Boomer Esiason

Lore & Background

Esiason's most successful season was in 1988 when he won NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) and led the Bengals to an appearance in Super Bowl XXIII, which ended in a close defeat. He also received four Pro Bowl selections and one first-team All-Pro honor. After nine years in Cincinnati, Esiason spent three seasons with the Jets and one season with the Cardinals before returning to the Bengals for his final season in 1997. Since retiring from football, Esiason has worked as a football analyst for CBS Sports on The NFL Today and Showtime's Inside the NFL and was previously with ABC, HBO, and Westwood One. He also hosts the morning sports radio program Boomer and Gio on WFAN in New York.

Reader's Guide

Esiason was born and raised in East Islip, New York. 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. Irene died at age 37 of ovarian cancer when he was six.

His father Norman, a WWII veteran, never remarried and raised Esiason and his two sisters despite a three-hour daily commute to New York City. He attended Timber Point Elementary and East Islip High School, graduating in 1979. In high school, he was a three-sport varsity player in football, basketball, and baseball. He played college football at the University of Maryland, setting 17 school records.

He completed 461 of 850 passes for 6,169 yards and 42 touchdowns with 27 interceptions. He was a two-time honorable mention All-American in 1982 and 1983. He graduated in December 1983 with a B.A. in Communications and received the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1999. Esiason was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 1984 NFL draft with the 38th overall pick.

He got his first pro start on October 7, 1984, leading the Bengals to a 13–3 win over the Houston Oilers. He took over as full-time starting quarterback on September 22, 1985. On December 21, 1986, he set a team record with five touchdown passes and set the team single-season passing record of 3,959 yards. In 1988, he led the Bengals to a 12–4 season and Super Bowl XXIII, where they lost 20–16 to the San Francisco 49ers.

On October 29, 1989, he tied his own record with five touchdown passes in a 56–23 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On October 7, 1990, he threw for 490 yards in a 34–31 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. Before the 1993 season, he was traded to the New York Jets. He played three seasons for the Jets under head coaches Bruce Coslet, Pete Carroll, and Rich Kotite.

He was released after the 1995 season. He signed with the Arizona Cardinals as a free agent in 1996. On November 10, 1996, he threw for 522 yards in a 37–34 overtime victory over the Washington Redskins. He returned to the Bengals for his final season in 1997, throwing for 13 touchdowns against two interceptions and a passer rating of 106.9.

Did You Know?

• In his final home game at Maryland, he threw two third-quarter touchdown passes to lead a comeback victory over No. 3 North Carolina and seal the ACC title.
• Esiason's backup and roommate at Maryland was future NFL quarterback and head coach Frank Reich.