Brian Sipe
Encyclopedia
Brian Winfield Sipe is a former professional American football
quarterback
who played in the National Football League
from 1974 to 1983 and the United States Football League
from 1984 to 1985.
Sipe was a college football
star at San Diego State University
, where he studied architecture
. He also competed in the 1961 Little League World Series
for El Cajon, California
and prepped at Grossmont High School
.
Although mostly sidelined for the first several years of his NFL career, Sipe was eventually recognized as one of the better quarterbacks in the Browns' history, winning the league's MVP Award in 1980. He is now the quarterback coach for the San Diego State Aztecs football
program.
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 four 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 the four 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 reduced the margin of defeat for the squad, 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.
During the first half of the 1977 season
, he 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. 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 eight comebacks and eleven game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime.
, Sipe passed for 4,132 yards and 30 touchdowns, helping lead the team to its first postseason berth since 1972
. Individually, his efforts earned him the Associated Press' NFL MVP award and a selection to the NFL Pro Bowl
. In an AFC divisional playoff game that 1980 season against the Raiders (January 4, 1981) the Browns could've settled for a very short game winning field goal but instead decided to pass the ball. It was a logical choice; Cleveland weather was brutally cold and windy and a field goal was not a guarantee. Likewise, Sipe's target was Pro Football Hall of Fame
TE Ozzie Newsome
. With 41 seconds left in the game, Sipe threw an interception in the end zone, bringing the Browns season to a heartbreaking end. The play call, "Red Right 88
" would be immortalized in Cleveland sports infamy.
, Sipe was at the controls as the team staggered to a 5-11 mark. In 1982
, Sipe and the Browns won just two of the team's first six games in the strike-marred NFL season, and Sipe was benched in favor of third-year signal caller Paul McDonald.
's USFL New Jersey Generals
during the season. Sipe finished the campaign with 3,566 passing yards and 26 touchdown passes. Sipe did eventually sign with Trump after the season, playing for the Generals in 1984, before concluding his career with the Jacksonville Bulls
in 1985. His shift to Jacksonville came about after Trump signed Heisman Trophy
winner Doug Flutie
to a multi-million dollar contract.
, and coached high school football
at Santa Fe Christian School
in Solana Beach, California
, where he helped the Eagles to four CIF titles and a combined record of 75-21-1.
Sipe was hired on January 18, 2009 as quarterback coach for his Alma Mater, San Diego State. In 2010, his Aztecs beat United States Naval Academy
in the Poinsettia Bowl
.
Key to Abbreviations
GP= Games Played
Att= Passes attempted
Com= Passes Completed
Pct= Completion percentage
Yds= Yards
TD= Touchdown
s
Int= Interceptions
Rate= Passer rating
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...
who played in the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
from 1974 to 1983 and the United States Football League
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
from 1984 to 1985.
Sipe was a 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...
star at San Diego State University
San Diego State University
San Diego State University , founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, is the largest and oldest higher education facility in the greater San Diego area , and is part of the California State University system...
, where he studied architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
. He also competed in the 1961 Little League World Series
Little League World Series
The Little League Baseball World Series is a baseball tournament for children aged 11 to 13 years old. It was originally called the National Little League Tournament and was later renamed for the World Series in Major League Baseball. It was first held in 1947 and is held every August in South...
for El Cajon, California
El Cajon, California
-History:El Cajon is located on the Rancho El Cajon Mexican land grant made in 1845 to María Antonia Estudillo, wife of Miguel Pedrorena. In 1876 Amaziah Lord Knox , a New Englander who had recently moved to California, established a hotel there to serve the growing number of people traveling...
and prepped at Grossmont High School
Grossmont High School
Grossmont High School is the oldest high school in San Diego's east county, California. Its mascot is the Foothiller, so chosen because, at the time of the school’s construction, east county was much more isolated from the rest of San Diego than it is today and was often referred to as the...
.
Although mostly sidelined for the first several years of his NFL career, Sipe was eventually recognized as one of the better quarterbacks in the Browns' history, winning the league's MVP Award in 1980. He is now the quarterback coach for the San Diego State Aztecs football
San Diego State Aztecs football
The San Diego State football team represents the San Diego State Aztecs in college football. The Aztecs, a Division I FBS team and a member of the Mountain West Conference, play their home games at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. The field is natural grass and has a maximum capacity of...
program.
National Football League
Drafted in the 13th round of the 1972 NFL Draft1972 NFL Draft
The 1972 National Football League Draft was held on February 1–2, 1972.-Player selections:-Round one:-Round two:-Round three:-Round four:-Round five:-Round six:-Round seven:-Round eight:-Round nine:-Round ten:...
by the Cleveland Browns
Cleveland Browns
The Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
, 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
1974 NFL season
The 1974 NFL season was the 55th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl IX when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Minnesota Vikings...
, Sipe started four games after helping the Browns come back from a 12-point deficit against 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...
on October 27. However, after winning just one of the four contests (a 21-14 victory against the New England Patriots
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National...
on November 11), he was replaced by Mike Phipps
Mike Phipps
Michael Elston Phipps is a former professional American football quarterback who played collegiately for the Purdue University Boilermakers , and professionally for both the Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears .-College career:After playing high school for Columbus High School in Columbus,...
.
The team's disastrous 1975 season
1975 NFL season
The 1975 NFL season was the 56th regular season of the National Football League. It was also the first time that featured an entire season with no games ending in a tie. The league made two significant changes to increase the appeal of the game:...
saw Sipe enter the starting lineup after three consecutive losses in which the Browns were outscored 124-26. Sipe's three starts reduced the margin of defeat for the squad, 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
1976 NFL season
The 1976 NFL season was the 57th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded to 28 teams with the addition of the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers...
. As the team's signal caller that season, he led them to a 9-5 record, a six-game improvement over the previous season.
During the first half of the 1977 season
1977 NFL season
The 1977 NFL season was the 58th regular season of the National Football League. The Seattle Seahawks were placed in the AFC West while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were slotted in the NFC Central....
, he 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
Three Rivers Stadium
Three Rivers Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from 1970 to 2000. It was home to the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the city's Major League Baseball franchise and National Football League franchise respectively.Built as a replacement to...
against the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
in the second quarter of the team's 35-31 defeat. 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
1979 NFL season
The 1979 NFL season was the 60th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XIV when the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Los Angeles Rams...
and 1980 seasons
1980 NFL season
The 1980 NFL season was the 61st regular season of the National Football League.After the league declined to approve the proposed move by the Raiders from Oakland, California to Los Angeles, the team along with the Los Angeles Coliseum sued the NFL for violating antitrust laws...
, Sipe helped the team earn the nickname "Kardiac Kids
Kardiac Kids
The Kardiac Kids is a reference to the 1980 Cleveland Browns, who had a penchant for having games decided in the final moments. Finishing 11-5, the Browns captured their first division title since 1971, winning a tiebreaker with the Houston Oilers...
." 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 eight comebacks and eleven game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime.
1980 MVP award winning season
In 19801980 NFL season
The 1980 NFL season was the 61st regular season of the National Football League.After the league declined to approve the proposed move by the Raiders from Oakland, California to Los Angeles, the team along with the Los Angeles Coliseum sued the NFL for violating antitrust laws...
, Sipe passed for 4,132 yards and 30 touchdowns, helping lead the team to its first postseason berth since 1972
1972 NFL season
The 1972 NFL season was the 53rd regular season of the National Football League. The Miami Dolphins became the first NFL team to finish a championship season undefeated and untied when they beat the Washington Redskins in Super Bowl VII.-Major rule changes:...
. Individually, his efforts earned him the Associated Press' NFL MVP award and a selection to the NFL Pro Bowl
1981 Pro Bowl
The 1981 AFC-NFC Pro Bowl was played on February 1, 1981 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The final score was NFC 21, AFC 7. Eddie Murray of the Detroit Lions was the game's MVP. The game was the first NFL game ever played in the month of February....
. In an AFC divisional playoff game that 1980 season against the Raiders (January 4, 1981) the Browns could've settled for a very short game winning field goal but instead decided to pass the ball. It was a logical choice; Cleveland weather was brutally cold and windy and a field goal was not a guarantee. Likewise, Sipe's target was Pro Football 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...
TE Ozzie Newsome
Ozzie Newsome
Ozzie Newsome Jr. and a 1974 graduate of Colbert County High School in Leighton, Alabama, is a former American football tight end for the Cleveland Browns, an inductee into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the current General Manager of the Baltimore Ravens.-College career:Before his NFL career,...
. With 41 seconds left in the game, Sipe threw an interception in the end zone, bringing the Browns season to a heartbreaking end. The play call, "Red Right 88
Red Right 88
Red Right 88 was the designation of a Cleveland Browns passing play that was called during the January 4, 1981 American Football Conference divisional playoff game against the Oakland Raiders; in the years since, the term has been used to refer to the game itself and its ending.Trailing 14-12 with...
" would be immortalized in Cleveland sports infamy.
1981-82 seasons
Despite throwing for 3,876 yards the following year1981 NFL season
The 1981 NFL season was the 62nd regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVI when the San Francisco 49ers defeated the Cincinnati Bengals.-Major rule changes:...
, Sipe was at the controls as the team staggered to a 5-11 mark. In 1982
1982 NFL season
The 1982 NFL season was the 63rd regular season of the National Football League. A 57-day long players' strike reduced the 1982 season from a 16-game schedule per team to an abbreviated nine game schedule...
, Sipe and the Browns won just two of the team's first six games in the strike-marred NFL season, and Sipe was benched in favor of third-year signal caller Paul McDonald.
United States Football League
Sipe regained his starting role the following year, but angered Browns management by negotiating with Donald TrumpDonald Trump
Donald John Trump, Sr. is an American business magnate, television personality and author. He is the chairman and president of The Trump Organization and the founder of Trump Entertainment Resorts. Trump's extravagant lifestyle, outspoken manner and role on the NBC reality show The Apprentice have...
's USFL New Jersey Generals
New Jersey Generals
The New Jersey Generals were a franchise of the United States Football League established in 1982 to begin play in the spring and summer of 1983. The team played three seasons from 1983-85, winning 31 regular-season games and losing 25 while going 0-2 in postseason competition...
during the season. Sipe finished the campaign with 3,566 passing yards and 26 touchdown passes. Sipe did eventually sign with Trump after the season, playing for the Generals in 1984, before concluding his career with the Jacksonville Bulls
Jacksonville Bulls
The Jacksonville Bulls were a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. They were members of the United States Football League during its final two seasons, 1984 and 1985...
in 1985. His shift to Jacksonville came about after Trump signed 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 Doug Flutie
Doug Flutie
Douglas Richard "Doug" Flutie is a former American and Canadian football quarterback. Flutie played college football at Boston College, and played professionally in the National Football League, Canadian Football League, and United States Football League...
to a multi-million dollar contract.
Post playing career
Sipe now resides in San Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
, and coached high school football
High school football
High school football, in North America, refers to the game of football as it is played in the United States and Canada. It ranks among the most popular interscholastic sports in both of these nations....
at Santa Fe Christian School
Santa Fe Christian Schools
Santa Fe Christian Schools is a private, college preparatory, Christian school, located in Solana Beach, California. It serves approximately 1000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade....
in Solana Beach, California
Solana Beach, California
Solana Beach is a city in San Diego County, California. The population was 12,867 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Solana Beach is located at ....
, where he helped the Eagles to four CIF titles and a combined record of 75-21-1.
Sipe was hired on January 18, 2009 as quarterback coach for his Alma Mater, San Diego State. In 2010, his Aztecs beat United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
in the Poinsettia Bowl
Poinsettia Bowl
The Poinsettia Bowl is a post-season NCAA-sanctioned Division I-A college football bowl game that was created in 2005. The game was created by the organizers of the Holiday Bowl and is played annually at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California. The game is currently sponsored by the San Diego...
.
Career stats
| Year | Team | GP | Att | Com | Pct | Yds | TD | Int | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Cleveland Browns | 10 | 108 | 59 | 54.6 | 603 | 1 | 7 | 47.0 |
| 1975 | Cleveland Browns | 7 | 88 | 45 | 51.1 | 427 | 1 | 3 | 54.4 |
| 1976 | Cleveland Browns | 14 | 312 | 178 | 57.1 | 2113 | 17 | 14 | 77.3 |
| 1977 | Cleveland Browns | 9 | 195 | 112 | 57.4 | 1233 | 9 | 14 | 61.8 |
| 1978 | Cleveland Browns | 16 | 399 | 222 | 55.6 | 2906 | 21 | 15 | 80.7 |
| 1979 | Cleveland Browns | 16 | 535 | 286 | 53.5 | 3793 | 28 | 26 | 73.4 |
| 1980 | Cleveland Browns | 16 | 554 | 337 | 60.8 | 4132 | 30 | 14 | 91.4 |
| 1981 | Cleveland Browns | 16 | 567 | 313 | 55.2 | 3876 | 17 | 25 | 68.2 |
| 1982 | Cleveland Browns | 6 | 185 | 101 | 54.6 | 1064 | 4 | 8 | 60.7 |
| 1983 | Cleveland Browns | 15 | 496 | 291 | 58.7 | 3566 | 26 | 23 | 79.1 |
| NFL Career Totals | |125 | 3439 | 1944 | 56.5 | 23713 | 154 | 149 | 74.8 | |
| 1984 | New Jersey Generals | 16 | 324 | 192 | 59.3 | 2540 | 17 | 15 | 82.3 |
| 1985 | Jacksonville Bulls | ||||||||
| 89 | 55 | 61.8 | 685 | 4 | 2 | 91.5 | |||
| USFL Career Totals | |- | 413 | 247 | 56.5 | 3225 | 21 | 17 | 84.3 |
Key to Abbreviations
GP= Games Played
Att= Passes attempted
Com= Passes Completed
Pct= Completion percentage
Yds= Yards
TD= Touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
s
Int= Interceptions
Rate= 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...