![]() ![]() ![]() "As it turned out I'm describing a guy who was a field general on and off the field," Wyche said. That fire is also why Esiason was the face of the 1987 player's strike, which led to sometimes ugly back-and-forth moments between him, Wyche and the Bengals in the media. And he says 'hey, if you try and mess with me I'm going to mess with you.' It was funny. He was an in-your-face New York, Long Island guy. "All of that stuff was ahead of its time and to be a part of it and to be recognized as being maybe the most important part of it because somebody had to handle it behind center, I would just tell you is the greatest thing I could ever hear about my career."Īdded Bengals offensive coordinator Bruce Coslet: "It was right up Boomer's alley. And with all the great players around me from 1985 to say 1990, 1991, it was fun. "And the more that they could put on my plate, the more I appreciated it, the more it got me to focus, the more it kept me, I would stay in line and in check. He also threw for 28 touchdowns and 3,572 yards. In his MVP campaign in 1988, Esiason posted a league-best 97.4 rating and yards per attempt at 9.2 per throw. He could just go out and direct the team and make it go." He had the trust of, and belief of his teammates, and he could make this concept work in the reality of the NFL. "He could take the theory and make it work on the field," said Bengals owner and president Mike Brown. He also was the reason Wyche could develop and implement the no-huddle offense, which helped the Bengals to Super Bowl XXIII. "When that game happened, that was the day that I realized that I arrived in the NFL and understood exactly what I was supposed to do."Īnd for nearly a decade, Esiason made opposing defenses pay for that draft day slight with three Pro Bowl appearances, on All-Pro nod and a league MVP award in 1988. "I come in angry, I come in bombastic, I come in completely out of control and not until the third game of my second year there did I really, legitimately get a chance to take the team over and that was against the San Diego Chargers," Esiason said of that 320-yard, 3-touchdown performance. Which he did."Īfter a year learning behind Ken Anderson, Esiason took over for good in 1985. He was going to prove everybody was making a mistake. "He said 'I don't know but whoever gets me is going to get the steal of the draft because I'm going to be the best quarterback.' He was determined. "I called Boomer right before we were ready and our turn was coming up and I said 'you didn't get arrested for stealing hubcaps last night or were you in a car wreck or something? Why are you still on the board?' Boy he was not happy about it," Bengals head coach Sam Wyche said. Norman "Boomer" Esiason's career in Cincinnati began in anger when he slid to No. Watch Video: How the Bengals went from last place to AFC Champs ![]()
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