has worked as a football analyst for
in New York.Early life
Esiason was born and raised in East Islip, New York.[1] He got the "Boomer" nickname before he was born. His mother Irene, reacting to his constant kicking in the womb, called him "Boomer," and he has kept the name since.[2] Irene, a singer, dancer and piano player, from whom he inherited his blond hair and blue eyes, died at the age of 37, of ovarian cancer when he was seven years old. His father Norman, a veteran of WWII, never remarried, and in spite of a three-hour daily commute to New York City raised Esiason and his two sisters.[3][4][5] His father was of Norwegian and Swedish descent; grandmother Nora Ingrid Gulbrandsen was born in Norway and his grandfather Fritz Henning Esiason was born in Sweden. His father was the cousin of Norwegian actress and singer Sølvi Wang.[6]
He attended Timber Point Elementary and
College football career
Esiason played college football at the University of Maryland for head coaches Jerry Claiborne and Bobby Ross and offensive coordinator Ralph Friedgen. Maryland was the only college to offer him a scholarship.[8] At Maryland, he set 17 school records. He completed 461 of 850 passes (54.2 percent) for 6,169 yards and 42 touchdowns with 27 interceptions. He was a two-time honorable mention All-American in 1982 and 1983. In his final home game, he threw two third-quarter touchdown passes to lead a comeback victory over No. 3 North Carolina and seal the ACC title. At Maryland, his backup and roommate was future NFL quarterback and head coach Frank Reich. Boomer graduated in 1984 with a B.A., and received the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1999.[citation needed]
Professional football career
Cincinnati Bengals
Esiason was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the
Esiason's teammate from Maryland, defensive end Pete Koch, was taken by the Bengals with the 16th pick in the first round of the same draft. Koch lasted just one season in Cincinnati and five total in the NFL.
At 6'-5" and 224 pounds, and with a powerful arm, Esiason was the signal caller on one of the most potent offenses of the late 1980s.
Boomer got his first pro start on October 7, 1984, in a home game against the Houston Oilers. On a rainy day, he led the Bengals to a 13–3 win over Houston, and scored the game's only touchdown on a three-yard run. He took over for Ken Anderson as the Bengals' full-time starting quarterback on September 22, 1985, in a 44-41 home loss to the San Diego Chargers and future Hall of Famer Dan Fouts. Although well short of Anderson's rushing total of over 2,200 yards, Esiason was surprisingly mobile, rushing for 1,598 yards on 447 attempts and scoring seven touchdowns by this point in his career. He became particularly adept at running the difficult "no huddle" offense devised by Bengals head coach Sam Wyche.
On December 21, 1986, the final game of the 1986 season, Esiason set a team record by throwing five touchdown passes, as the Bengals defeated the New York Jets 52–21. He also set the team single season passing record of 3,959 yards in this game.[10] It was the last game of Bengals' quarterback Ken Anderson's playing career.
After leading Cincinnati to six straight wins to begin the
The Super Bowl was a tight affair that saw a 3-3 halftime score, the first halftime tie in Super Bowl history. Still marred by a sore arm, Esiason threw for 144 yards on 11-of-25 passing with an interception.[12] Cincinnati had their points come on a kickoff return by Stanford Jennings and three field goals by Jim Breech. Bengals cornerback Lewis Billups dropped what seemed like a sure interception in the end zone when they were up 13-6 on a drive that led to a San Francisco touchdown. Despite this, they led 16–13 with three minutes remaining and San Francisco deep in their own territory. The 49ers, led by future Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana, marched 92 yards on their last drive, scoring on a touchdown pass to receiver John Taylor with 34 seconds remaining in the game. A last-ditch pass by Esiason to wide receiver Cris Collinsworth was broken up, resulting in a 20–16 loss for the Bengals.
On October 29, 1989, Esiason tied his own record for touchdown passes in a game with five, as the Bengals demolished the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 56–23.[10][13] In that same game, the Bengals tied a team record with eight touchdowns.
On October 7, 1990, he threw for 490 yards (a single game team passing record) in a 34–31 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.[10]
New York Jets
Before the 1993 season, Esiason was traded to his hometown team, the New York Jets, in exchange for a third round pick that year (which became linebacker
Esiason was released by the Jets after the 1995 season.
Arizona Cardinals
Esiason signed with the Arizona Cardinals as a free agent in 1996. It was during this season, on November 10, 1996, that he threw for the fifth best passing yardage day in NFL history, with 522 yards in a 37–34 overtime victory over the Washington Redskins. Two weeks later he led a fourth-quarter comeback against the playoff-bound Philadelphia Eagles.
Second stint with the Cincinnati Bengals
Esiason contemplated retirement in the offseason, but was talked into playing one more season with the Bengals, now with Coslet as coach. He was effective after replacing Jeff Blake midway through the 1997 campaign, throwing for 13 touchdowns against only two interceptions, and garnering a passer rating of 106.9 for the season. The Bengals were 3–8 with Blake under center. With Esiason at quarterback, they won four of their last five games and scored over 30 points four times. Twice they broke 40 points, in a 44–42 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and in a 41–14 win over the Tennessee Oilers. Esiason debated closely for playing in 1998, since he liked playing for Coslet and QB coach Ken Anderson, stating that a contract offer good enough for him to not refuse would've turned the table for him to return, as he was offered an analyst's position on ABC's Monday Night Football for the third year in a row. [17]
On December 21, 1997, Esiason played his last NFL game. He threw two touchdowns on the day, with a 79-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Darnay Scott being his last touchdown pass in a 16–14 victory over the Baltimore Ravens.[18][19]
NFL career statistics
Legend | |
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AP NFL MVP
| |
Led the league | |
Bold | Career high |
Year | Team | Games | Passing | ||||||||||
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GP | GS | Record | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Avg | TD | Int | Lng | Rtg | ||
1984 | CIN | 10 | 4 | 3–1 | 51 | 102 | 50.0 | 530 | 5.2 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 62.9 |
1985 | CIN | 15 | 14 | 7–7 | 251 | 431 | 58.2 | 3,443 | 9.0 | 27 | 12 | 68 | 93.2 |
1986 | CIN | 16 | 16 | 10–6 | 273 | 469 | 58.2 | 3,959 | 8.4 | 24 | 17 | 57 | 87.7 |
1987 | CIN | 12 | 12 | 3–9 | 240 | 440 | 54.5 | 3,321 | 7.5 | 16 | 19 | 61 | 73.1 |
1988 | CIN | 16 | 16 | 12–4 | 223 | 388 | 57.5 | 3,572 | 9.2 | 28 | 14 | 86 | 97.4 |
1989 | CIN | 16 | 15 | 7–8 | 258 | 455 | 56.7 | 3,525 | 7.8 | 28 | 11 | 74 | 92.1 |
1990 | CIN | 16 | 16 | 9–7 | 224 | 402 | 55.7 | 3,031 | 7.5 | 24 | 22 | 53 | 77.0 |
1991 | CIN | 14 | 14 | 3–11 | 233 | 413 | 56.4 | 2,883 | 7.0 | 13 | 16 | 53 | 72.5 |
1992 | CIN | 12 | 11 | 4–7 | 144 | 278 | 51.8 | 1,407 | 5.1 | 11 | 15 | 38 | 57.0 |
1993 | NYJ | 16 | 16 | 8–8 | 288 | 473 | 60.9 | 3,421 | 7.2 | 16 | 11 | 77 | 84.5 |
1994 | NYJ | 15 | 14 | 5–9 | 255 | 440 | 58.0 | 2,782 | 6.3 | 17 | 13 | 69 | 77.3 |
1995 | NYJ | 12 | 12 | 2–10 | 221 | 389 | 56.8 | 2,275 | 5.8 | 16 | 15 | 43 | 71.4 |
1996 | ARI | 10 | 8 | 3–5 | 190 | 339 | 56.0 | 2,293 | 6.8 | 11 | 14 | 64 | 70.6 |
1997 | CIN | 7 | 5 | 4–1 | 118 | 186 | '63.4' | 1,478 | 8.0 | 13 | 2 | 77 | 106.9 |
Career[20] | 187 | 173 | 80–93 | 2,969 | 5,205 | 57.0 | 37,920 | 7.3 | 247 | 184 | 86 | 81.1 |
Records and honors
Esiason was named to four Pro Bowl games (1986, 1988, 1989, 1993) and holds several NFL career records for left-handed quarterbacks, including most touchdown passes (247), passing yards (37,920), and completions (2,969). He also led the AFC in passing in both 1988 and 1989.
Among the awards he has earned during his career include the
Football Nation ranks him as the 25th greatest quarterback of the post-merger era.[21]
Esiason was inducted into the Suffolk Sports Hall of Fame in the Football Category with the Class of 1990. In 2004, he was inducted into the Nassau County Sports Hall of Fame.[22]
In 2023, the Bengals inducted Esiason into their Ring of Honor.[23]
Entertainment career
Television, film and literature
Esiason has appeared in over 25 commercials including ones for Diet Coke, Wheaties, Reebok, Samsung, Hanes, Doritos and Domino's Pizza. He has also appeared in many TV shows and movies, such as
He made two appearances on the game show Family Feud. On March 18, 1989, he appeared in the episode "Bengals v. 49ers", reminiscent of their latest Super Bowl match.[24] In 1993, his second Family Feud appearance came in the episode "NFC v. AFC".[25]
He authored a children's reader in 1995 titled A Boy Named Boomer[26][27] and co-wrote (with Lowell Cauffiel) a 1998 novel titled Toss.[28]
He co-hosted the
He and partner Craig Carton served as judges on the May 29, 2011, episode of Iron Chef America.[32][33]
He has co-hosted Super Bowl's Greatest Commercials from 2012 to 2023.[34][35][36][37][38]
He made a cameo appearance as himself on the October 3, 2014, episode of Blue Bloods.[39]
In 2015, he became the Commissioner of the FFL (Feline Football League) for
Esiason launched Game Time With Boomer Esiason, interviews with sports personalities from the past, on Saturday September 14, 2019.[41]
Broadcasting
While still playing, Esiason appeared as a color analyst on the
As planned, after broadcasting the Thursday Night Football game on September 6, 2018, he left Westwood One. He was quoted as saying "I’m going to miss it, but in all reality I kind of have to get part of my life back."[42] He currently serves as an in-studio analyst for The NFL Today on CBS television, Inside the NFL on Showtime, and hosts Boomer and Gio on WFAN Radio in New York and the CBS Sports Network. In September 2012, CBS Radio announced he was added to their collection of talent to deliver five sports updates per day Monday through Friday.
Starting in 2013, he began appearing once a week as a guest on The Jim Rome Show during the NFL season to break down the upcoming weekend's NFL action.
WFAN morning show
In April 2007, after the firing of Don Imus, CBS Radio gave Esiason a one-week "try-out" as Imus' replacement on WFAN. The station announced him as the permanent host on August 13, with radio veteran Craig Carton joining as co-host. Boomer and Carton officially started on September 4, 2007.[43][citation needed] As an analyst with Westwood One, Esiason would do the Monday morning show, travel to do the Monday Night Football game and travel back to New York in time to do the Tuesday morning show. The Boomer and Carton radio program became the number-one rated morning show in all key demographics in the greater New York listening area and was seen on the MSG Network from 2010 to 2013. On March 8, 2013, both Esiason and Carton worked the radio broadcast of a Brooklyn Nets basketball game.[44] The radio program had been simulcast on the CBS Sports Network since January 2014.[45][46]
Craig Carton was arrested in September 2017 and charged with operating a concert ticket Ponzi scheme. Carton then resigned from WFAN, leaving Esiason as the sole host of the show, which was rebranded The Morning Show with Boomer.[47] Gregg Giannotti joined Boomer as permanent co-host starting on January 2, 2018, with the show rechistened as Boomer and Gio.
Personal life
In 1986, Esiason married his wife, Cheryl. They have two children, son Gunnar and daughter Sydney.[48][49] Sydney is married to New York Islanders forward Matt Martin.[50] While at a Jets mini-camp in 1993, Esiason was notified that two-year-old Gunnar had to be taken to the hospital with breathing difficulties. Soon after, Gunnar was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis; he still undergoes daily treatments, and takes cystic fibrosis medications.[51] He was a quarterback for his high school football team at Friends Academy in Locust Valley, New York, and played forward on his ice hockey team for the Manhasset/Roslyn varsity hockey team. He went on to graduate from Boston College. He writes a popular blog, and appears daily in a podcast discussing the issues confronting cystic fibrosis patients.
Esiason and his family have lived in the village of Plandome, New York, since at least 1998.[52][53]
Esiason is an avid ice hockey fan, and a devoted supporter of the New York Rangers. He is also a fan of the New York Mets and New York Knicks. As of 2019, he plays in up to 70 recreational-league hockey games a year.[54] Gunnar and his father are teammates on their local hockey team. Esiason plays in the annual Mikey Strong Charity Hockey game with NHL alumni.[55] His foundation sponsors the annual Guinness Cup Hockey Tournament.[56]
Boomer Esiason Foundation
The Boomer Esiason Foundation (BEF) was formed soon after Gunnar's diagnosis to fund research to find a cure for cystic fibrosis. The foundation also provides scholarships, transplant grants, hospital grants, and education and awareness of CF to help provide a higher quality of life for people with CF. The foundation has raised in excess of $100 million,[57] and has supported numerous hospitals, including Cincinnati Children's Hospital with the Gunnar H Esiason CF/Lung Center and Columbia Presbyterian in NYC with the Gunnar H Esiason Adult CF and Lung Program. In 2018 the foundation awarded over $400,000 in scholarships to almost 100 students.[58] The foundation is located in New York City and runs numerous events around the country.[59] The foundation annually receives four stars from Charity Navigator.[60]
In 1996, Esiason formed a partnership with Cantor Fitzgerald and Howard Lutnick (CEO) as the foundation offices were moved to the North Tower of the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan on the 101st floor, which was destroyed in 2001 in the September 11 attacks. All five full-time employees survived, as none were in the building at the time, but "Esiason figured he knew over 100 people personally" who were killed in the attack, including his best friend Tim O'Brien who was a partner at Cantor.[61]
See also
- List of 500-yard passing games in the National Football League
- List of NFL quarterbacks who have posted a perfect passer rating
References
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- ^ Fabrikant, Geraldine (April 26, 1998). "Talking Money with Boomer Esiason; Quarterback Lets Adviser Call the Plays". The New York Times. Retrieved September 13, 2009.
- ^ Eddy, Art. "Boomer Esiason - My Life of Dad". Life of Dad. Archived from the original on September 11, 2018. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
- ^ J. Freeman & Associates. "Boomer Esiason's real LIFE story- a life lesson learned early". J. Freeman & Associates. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
- ^ Maurer, Tim. "Boomer Esiason: NFL Great Turned Life Insurance Advocate". Forbes. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
- ^ "Norman Henry Esiason". geni_family_tree. October 8, 1922. Retrieved August 3, 2019.
- ^ Smith, Gary (October 4, 1993). "We're Going To Beat This Thing". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 13, 2010.
- ^ Sargent, Dave. "Lessons from Athletics: Boomer Esiason". Max Preps. CBS Interactive. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
- ^ "1984 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 10, 2023.
- ^ a b c "nal Football League (NFL) - Cincinnati Bengals Team Records The National Football League (NFL) - Cincinnati Bengals Team Records". Rauzulu's Street. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
- ^ "Super Bowl XXIII: Joe Montana, 49ers knock Bengals cold".
- ^ "Super Bowl XXIII: Joe Montana leads 49ers to incredible comeback win over Boomer Esiason's Bengals". New York Daily News. January 9, 2014.
- ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 27, 2023.
- ^ https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1995/10/19/oct-8-concussion-continues-to-slow-jets-esiason/%3foutputType=amp [bare URL]
- ^ "Esiason: Injury is Official's Fault". Chicago Tribune. October 13, 1995.
- ^ "Boomer Esiason was 'really was close to coming back' to Bengals in 1998". July 18, 2016.
- ^ "Boomer Esiason 1997 Game Log". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
- ^ "Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals - December 21st, 1997". Pro-Football-Reference.com.
- ^ "Boomer Esiason Stats". ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved March 10, 2014.
- ^ "Top 100 QBS Since the Merger (40-21)". Archived from the original on October 30, 2012. Retrieved October 13, 2012.
- ^ Jones, Jim (July 24, 2009). "Ridgewood 9-Year-Old's Study of Boomer Esiason Leads to WFAN Meeting". Ridgewood News. Retrieved September 15, 2009.
- ^ "Bengals Ring of Honor Inducts Chad Johnson, Boomer Esiason". Bengals.com.
- ^ "Video: Family Feud - Bengals v. 49ers". YouTube. Archived from the original on November 10, 2021. Retrieved February 1, 2017.
- ^ "Video: Family Feud - NFC v. AFC". YouTube. Archived from the original on November 10, 2021. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
- ^ "A Boy Named Boomer". Internet Archive. 1995. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ "BOOMER'S STILL BATTLING CYSTIC FIBROSIS". Boomer Esiason Foundation. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ "Toss". PW. PWxyz, LLC. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ "Boomer goes from sports to Miss America pageant". Deseret News. Deseret News Publishing Company. July 14, 1998. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ "The 78th Annual Miss America Pageant (1998)". IMDb. IMDb.com, Inc. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ Gans, Andrew (November 22, 2002). "CBS Thanksgiving Broadcast Has Bway Stars and Songs of "Mamma Mia!" "Rent" and "La Mancha". Playbill. Playbill Inc. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
- ^ "WFAN's Boomer & Carton To Guest Judge On Food Network's 'Iron Chef America' This Sunday". CBS New York. CBS Broadcasting Inc. May 27, 2011. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
- ^ "Symon vs. Appleman: Suckling Pig". IMDb. IMDb.com. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
- ^ Nededog, Jethro (January 17, 2012). "'Super Bowl's Greatest Commercials' Special Adds Hosts Jillian Michaels and Boomer Esiason, Fan Vote". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ^ ""'Super Bowl's Greatest Commercials 2013' to Air Wednesday, January 30 on CBS". January 3, 2013. Archived from the original on January 31, 2012.
- ^ "Super Bowl Greatest Commercials 2019 Is Ready To Determine The Funniest Of All Time". CBS. CBS Interactive. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
- ^ Pedersen, Erik (January 10, 2018). "FILMSteven Soderbergh Q&A: Unraveling Hollywood Chaos Smollett's 'Empire' Family Deals With "Horrific Attack" A Busy Day For Pilot Orders On Broadcast & Cable This Is Us TVState Of The Union Will Bump 'This Is Us' On NBC 'Super Bowl Greatest Commercials 2018' Gets CBS Premiere Date & New Format". Deadline. Penske Business Media. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
- ^ Petski, Denise (January 12, 2017). "'Super Bowl Greatest Commercials 2017' Special Set On CBS". Deadline. Penske Business Media, LLC. Retrieved January 30, 2019.
- ^ Byrne, Craig (September 12, 2014). "Blue Bloods: Synopsis For "Forgive and Forget" – Boomer Esiason Guest Stars". KSITETV. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
- ^ Pelligrini, Christina (February 3, 2018). "Here's how to watch the Kitten Bowl, because why should puppies have all the fun?". Hello Giggles. InStyle Beauty Group and Meredith Corporation. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
- ^ "Game Time With Boomer Esiason will air in NY at...5:30 AM". Retrieved September 12, 2019.
- ^ Best, Neil. "Boomer Esiason won't return as 'Monday Night Football' radio analyst". Newsday. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
- ^ WFAN – The Fan – Sports Radio 66 Homepage
- ^ Diamond Joe (March 9, 2013). "Net Worth: Boomer And Carton Shine Working Brooklyn Nets Radio Broadcast On WFAN". SportsRants.com. Archived from the original on November 4, 2016. Retrieved November 4, 2016.
- ^ "Boomer & Carton 'Joining' CBS Sports Network in Simulcast Form". BobsBlitz.com. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
- ^ "WFAN Morning Show TV Simulcasts To Continue". Inside Radio. Insideradio.com. November 29, 2017. Retrieved September 10, 2018.
- ^ Kratch, James (September 14, 2017). "Boomer Esiason reacts to Craig Carton's WFAN exit: 'It's a sad day'". NJ.com. Advance Digital. Retrieved September 14, 2017.
- ^ "Boomer Esiason's Wife Cheryl Esiason". playerwags.com. October 9, 2014. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
- ^ Longley, Rob (January 12, 2017). "Football great Boomer Esiason a super fan of hockey, Maple Leafs' Martin". Toronto Sun. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
- ^ Hornby, Lance (March 19, 2018). "Leafs' Matt Martin pops the question to Boomer's girl". The National Post. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
- ^ Bike To Breathe – Guest Blogger: Gunnar Esiason CBS New York, September 17, 2015
- ^ Fabrikant, Geraldine (April 26, 1998). "TALKING MONEY WITH: BOOMER ESIASON; Quarterback Lets Adviser Call the Plays". The New York Times. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ Best, Neil. "A trip to Mike FrancesaLand". Newsday. Retrieved September 19, 2018.
- ^ Lane, Jon. "Five Questions with Boomer Esiason". NHL.com. National Hockey League. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
- ^ McLoughlin, Caela (March 19, 2019). "Reasons To Attend the 2019 Mikey Strong Charity Hockey Game". NowWeRise. New Jersey Devils. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
- ^ "2019 GUINNESS CUP HOCKEY TOURNAMENT". Boomer Esiason Foundation. Retrieved June 15, 2019.
- ^ "Boomer Esiason". Boomer Esiason Foundation. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
- ^ Esiason, Gunnar (May 2019). "Gunnar Esiason". Gunnar Esiason.
- ^ "The Boomer Esiason Foundation". The Boomer Esiason Foundation. Retrieved May 9, 2017.
- ^ "The Boomer Esiason Foundation". Charity Navigator. Retrieved May 27, 2019.
- ^ Daugherty, Paul (September 21, 2001). "Esiason mourns lost friend". The Cincinnati Enquirer. Archived from the original on January 14, 2012. Retrieved September 13, 2011.
External links
- Boomer Esiason Foundation Fighting Cystic Fibrosis
- Career statistics and player information from NFL.com · ESPN · Pro Football Reference