Brian Sipe

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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, seeing no action on the field. In 1974, Sipe started three 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 these three 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 saw the Browns become more competitive, 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. 1976 was the team's second year under head coach Forrest Gregg. During the first half of the 1977 season, Sipe 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. With Phipps gone to the Chicago Bears, the Browns turned to back-up quarterback Dave Mays, who went 1–3 as a starter. The 1977 season also saw a head coaching change as Gregg was fired and defensive coordinator Dick Modzelewski took over for the final game. 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. Over the course of these two seasons, Sipe led the Browns to

In Their Own Story

Brian Sipe's path to stardom began with a rocky start; after being drafted in 1972, he spent two years seeing no action before starting just four games in 1974. The following year was disastrous, but his three starts helped the team become more competitive despite losses. A turning point arrived on September 12, 1976, when an injury to starter Mike Phipps allowed Sipe to move into a consistent role. He led the Browns to a 9–5 record that season, a six-game improvement over the prior year. Injuries remained a threat, notably a season-ending shoulder injury in a 35–31 defeat against the Pittsburgh Steelers on November 13, 1977. His career concluded with a move to the United States Football League after he negotiated with the New Jersey Generals during the 1983 season, finishing that year with 3,566 passing yards and 26 touchdowns before playing for the Bulls in 1985.

Reader's Guide

Brian Sipe played quarterback for the Cleveland Browns from 1974 to 1983. He won the NFL MVP in 1980 after passing for 4,132 yards and 30 touchdowns, a single-season Browns record that still stands as of the source article. He was part of the 'Kardiac Kids' teams of 1979 and 1980. His playoff loss to the Raiders featured the infamous 'Red Right 88' play with 49 seconds left. After the NFL, he played two seasons in the USFL. He later became quarterbacks coach at San Diego State from 2009 to 2014.

Did You Know?

• Sipe competed in the 1961 Little League World Series for El Cajon, California.
• He was drafted in the thirteenth round of the 1972 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns.
• Sipe's 4,132 passing yards in 1980 were a Browns single-season record at the time, since surpassed (e.g., by Josh McCown in 2015).
• The 'Red Right 88' play occurred with 49 seconds remaining in the 1980 divisional playoff game.
• Sipe served as quarterbacks coach at San Diego State from 2009 through 2014.