Brian Griese
Encyclopedia
Brian David Griese (ˈɡriːsi; born March 18, 1975) is a former American football
quarterback
. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos
in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft
. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football
at Michigan
.
He has also played for the Miami Dolphins
, Chicago Bears
and Tampa Bay Buccaneers
. A Pro Bowl
selection with the Broncos in 2000
, Griese earned a Super Bowl ring
with the team, as the third-string quarterback in Super Bowl XXXIII
. He is the son of Hall of Fame
quarterback Bob Griese
, who also played for the Dolphins.
. He was born in Miami, Florida
and attended Christopher Columbus High School in Miami, playing football, basketball, and golf. In football, he won All-State third team honors as a senior
.
at the University of Michigan
from 1993 to 1997. Michigan did not offer him a scholarship
, so he walked on to the football team. After he was redshirted
in 1993 and limited to placeholding duties in 1994, Griese took over as the starting quarterback after Scott Dreisbach
was injured five games into the 1995 season. Griese started for the remainder of the 1995 season, capped by an upset of #2 ranked Ohio State
, 31–23.
Griese was a member of Phi Gamma Delta (Fiji) while at the University of Michigan.
At the beginning of the 1996 season, Dreisbach regained his starting job and Griese returned to the bench, serving as the team's pooch punter. However, after Dreisbach struggled, Griese replaced him at halftime against Ohio State, where he led the Wolverines to another upset victory over the Buckeyes, 13–9. Griese finished the season starting in a 17–14 loss to Alabama
in the Outback Bowl
.
In 1997, Griese remained the starter. Along with Heisman Trophy
winner Charles Woodson
, he led the Wolverines to an undefeated season
and a share of the national championship. Griese was selected as the MVP of the Rose Bowl
, passing for 251 yards and three touchdowns in Michigan's win over Washington State
.
In his Michigan career, Griese had a 17–5 record as a starter. The Wolverines won all three games against Ohio State in which he quarterbacked. Griese was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta
fraternity and received his bachelor's degree in an individualized concentration from Michigan in 1997.
selected Griese in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft
. He began his career as a third-string back up to Bubby Brister
and John Elway
. He became a Super Bowl
champion in 1998, though he spent most of the season on the sidelines. Following Elway's retirement in 1999, Griese became the Bronco's starting quarterback. Griese earned a 75.6 passer rating
during his first season as starter, but improved the year later by raising it to 102.9. His efforts merited him an invite to the 2000 Pro Bowl
.
Griese consistently completed a high percentage of his passes. He has had four seasons with a better than 64% completion rate, including one year (2004) when he completed 69.3% of his passes. Nevertheless, he was unable to establish himself as one of the elite quarterbacks of the league, due to injuries, subpar arm strength and a penchant for interceptions. He was released by the Broncos, following the 2002 season, and was replaced by former Cardinals starter Jake Plummer
.
. His stint with the Dolphins, where his father Bob Griese
was a legend, was brief, being released in February 2004. Griese was given the starting job when the Dolphins starting quarterback Jay Fiedler
got injured. Griese had an excellent start as a Dolphin, passing for 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions in a blowout victory against San Diego.
, and provided a catalyst for the jumpstart of the Tampa offense. Griese helped them to their only victories in 2004 with a 97.5 QB rating and to a 5–1 record in 2005 before succumbing to a torn ACL. Griese was cut by the Buccaneers in 2006 after his injury to his knee
in order to free up money for the salary cap
.
.
After signing with the Bears, Griese saw limited action. Though he fared better than Rex Grossman
during the 2006 Pre-Season, coach Lovie Smith
decided to keep Griese as the Bears’ second string quarterback. He took late fourth quarter snaps at the end of major victories. Though Grossman started every Bears game in the 2006 season, Smith allowed Griese some extended gametime during week fifteen, after the Bears had clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. In a game against the Detroit Lions
, Griese completed six of nine passes for 51 yards, which set up several game-winning Robbie Gould
field goals. Smith called on Griese to relieve a struggling Grossman for the second half of the final regular season game against the Green Bay Packers
. However, Griese did not fare a lot better, completing 5 of 15 passes for 124 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. While some Chicagoans questioned Grossman’s ability to lead the Bears to the Super Bowl
, Smith stood by Grossman, and declared him the team's starter throughout the playoffs. The Bears went on to win the 2006 NFC Championship, but lost Super Bowl XLI
to the Indianapolis Colts
.
After Grossman struggled during the first three outings of the 2007 Chicago Bears season
, Smith turned to Griese to lead the team. In his first outing as a Bears starter, Griese threw two touchdowns and three interceptions in a losing effort against the Detroit Lions
.
The next week, he led the Bears on a game winning drive against the Philadelphia Eagles
, in which he called the plays due to a headset failure. Griese lost the starting job to Grossman after sustaining an injury against the Oakland Raiders
during week ten. Griese again replaced Grossman later in the season, after Grossman sustained a knee injury against the Washington Redskins
. However, with the Bears out of the playoffs, Kyle Orton
started the remaining 3 games of the season.
in exchange for an undisclosed 2009 draft pick. He started the second game of the season, a home game against the Atlanta Falcons
, which the Buccaneers won 24-9. Griese completed 18 of 31 passes, throwing for 160 yards with one touchdown. The next week, Brian Griese played his old team, the Chicago Bears and despite throwing 3 interceptions, he threw for 407 yards and 2 touchdowns to help the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Chicago Bears 27–24 in overtime on September 21, 2008. He also started the following week, and again despite throwing 3 interceptions, he completed 15 of 30 passes for 149 yards, 1 touchdown, and lead the Bucs to a victory over the Green Bay Packers
30-21. Griese found himself starting against the Atlanta Falcons again on December 14, 2008, subbing for Jeff Garcia
who was sidelined with a calf injury. He completed 26 of 37 passes for 269 yards and threw 1 touchdown. But Griese also threw an interception and was sacked four times in all. The Bucs ended up losing the game in overtime 13-10. His career starting for Tampa Bay is 8-2. He was released on July 13, 2009. After his release, Griese decided to retire from football.
, working as an analyst on the network's college football
coverage. Griese also serves as radio color commentator for KOA (AM)
's coverage of Denver Broncos Football.
, a children's grief support center in Denver, Colorado.
Brian's mother, Judi Griese, succumbed to breast cancer when Brian was 12. The grieving process was hard for Brian, and so he established Judi's House to serve grieving children in the Denver area. To date, Judi's House has helped more than 1,700 youth and their adult caregivers cope with overwhelming feelings of grief. He continues to maintain close ties with the facility, despite the frequent moves dictated by his professional football career. Some noteworthy major donors to Judi's House include Jackson National Life Insurance
, Office Depot
, Nouveau Riche University
, Nike, Inc.
, and the Adolph Coors Family Foundation
.
Brian Griese was awarded the 2011 Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy, presented each year by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The award celebrates and promotes the selfless service of people within the world of sports whose passionate efforts make a difference in the lives around them. Griese, who works as a broadcaster for ESPN and KOA-AM in Denver, was recognized for his work with Judi’s House, a comprehensive grief care center he founded in Denver for children dealing with the loss of a loved one.http://www.rwjf.org/patterson/product.jsp?id=72947&cid=XEM_205591
Griese founded Judi’s House in 2002 in memory of his mother who died when he was 12 years old. The center helps grieving children and families by offering grief counseling and peer support groups to share the experience of loss with others. Judi’s House increases awareness and knowledge of grieving children’s needs by extending grief support services to schools, community based organizations, faithbased groups, hospices, and other caregivers in the community. As of October 2011 Judi's House has served more than 4,000 children and their adult caregivers from the Denver area since opening.
“I’m honored to receive this recognition in memory of my late mother and on behalf of everyone who works so hard to make Judi’s House a place where no child has to feel alone in grief,” said Griese. “I am proud of the unique community we have created here. With the hard work of the staff at Judi’s House along with the amazing kids and caregivers that we work with, we are able to take a potentially devastating event in a child’s life and help give them a place where they can find support and solace.”
Brian and his father, Bob Griese
wrote a book together, Undefeated (ISBN 0-7852-7021-3), published in 2000 about their lives through their undefeated seasons and living through the breast cancer illness and death of Brian's mother and Bob's first wife, Judi.
Griese married Brook McClintic, a clinical psychologist, in the Spring of 2004 on the island of St. John
in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The couple met while Griese was playing for the Denver Broncos. On April 6, 2006, Brian and Brook had their first child, a baby girl they named Annalia Rose.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft
1998 NFL Draft
The 1998 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 18-19, 1998...
. He played high school football at Christopher Columbus High School and later college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at Michigan
Michigan Wolverines football
The Michigan Wolverines football program represents the University of Michigan in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level. Michigan has the most all-time wins and the highest winning percentage in college football history...
.
He has also played for the Miami Dolphins
Miami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
. A Pro Bowl
Pro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
selection with the Broncos in 2000
2001 Pro Bowl
The 2001 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 4, 2001 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final score was AFC 38, NFC 17. Rich Gannon of the Oakland Raiders was the game's MVP.-Offense:-Defense:-Special teams:-Offense:-Defense:...
, Griese earned a Super Bowl ring
Super Bowl ring
The Super Bowl ring is an award in the National Football League given to the winners of the league's annual championship game, the Super Bowl...
with the team, as the third-string quarterback in Super Bowl XXXIII
Super Bowl XXXIII
Super Bowl XXXIII was an American football game played on January 31, 1999, at Pro Player Stadium in Miami, Florida to decide the National Football League champion, following the 1998 regular season. The American Football Conference champion Denver Broncos defeated the National Football...
. He is the son of Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
quarterback Bob Griese
Bob Griese
Robert Allen "Bob" Griese is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who earned All-American honors with the Purdue Boilermakers before being drafted in 1967 by the American Football League's Miami Dolphins...
, who also played for the Dolphins.
Early years
Brian Griese is the son of NFL quarterback Bob GrieseBob Griese
Robert Allen "Bob" Griese is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who earned All-American honors with the Purdue Boilermakers before being drafted in 1967 by the American Football League's Miami Dolphins...
. He was born in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
and attended Christopher Columbus High School in Miami, playing football, basketball, and golf. In football, he won All-State third team honors as a senior
Twelfth grade
Twelfth grade or Senior year, or Grade Twelve, are the North American names for the final year of secondary school. In most countries students then graduate at age 17 or 18. In some countries, there is a thirteenth grade, while other countries do not have a 12th grade/year at all...
.
College career
Griese played college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
at the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
from 1993 to 1997. Michigan did not offer him a scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
, so he walked on to the football team. After he was redshirted
Redshirt (college sports)
Redshirt is a term used in American college athletics that refers to a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen his or her period of eligibility...
in 1993 and limited to placeholding duties in 1994, Griese took over as the starting quarterback after Scott Dreisbach
Scott Dreisbach
Scott Dreisbach is a former American football quarterback who last played for the Columbus Destroyers of the Arena Football League...
was injured five games into the 1995 season. Griese started for the remainder of the 1995 season, capped by an upset of #2 ranked Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes football
The Ohio State Buckeyes football team is an intercollegiate varsity sports team of The Ohio State University. The team is a member of the Big Ten Conference of the NCAA, playing at the Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, formerly Division I-A, level. The team nickname is derived from the state...
, 31–23.
Griese was a member of Phi Gamma Delta (Fiji) while at the University of Michigan.
At the beginning of the 1996 season, Dreisbach regained his starting job and Griese returned to the bench, serving as the team's pooch punter. However, after Dreisbach struggled, Griese replaced him at halftime against Ohio State, where he led the Wolverines to another upset victory over the Buckeyes, 13–9. Griese finished the season starting in a 17–14 loss to Alabama
Alabama Crimson Tide football
|TeamName = Alabama football |Image = Alabama Crimson Tide Logo.svg |ImageSize = 110 |Helmet = Alabama Football.png |ImageSize2 = 150 |CurrentSeason = 2011 Alabama Crimson Tide football team...
in the Outback Bowl
Outback Bowl
The Outback Bowl is an annual New Year's Day college football bowl game played at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. The event was originally called the Hall of Fame Bowl from 1986 to 1994 until being renamed in 1995 for its new title sponsor, Outback Steakhouse...
.
In 1997, Griese remained the starter. Along with Heisman Trophy
Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner Charles Woodson
Charles Woodson
Charles C. Woodson is an American football cornerback for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League . He played college football at the University of Michigan for the Michigan Wolverines. In 1997, Woodson led the Wolverines to a national championship...
, he led the Wolverines to an undefeated season
1997 Michigan Wolverines football team
The 1997 Michigan Wolverines football team represented the University of Michigan in the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. In its third year under head coach Lloyd Carr, Michigan compiled a perfect 12–0 record, won the Big Ten Conference championship, defeated Washington State in the 1998...
and a share of the national championship. Griese was selected as the MVP of the Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl Game
The Rose Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game, usually played on January 1 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. When New Year's Day falls on a Sunday, the game is played on Monday, January 2...
, passing for 251 yards and three touchdowns in Michigan's win over Washington State
Washington State Cougars football
The Washington State Cougars football team is the intercollegiate football team of Washington State University. The team is a member of the Pacific-12 Conference...
.
In his Michigan career, Griese had a 17–5 record as a starter. The Wolverines won all three games against Ohio State in which he quarterbacked. Griese was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta
Phi Gamma Delta
The international fraternity of Phi Gamma Delta is a collegiate social fraternity with 120 chapters and 18 colonies across the United States and Canada. It was founded at Jefferson College, Pennsylvania, in 1848, and its headquarters are located in Lexington, Kentucky, USA...
fraternity and received his bachelor's degree in an individualized concentration from Michigan in 1997.
College passing statistics
| Season | Att | Comp | Int | Comp % | Yds | Yds/Comp | TD | Long |
| 1995 | 239 | 127 | 10 | 53.4 | 1577 | 12.4 | 13 | 75 |
| 1996 | 61 | 35 | 2 | 57.4 | 513 | 14.7 | 3 | 69 |
| 1997 | 307 | 193 | 6 | 62.9 | 2293 | 11.9 | 17 | 58 |
| Career total | 606 | 355 | 18 | 58.6 | 4383 | 12.3 | 33 | 75 |
Denver Broncos
The Denver BroncosDenver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver, Colorado. They are currently members of the West Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
selected Griese in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft
1998 NFL Draft
The 1998 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 18-19, 1998...
. He began his career as a third-string back up to Bubby Brister
Bubby Brister
Walter Andrew "Bubby" Brister, III is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets, Denver Broncos, and Minnesota Vikings...
and John Elway
John Elway
John Albert Elway, Jr. is a former American football quarterback and currently is the executive vice president of football operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League . He played college football at Stanford and his entire professional career with the Denver Broncos...
. He became a Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
champion in 1998, though he spent most of the season on the sidelines. Following Elway's retirement in 1999, Griese became the Bronco's starting quarterback. Griese earned a 75.6 passer rating
Passer rating
Passer rating is a measure of the performance of quarterbacks or any other passers in American football and Canadian football. There are at least two formulae currently in use: one officially used by the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, and one used in college football...
during his first season as starter, but improved the year later by raising it to 102.9. His efforts merited him an invite to the 2000 Pro Bowl
2000 Pro Bowl
The 2000 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 6, 2000 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii Attendance— 50,112. The game was broadcast by ABC with a running time of three hours and sixteen minutes. The final score was NFC 51, AFC 31. The AFC coach was Tom Coughlin of Jacksonville.The NFC coach...
.
Griese consistently completed a high percentage of his passes. He has had four seasons with a better than 64% completion rate, including one year (2004) when he completed 69.3% of his passes. Nevertheless, he was unable to establish himself as one of the elite quarterbacks of the league, due to injuries, subpar arm strength and a penchant for interceptions. He was released by the Broncos, following the 2002 season, and was replaced by former Cardinals starter Jake Plummer
Jake Plummer
Jason Steven "Jake" Plummer is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in the second round of the 1997 NFL Draft. He played college football at Arizona State....
.
Miami Dolphins
In June 2003 he signed with the Miami DolphinsMiami Dolphins
The Miami Dolphins are a Professional football team based in the Miami metropolitan area in Florida. The team is part of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. His stint with the Dolphins, where his father Bob Griese
Bob Griese
Robert Allen "Bob" Griese is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who earned All-American honors with the Purdue Boilermakers before being drafted in 1967 by the American Football League's Miami Dolphins...
was a legend, was brief, being released in February 2004. Griese was given the starting job when the Dolphins starting quarterback Jay Fiedler
Jay Fiedler
Jay Brian Fiedler is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League.-Early life and high school years:Fiedler was born to a Jewish family on Long Island in Oceanside, New York...
got injured. Griese had an excellent start as a Dolphin, passing for 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions in a blowout victory against San Diego.
First stint with the Buccaneers
Griese signed with and performed well for the Tampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
, and provided a catalyst for the jumpstart of the Tampa offense. Griese helped them to their only victories in 2004 with a 97.5 QB rating and to a 5–1 record in 2005 before succumbing to a torn ACL. Griese was cut by the Buccaneers in 2006 after his injury to his knee
Knee
The knee joint joins the thigh with the leg and consists of two articulations: one between the fibula and tibia, and one between the femur and patella. It is the largest joint in the human body and is very complicated. The knee is a mobile trocho-ginglymus , which permits flexion and extension as...
in order to free up money for the salary cap
Salary cap
In professional sports, a salary cap is a cartel agreement between teams that places a limit on the amount of money that can be spent on player salaries. The limit exists as a per-player limit or a total limit for the team's roster, or both...
.
Chicago Bears
On March 21, 2006, he signed a five year contract with the Chicago BearsChicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
After signing with the Bears, Griese saw limited action. Though he fared better than Rex Grossman
Rex Grossman
Rex Daniel Grossman, III is an American football quarterback for the Washington Redskins of the National Football League . Grossman played college football for the University of Florida, and thereafter, he has played professionally for the Chicago Bears, Houston Texans and Washington Redskins of...
during the 2006 Pre-Season, coach Lovie Smith
Lovie Smith
Lovie Lee Smith is the head coach of the Chicago Bears professional football team of the NFL. Smith has been to the Super Bowl twice, as the defensive coordinator for the 2001 Saint Louis Rams and as the head coach for the Chicago Bears in 2006....
decided to keep Griese as the Bears’ second string quarterback. He took late fourth quarter snaps at the end of major victories. Though Grossman started every Bears game in the 2006 season, Smith allowed Griese some extended gametime during week fifteen, after the Bears had clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. In a game against the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
, Griese completed six of nine passes for 51 yards, which set up several game-winning Robbie Gould
Robbie Gould
Robert Paul "Robbie" Gould III is an American football placekicker for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He was originally signed by the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2005. He played college football at Penn State...
field goals. Smith called on Griese to relieve a struggling Grossman for the second half of the final regular season game against the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
. However, Griese did not fare a lot better, completing 5 of 15 passes for 124 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. While some Chicagoans questioned Grossman’s ability to lead the Bears to the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
, Smith stood by Grossman, and declared him the team's starter throughout the playoffs. The Bears went on to win the 2006 NFC Championship, but lost Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI
Super Bowl XLI was an American football game that featured the American Football Conference champion Indianapolis Colts and the National Football Conference champion Chicago Bears to decide the National Football League champion for the 2006 season...
to the Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis Colts
The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. They are currently members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
.
After Grossman struggled during the first three outings of the 2007 Chicago Bears season
2007 Chicago Bears season
The 2007 Chicago Bears season was the team's 88th regular season in the National Football League. The season officially began on September 9, 2007 against the San Diego Chargers, and concluded on December 30 against the New Orleans Saints...
, Smith turned to Griese to lead the team. In his first outing as a Bears starter, Griese threw two touchdowns and three interceptions in a losing effort against the Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
.
The next week, he led the Bears on a game winning drive against the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, in which he called the plays due to a headset failure. Griese lost the starting job to Grossman after sustaining an injury against the Oakland Raiders
Oakland Raiders
The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in Oakland, California. They currently play in the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
during week ten. Griese again replaced Grossman later in the season, after Grossman sustained a knee injury against the Washington Redskins
Washington Redskins
The Washington Redskins are a professional American football team and members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays at FedExField in Landover, Maryland, while its headquarters and training facility are at Redskin Park in Ashburn,...
. However, with the Bears out of the playoffs, Kyle Orton
Kyle Orton
Kyle Orton is an American football quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs of the National Football League. He played college football at Purdue, where he started four straight bowl games. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the fourth round of the 2005 NFL Draft...
started the remaining 3 games of the season.
Second stint with Buccaneers
On March 3, 2008, Griese was traded to the Tampa Bay BuccaneersTampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football franchise based in Tampa, Florida, U.S. They are currently members of the Southern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League – they are the only team in the division not to come from the old NFC West...
in exchange for an undisclosed 2009 draft pick. He started the second game of the season, a home game against the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
, which the Buccaneers won 24-9. Griese completed 18 of 31 passes, throwing for 160 yards with one touchdown. The next week, Brian Griese played his old team, the Chicago Bears and despite throwing 3 interceptions, he threw for 407 yards and 2 touchdowns to help the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Chicago Bears 27–24 in overtime on September 21, 2008. He also started the following week, and again despite throwing 3 interceptions, he completed 15 of 30 passes for 149 yards, 1 touchdown, and lead the Bucs to a victory over the Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
30-21. Griese found himself starting against the Atlanta Falcons again on December 14, 2008, subbing for Jeff Garcia
Jeff Garcia
Jeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
who was sidelined with a calf injury. He completed 26 of 37 passes for 269 yards and threw 1 touchdown. But Griese also threw an interception and was sacked four times in all. The Bucs ended up losing the game in overtime 13-10. His career starting for Tampa Bay is 8-2. He was released on July 13, 2009. After his release, Griese decided to retire from football.
Broadcasting career
Since 2009 Griese has been employed by ESPNESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
, working as an analyst on the network's college football
ESPN College Football
ESPN College Football is the branding used for broadcasts of NCAA Division I FBS college football across ESPN properties, including ESPN, ESPN2, ABC, ESPN Classic, ESPNU, and ESPN Radio...
coverage. Griese also serves as radio color commentator for KOA (AM)
KOA (AM)
KOA is a clear channel, news/talk radio station serving the Denver-Boulder and Colorado Springs, Colorado markets. It is owned by Clear Channel Communications and is nicknamed "the Blowtorch of the West" for its 50,000 watt signal.KOA was originally owned by General Electric and began...
's coverage of Denver Broncos Football.
Personal
Brian Griese is founder and board president of Judi's HouseJudi's House
Judi’s House was founded by Brian Griese in honor and in memory of his mother, Judi Griese, who died from breast cancer when Brian was twelve years old. Judi Griese was the wife of former Miami Dolphins star, Bob Griese....
, a children's grief support center in Denver, Colorado.
Brian's mother, Judi Griese, succumbed to breast cancer when Brian was 12. The grieving process was hard for Brian, and so he established Judi's House to serve grieving children in the Denver area. To date, Judi's House has helped more than 1,700 youth and their adult caregivers cope with overwhelming feelings of grief. He continues to maintain close ties with the facility, despite the frequent moves dictated by his professional football career. Some noteworthy major donors to Judi's House include Jackson National Life Insurance
Jackson National Life
Jackson National Life Insurance is a U.S. company that offers life insurance and annuities. It is a subsidiary of the British insurer, Prudential Plc, who bought the company for $608 million in 1986. Founded in 1961, Jackson is headquartered in Lansing, Michigan...
, Office Depot
Office Depot
Office Depot is a supplier of office products and provides many services. The company's selection of brand name office supplies includes business machines, computers, computer software and office furniture, while its business services encompass copying, printing, document reproduction, shipping,...
, Nouveau Riche University
Nouveau Riche University
Nouveau Riche is a non-accredited vocational school specializing in real estate investing. Class topics range from introductory real estate investing to advanced techniques such as creative real estate investing techniques including wholesaling, multi-units, and short sales; examples of course...
, Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
, and the Adolph Coors Family Foundation
Adolph Coors Foundation
The Adolph Coors Foundation was founded in 1975 with funds from the Adolph Coors, Jr. Trust. Adolph Coors, Jr. was the son of the founder of the Coors Brewing Company in Golden, Colorado. The foundation has awarded $135.3 million USD since 1975 . It focuses its efforts generally within the state...
.
Brian Griese was awarded the 2011 Patterson Award for Excellence in Sports Philanthropy, presented each year by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The award celebrates and promotes the selfless service of people within the world of sports whose passionate efforts make a difference in the lives around them. Griese, who works as a broadcaster for ESPN and KOA-AM in Denver, was recognized for his work with Judi’s House, a comprehensive grief care center he founded in Denver for children dealing with the loss of a loved one.http://www.rwjf.org/patterson/product.jsp?id=72947&cid=XEM_205591
Griese founded Judi’s House in 2002 in memory of his mother who died when he was 12 years old. The center helps grieving children and families by offering grief counseling and peer support groups to share the experience of loss with others. Judi’s House increases awareness and knowledge of grieving children’s needs by extending grief support services to schools, community based organizations, faithbased groups, hospices, and other caregivers in the community. As of October 2011 Judi's House has served more than 4,000 children and their adult caregivers from the Denver area since opening.
“I’m honored to receive this recognition in memory of my late mother and on behalf of everyone who works so hard to make Judi’s House a place where no child has to feel alone in grief,” said Griese. “I am proud of the unique community we have created here. With the hard work of the staff at Judi’s House along with the amazing kids and caregivers that we work with, we are able to take a potentially devastating event in a child’s life and help give them a place where they can find support and solace.”
Brian and his father, Bob Griese
Bob Griese
Robert Allen "Bob" Griese is a former American collegiate and Professional Football quarterback who earned All-American honors with the Purdue Boilermakers before being drafted in 1967 by the American Football League's Miami Dolphins...
wrote a book together, Undefeated (ISBN 0-7852-7021-3), published in 2000 about their lives through their undefeated seasons and living through the breast cancer illness and death of Brian's mother and Bob's first wife, Judi.
Griese married Brook McClintic, a clinical psychologist, in the Spring of 2004 on the island of St. John
Saint John, U.S. Virgin Islands
Saint John is an island in the Caribbean Sea and a constituent district of the United States Virgin Islands , an unincorporated territory of the United States. St...
in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The couple met while Griese was playing for the Denver Broncos. On April 6, 2006, Brian and Brook had their first child, a baby girl they named Annalia Rose.
External links
- Official Profile and Statistics
- Judi's House - Grief Support Center