Bernard Joseph "Bernie" Kosar, Jr. (born November 25, 1963) is a former
American football quarterback in the
National Football League. Kosar played for the
Cleveland Browns from 1985 to 1993 and then finished his career with the
Dallas Cowboys and the
Miami Dolphins.
Early life and high school career
A Hungarian-American born in
Youngstown,
Ohio, Kosar was raised in suburban
Boardman. He attended
Boardman High School, where he earned
Parade magazine
All-American honors as a senior for the 1981 season. He also gained recognition as a
baseball player, especially for his
pitching skills.
College career
Kosar chose to play
college football at the
University of Miami, which ran a passing-oriented offense and was beginning to emerge as one of the top football programs in the nation.
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 an 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.
In 1984, he set Hurricane season 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...
Read More