Scott Brunner (football player)
Encyclopedia
Scott Lee Brunner is a former professional American football
quarterback
in the National Football League
who played for the New York Giants
from 1980 to 1983, the Denver Broncos
in 1984, and the St. Louis Cardinals
in 1985.
. By the time he started high school
, the family had moved to West Chester, Pennsylvania
.
Brunner played high school football
at Henderson High School in West Chester, Pennsylvania and Lawrence High School
in Lawrenceville, New Jersey
, where the family had moved before his junior year.
Tubby Raymond and led the Delaware Fighting Blue Hens to the NCAA
Division II national title
in his only year as a starter
in 1979. A native of Lawrenceville, New Jersey, Brunner earned first team All-American honors by the American Football Coaches Association
and was the Eastern College Athletic Conference
All-East Player of the Year in 1979 when he threw for 2,401 yards and a then school record 24 touchdowns in leading Delaware to a 13-1 record and a national title game win over Youngstown State University
. He also served as a backup in 1978 (behind future NFL player Jeff Komlo
) and helped UD advance to the NCAA Division II championship game. Brunner was selected to the NCAA Division II Hall of Fame in 2002.
was injured in the 1981 season
and was replaced by Scott Brunner. The Giants would beat the defending conference champion Philadelphia Eagles
20-10 before losing to the San Francisco 49ers
17-10. The Giants would then defeat the Los Angeles Rams
10-7 and the St. Louis Cardinals
20-10, setting up a season finale against the Dallas Cowboys
, in which a win would clinch their first playoff berth since 1958. The Giants won the game 13-10 in overtime
. The Giants were unable to build on their success in 1982, mainly due to the 1982 NFL Players Strike that reduced the schedule to 9 games. Ray Perkins left the Giants after the 1982 season
and George Young's choice to replace Perkins would be Bill Parcells
, the Giants' defensive coordinator
. "The people's choice," turned out to be the favorite of Coach Bill Parcells as well. Brunner was named the starter for the 1983 opener
against the Los Angeles Rams. Parcells chose the 26-year-old Brunner over Phil Simms, Jeff Rutledge
and Mark Reed. Brunner was traded after the 1983 season to the Denver Broncos
to serve as back-up QB to John Elway
. Brunner was later traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for the 1985 season. He retired after one last stint with the Green Bay Packers
in 1986.
Brunner was selected by the Giants in the sixth round of the 1980 NFL Draft
. In his NFL career, he played in 72 games and threw for 29 touchdowns. He is one of several ex-Delaware Blue Hens quarterbacks to have played in the NFL.
to pursue creating football coaching programs as well as commit more time to mentoring and coaching up and coming quarterbacks through TEST Sports Performance Center in Martinsville, New Jersey
. The most notable quarterback Scott trained for The Combine was NFL Quarterback, Joe Flacco (Baltimore Ravens). Brunner lives in Millburn, New Jersey
and has 3 children, Ashley (27), Whitney (25) and Adam (23).
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...
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...
who played for the New York Giants
New York Giants
The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
from 1980 to 1983, 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 1984, and the St. Louis Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
in 1985.
Early life
Brunner was born in Sellersville, Pennsylvania, and grew up in Middletown, New YorkMiddletown, New York
Middletown is the name of two separate places located in the U.S. state of New York:*Middletown, Delaware County, New York, a town*Middletown, Orange County, New York, a city...
. By the time he started high school
Secondary education in the United States
In most jurisdictions, secondary education in the United States refers to the last six or seven years of statutory formal education. Secondary education is generally split between junior high school or middle school, usually beginning with sixth or seventh grade , and high school, beginning with...
, the family had moved to West Chester, Pennsylvania
West Chester, Pennsylvania
The Borough of West Chester is the county seat of Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 18,461 at the 2010 census.Valley Forge, the Brandywine Battlefield, Longwood Gardens, Marsh Creek State Park, and other historical attractions are near West Chester...
.
Brunner played 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 Henderson High School in West Chester, Pennsylvania and Lawrence High School
Lawrence High School (New Jersey)
Lawrence High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school in the Lawrenceville section of Lawrence Township, in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States, serving grades 9-12 as part of the Lawrence Township Public Schools. LHS was built in 1967...
in Lawrenceville, New Jersey
Lawrenceville, New Jersey
Lawrenceville is a census-designated place and unincorporated area located within Lawrence Township in Mercer County, New Jersey. As of the 2010 United States Census, the CDP population was 3,887...
, where the family had moved before his junior year.
College career
Scott Brunner played under head coachHead coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
Tubby Raymond and led the Delaware Fighting Blue Hens to the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division II national title
NCAA Division II national football championship
The NCAA Division II National Football Championship began in 1973. Prior to 1973, four regional bowl games were played in order to provide postseason action for what was then called the NCAA College Division and a poll determined the final champion....
in his only year as a starter
Starting lineup
A starting lineup in sports is an official list of the set of players who will actively participate in the event when the game begins. The players in the starting lineup are commonly referred to as starters, whereas the others are substitutes or bench players.The starters are commonly the best...
in 1979. A native of Lawrenceville, New Jersey, Brunner earned first team All-American honors by the American Football Coaches Association
American Football Coaches Association
The American Football Coaches Association is an association of over 11,000 football coaches and staff on all levels. According to its constitution, some of the main goals of the American Football Coaches Association are to "maintain the highest possible standards in football and the profession of...
and was the Eastern College Athletic Conference
Eastern College Athletic Conference
The Eastern College Athletic Conference is a college athletic conference comprising schools that compete in 21 sports . It has 317 member institutions in NCAA Divisions I, II, and III, ranging in location from Maine to North Carolina and west to Illinois...
All-East Player of the Year in 1979 when he threw for 2,401 yards and a then school record 24 touchdowns in leading Delaware to a 13-1 record and a national title game win over Youngstown State University
Youngstown State University
Youngstown State University, founded in 1908, is an urban research university located in Youngstown, Ohio, United States. As of fall 2010, there were 15,194 students and a student-faculty ratio of 19:1. It is recognized as being one of the premier schools in the country, comparable to Ivy League...
. He also served as a backup in 1978 (behind future NFL player Jeff Komlo
Jeff Komlo
William Jeffrey "Jeff" Komlo was an American professional football quarterback who played for the Detroit Lions, the Atlanta Falcons and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the NFL. He was born in Cheverly, Maryland.-Football career:...
) and helped UD advance to the NCAA Division II championship game. Brunner was selected to the NCAA Division II Hall of Fame in 2002.
Professional career
Phil SimmsPhil Simms
Phillip Martin "Phil" Simms is a former American football quarterback, and currently a television sportscaster for the CBS network. After a standout career at Morehead State University, Simms was drafted in the first round by the New York Giants of the National Football League with the number...
was injured in the 1981 season
1981 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:...
and was replaced by Scott Brunner. The Giants would beat the defending conference champion 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...
20-10 before losing to the San Francisco 49ers
San Francisco 49ers
The San Francisco 49ers are a professional American football team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The team was founded in 1946 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference and...
17-10. The Giants would then defeat the Los Angeles Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
10-7 and the St. Louis Cardinals
Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in Glendale, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix. They are currently members of the Western Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
20-10, setting up a season finale against the Dallas Cowboys
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
, in which a win would clinch their first playoff berth since 1958. The Giants won the game 13-10 in overtime
Overtime (sports)
Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw. In most sports, this extra period is only played if the game is required to have a clear winner, as in single-elimination...
. The Giants were unable to build on their success in 1982, mainly due to the 1982 NFL Players Strike that reduced the schedule to 9 games. Ray Perkins left the Giants after the 1982 season
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...
and George Young's choice to replace Perkins would be Bill Parcells
Bill Parcells
Duane Charles "Bill" Parcells is a former American football head coach, most recently with the Dallas Cowboys from 2003 to 2006...
, the Giants' defensive coordinator
Defensive coordinator
A defensive coordinator typically refers to a coach on a gridiron football team who is in charge of the defense. Generally, along with his offensive counterpart, he represents the second level of command structure after the head coach...
. "The people's choice," turned out to be the favorite of Coach Bill Parcells as well. Brunner was named the starter for the 1983 opener
1983 NFL season
The 1983 NFL season was the 64th regular season of the National Football League. The season ended with Super Bowl XVIII when the Los Angeles Raiders defeated the Washington Redskins.-Major rule changes:...
against the Los Angeles Rams. Parcells chose the 26-year-old Brunner over Phil Simms, Jeff Rutledge
Jeff Rutledge
Jeffrey Ronald Rutledge is an American football coach and former professional quarterback. He is currently the head football coach at Pope John Paul II High School in Hendersonville, Tennessee.-Early years:...
and Mark Reed. Brunner was traded after the 1983 season to 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...
to serve as back-up QB to 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...
. Brunner was later traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for the 1985 season. He retired after one last stint with 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...
in 1986.
Brunner was selected by the Giants in the sixth round of the 1980 NFL Draft
1980 NFL Draft
The 1980 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 29–30, 1980. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
. In his NFL career, he played in 72 games and threw for 29 touchdowns. He is one of several ex-Delaware Blue Hens quarterbacks to have played in the NFL.
Personal
Brunner is married and recently retired from being a stockbroker in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to pursue creating football coaching programs as well as commit more time to mentoring and coaching up and coming quarterbacks through TEST Sports Performance Center in Martinsville, New Jersey
Martinsville, New Jersey
Martinsville is an affluent unincorporated area located within Bridgewater in Somerset County, New Jersey. Martinsville is located in northeastern Bridgewater near Warren Township; the 08836 ZIP Code takes in the southern extension of Bernards as well...
. The most notable quarterback Scott trained for The Combine was NFL Quarterback, Joe Flacco (Baltimore Ravens). Brunner lives in Millburn, New Jersey
Millburn, New Jersey
Millburn is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 20,149.Millburn Township was created as a township by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 20, 1857, from portions of Springfield Township.Millburn also...
and has 3 children, Ashley (27), Whitney (25) and Adam (23).
See also
- History of the New York Giants (1979-1993)