Cris Collinsworth

Lore & Background

Collinsworth was born in Dayton, Ohio, the son of Abraham Lincoln 'Abe' Collinsworth and Donetta Browning Collinsworth. His family moved to Melbourne, Florida, in 1963, and later to Titusville in 1972, where he attended Astronaut High School. He won the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 3A 100-yard-dash state championship in 1976 and was named a high-school All-American quarterback. He accepted an athletic scholarship from coach Doug Dickey to attend the University of Florida. He was moved to wide receiver in 1978, where his position coach was Steve Spurrier. He was a first-team All-SEC selection in 1978, 1979, and 1980, and a first-team All-American and first-team Academic All-America in 1980. He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round (37th pick overall) of the 1981 NFL draft and spent his entire eight-year NFL career with the Bengals. In his first season, he set the Bengals franchise record for receptions by a rookie with 67. He surpassed 1,000 yards receiving four times (1981, 1983, 1985, 1986) and was named to the Pro Bowl in 1981, 1982, and 1983. In Super Bowl XVI, he was the game's leading receiver with five receptions for 107 yards. He finished his NFL career with 417 receptions for 6,698 yards and 36 touchdowns in 107 games. After retiring, he began a broadcasting career as a sports radio talk show host on Cincinnati station WLW, then became a reporter for HBO's Inside the NFL in 1989. He joined NBC's NFL broadcasts in 1990, later worked for Fox, and returned to NBC in 2006. He became the color commentator on NBC's Sunday Night Football in 2009, paired with Al Michaels, and as of 2025 is in his seventeenth season paired with Mike Tirico. He has won 17 Sports Emmy Awards and was inducted into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame in 2023.

In Their Own Story

The roar of Riverfront Stadium is a memory etched in Cris Collinsworth's mind. It was late in the game against the Houston Oilers, snow beginning to fall on the gridiron. Boomer Esiason took the snap, rolled right, and spotted #19 streaking down the sideline. The crowd held its breath as Collinsworth adjusted his hands, snatching the football out of thin air just before the pylon. He didn't need to run; he had already won the moment. That catch wasn't just a play; it was the sound of a city believing in its team again.

Reader's Guide

Collinsworth was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 1981 NFL draft and played eight seasons (1981–1988) with the team. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 1981, 1982, and 1983. He was the team's leading receiver in his first season and set the Bengals franchise record for receptions by a rookie. He played in Super Bowl XVI and Super Bowl XXIII. The source does not mention any trade involving the Chicago Bears or Jerry Rice, nor does it mention Boomer Esiason or two consecutive AFC Championship games.

Did You Know?

• Collinsworth threw a 99-yard touchdown pass to Derrick Gaffney in his first collegiate attempt, which remains tied for the longest touchdown pass in NCAA history.
• He graduated with a bachelor's degree in accounting in 1981 and received a juris doctor degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Law in 1991.
• He is the majority owner of Pro Football Focus.