Brian Sipe: Difference between revisions

Brian Sipe
	Sipe c. 1979, photographed by fellow Cleveland Brown Jerry Sherk
No. 17
Position:	Quarterback
Career information
College:	San Diego State
NFL draft:	1972 / Round: 13 / Pick: 330
Career history
	Cleveland Browns (1974-1983); New Jersey Generals (USFL) (1984); Jacksonville Bulls (USFL) (1985);
Career highlights and awards
	1× First-team All-Pro selection (1980); 1× Second-team All-Pro selection (1979); 1× Pro Bowl selection (1980); 1980 NFL MVP; 1980 PFWA MVP; 1980 UPI AFL-AFC Offensive Player of the Year;

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Revision as of 07:04, 24 April 2011

Brian Winfield Sipe (born August 8, 1949, in San Diego, California) is a former professional American football quarterback who played in the National Football League from 1974 to 1983 and the United States Football League from 1984 to 1985.

Sipe was a college football star at San Diego State University, where he studied architecture. He also competed in the 1961 Little League World Series for El Cajon, California and prepped at Grossmont High School.

Although mostly sidelined for the first several years of his NFL career, Sipe was eventually recognized as one of the better quarterbacks in the Browns' history, winning the league's MVP Award in 1980. He is now the quarterback coach for the San Diego State Aztecs football program.

Playing career

National Football League

Drafted in the 13th round of the 1972 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns, Sipe spent the first two years of his career as a member of the team's reserve squad, seeing no action on the field.

In 1974, Sipe started four games after helping the Browns come back from a 12-point deficit against the Denver Broncos on October 27. However, after winning just one of the four contests (a 21-14 victory against the New England Patriots on November 11), he was replaced by Mike Phipps.

The team's disastrous 1975 season saw Sipe enter the starting lineup after three consecutive losses in which the Browns were outscored 124-26. Sipe's three starts reduced the margin of defeat for the squad, but still resulted in a trio of defeats, sending him back to the sidelines. The following year, he finally moved into a consistent starting role following an opening game injury to Phipps on September 12, 1976. As the team's signal caller that season, he led them to a 9-5 record, a six-game improvement over the previous season.

File:Sipe2

Sipe signing autographs in Canton, Ohio in 1979.

During the first half of the 1977 season, he led the team to five wins in their first seven games. However, on November 13 of that year, Sipe suffered a season-ending shoulder injury at Three Rivers Stadium against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the second quarter of the team's 35-31 defeat. Sipe came back the following year to throw for more than 2,900 yards and 21 touchdown passes, but the team's overall inconsistency resulted in an 8-8 finish.

Serving as the catalyst for many thrilling moments during the 1979 and 1980 seasons, Sipe helped the team earn the nickname "Kardiac Kids." The designation was in recognition of their tendency to produce heart-stopping comeback victories in the final minutes of many games.

1980 MVP award winning season

In 1980, Sipe passed for 4,132 yards and 30 touchdowns, helping lead the team to its first postseason berth since 1972. Individually, his efforts earned him the Associated Press' NFL MVP award and a selection to the NFL Pro Bowl. In an AFC divisional playoff game that 1980 season against the Raiders (January 4, 1981) the Browns could've settled for a very short game winning field goal but instead decided to pass the ball. It was a logical choice; Cleveland weather was brutally cold and windy and a field goal was not a guarantee. Likewise, Sipe's target was Pro Football Hall of Fame TE Ozzie Newsome. With 41 seconds left in the game, Sipe threw an interception in the end zone, bringing the Browns season to a heartbreaking end. The play call, "Red Right 88" would be immortalized in Cleveland sports infamy.

1981-82 seasons

Despite throwing for 3,876 yards the following year, Sipe was at the controls as the team staggered to a 5-11 mark. In 1982, Sipe and the Browns won just two of the team's first six games in the strike-marred NFL season, and Sipe was benched in favor of third-year signal caller Paul McDonald.

United States Football League

Sipe regained his starting role the following year, but angered Browns management by negotiating with Donald Trump's USFL New Jersey Generals during the season. Sipe finished the campaign with 3,566 passing yards and 26 touchdown passes. Sipe did eventually sign with Trump after the season, playing for the Generals in 1984, before concluding his career with the Jacksonville Bulls in 1985. His shift to Jacksonville came about after Trump signed Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie to a multi-million dollar contract.

Post playing career

Sipe now resides in San Diego, California, and coached high school football at Santa Fe Christian School in Solana Beach, California, where he helped the Eagles to four CIF titles and a combined record of 75-21-1. Sipe was hired on January 18, 2009 as quarterback coach for his Alma Mater, San Diego State.

Career stats

Year	Team	GP	Att	Com	Pct	Yds	TD	Int	Rate
1974	Cleveland Browns	10	108	59	54.6	603	1	7	47.0
1975	Cleveland Browns	7	88	45	51.1	427	1	3	54.4
1976	Cleveland Browns	14	312	178	57.1	2113	17	14	77.3
1977	Cleveland Browns	9	195	112	57.4	1233	9	14	61.8
1978	Cleveland Browns	16	399	222	55.6	2906	21	15	80.7
1979	Cleveland Browns	16	535	286	53.5	3793	28	26	73.4
1980	Cleveland Browns	16	554	337	60.8	4132	30	14	91.4
1981	Cleveland Browns	16	567	313	55.2	3876	17	25	68.2
1982	Cleveland Browns	6	185	101	54.6	1064	4	8	60.7
1983	Cleveland Browns	15	496	291	58.7	3566	26	23	79.1
NFL Career Totals		125	3439	1944	56.5	23713	154	149	74.8
1984	New Jersey Generals	16	324	192	59.3	2540	17	15	82.3
1985	Jacksonville Bulls	-	89	55	61.8	685	4	2	91.5
USFL Career Totals		-	413	247	56.5	3225	21	17	84.3

Key to Abbreviations
GP= Games Played
Att= Passes attempted
Com= Passes Completed
Pct= Completion percentage
Yds= Yards
TD= Touchdowns
Int= Interceptions
Rate= Passer rating

Preceded by Mike Phipps	Cleveland Browns Starting Quarterbacks 1976-1983	Succeeded by Paul McDonald
Preceded by Earl Campbell	AP NFL Most Valuable Player 1980 season	Succeeded by Ken Anderson
Preceded by Jeff Knapple	New Jersey Generals Starting Quarterbacks 1984	Succeeded by Doug Flutie
Preceded by Matt Robinson	Jacksonville Bulls Starting Quarterbacks 1985	Succeeded by Ed Luther

External links

San Diego Aztecs Coaching Bio

Template:Aztec Hall Of Fame Inductees

Template:Persondata

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 {{Infobox NFLretired
-|image=Sipe2.jpg
+|image=Sipe1979bySherk.jpeg
-|caption=<small>Sipe signing autographs in Canton, Ohio in 1979.</small>
+|caption=<small>Sipe c. 1979, photographed by fellow [[Cleveland Brown]] [[Jerry Sherk]]</small>
 |position=Quarterback
 |number=17
@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 * 1980 [[UPI AFL-AFC Offensive Player of the Year]]
 }}
-'''Brian Winfield Sipe''' (born August 8, 1949, in [[San Diego, California]]) is a former professional [[American football]] [[quarterback]] who played in the [[National Football League]] from 1974 to 1983 and the [[United States Football League]] from 1984 to 1985.  He was a [[college football]] star at [[San Diego State University]], where he studied [[architecture]].  He also competed in the 1961 [[Little League World Series]] for [[El Cajon, California]] and prepped at [[Grossmont High School]].  Sipe is now the quarterbacks coach for the [[San Diego State Aztecs football]] program.
+'''Brian Winfield Sipe''' (born August 8, 1949, in [[San Diego, California]]) is a former professional [[American football]] [[quarterback]] who played in the [[National Football League]] from 1974 to 1983 and the [[United States Football League]] from 1984 to 1985.
+Sipe was a [[college football]] star at [[San Diego State University]], where he studied [[architecture]].  He also competed in the 1961 [[Little League World Series]] for [[El Cajon, California]] and prepped at [[Grossmont High School]].
+Although mostly sidelined for the first several years of his NFL career, Sipe was eventually recognized as one of the better quarterbacks in the Browns' history, winning the league's [[NFL MVP Award|MVP Award]] in 1980. He is now the quarterback coach for the [[San Diego State Aztecs football]] program.
 ==Playing career==
@@ Line 40: / Line 44: @@
 The team's disastrous [[1975 NFL season|1975 season]] saw Sipe enter the starting lineup after three consecutive losses in which the Browns were outscored 124-26.  Sipe's three starts reduced the margin of defeat for the squad, but still resulted in a trio of defeats, sending him back to the sidelines.  The following year, he finally moved into a consistent starting role following an opening game injury to Phipps on September 12, [[1976 NFL season|1976]].  As the team's signal caller that season, he led them to a 9-5 record, a six-game improvement over the previous season.
+[[File:Sipe2|thumb|Sipe signing autographs in Canton, Ohio in 1979.]]
 During the first half of the [[1977 NFL season|1977 season]], he led the team to five wins in their first seven games.  However, on November 13 of that year, Sipe suffered a season-ending shoulder injury at [[Three Rivers Stadium]] against the [[Pittsburgh Steelers]] in the second quarter of the team's 35-31 defeat.  Sipe came back the following year to throw for more than 2,900 yards and 21 touchdown passes, but the team's overall inconsistency resulted in an 8-8 finish.