Brian Sipe

The original Kardiac Kid who led Cleveland's heart-stopping comebacks.

Brian Winfield Sipe (born August 8, 1949) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) from 1974 to 1983. He then played in the United States Football League (USFL) for two seasons.

Quick Facts

Position: Quarterback
Born: 8 August 1949
Birthplace: San Diego, California, U.S.
Draft year: 1972
Draft round: 13
Draft pick: 330
High school: Grossmont (El Cajon, California)
College: Grossmont (1967), San Diego State (1968–1971)

Lore & Background

Sipe was born and raised in California. He competed in the 1961 Little League World Series for El Cajon, California, and attended Grossmont High School. He was a college football star under head coach Don Coryell at San Diego State University, where he studied architecture. Drafted in the thirteenth 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. He became the team's quarterbacks coach in 2009, remaining in that role for six seasons, through 2014.

Reader's Guide

Sipe led the Browns to a 9–5 record in 1976, a six-game improvement over the previous season. In 1980, he passed for 4,132 yards and 30 touchdowns, earning the NFL Most Valuable Player award and a selection to the 1981 Pro Bowl. He helped the team earn the nickname 'Kardiac Kids' during the 1979 and 1980 seasons. His 1980 passing yards remain the Browns single-season record, and it is the only time a Browns quarterback threw for 4,000 yards in a season. Sipe's contract with the New Jersey Generals was a three-year deal for $600,000 annually.