Tony Eason
Encyclopedia
Charles Carroll "Tony" Eason, IV (born October 8, 1959, in Blythe, California
) is a former quarterback
. He played college football
for the University of Illinois
(1980–1982) and professional football for the New England Patriots
(1983–1989) and New York Jets
(1989–1990).
, and attended Delta High School in Clarksburg, California
, a school with only 250 students at the time. Despite an impressive high school football career, Eason's only scholarship offer from a Division I school came from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California
. Eason's grades prevented him from enrolling at University of the Pacific, and he opted to attend American River Junior College in Sacramento, California
. Eason spent two years playing football at American River in 1978 and 1979.
in 1981. His first start for Illinois matched Eason against Pitt
's quarterback Dan Marino
; the Illini lost 26-6, but Eason made an impressive debut as he completed 23 of 37 passes for 207 yards (slightly better than the 204 yards passing by Marino in the game). In his first season with the Illini, Eason led the Illini to a 7-4 record, but the team was ineligible to play in a bowl game due to sanctions imposed by the Big Ten Conference
. Eason completed 248 of 406 passes (61.1%) for 3,360 yards and 20 touchdowns. The Illini ranked third in the nation in passing in 1981, as Eason led the Big Ten in passing efficiency and total offense and set nine conference records, including records for total offense, completions, passing yardage, and passing touchdowns. He also edged out Art Schlichter
as the quarterback on the Associated Press
' All Big-Ten football team.
Eason earned the nickname "Champaign Tony" while playing at Illinois, based upon the city
in which the university is located.
As a senior in 1982, Eason accumulated a school record 3,671 passing yards and led the Illini to a 7-4 regular season record and its first appearance in a bowl games since the 1964 Rose Bowl
. He also broke five NCAA passing records in 1982 and tied four more. The NCAA records set by Eason in 1982 included most total yards per game in a career (299.5), most passing yards per game in a career (300.4), most completions per game in a career (23.9), and most total yards in first two seasons (6,589). Eason finished second in the voting behind Michigan's Anthony Carter for the Chicago Tribune Silver Football
trophy as the Most Valuable Player in the Big Ten.
Eason's final game for Illinois was the 1982 Liberty Bowl
, which also marked the last head coaching appearance of Bear Bryant
for Alabama. Although Illinois lost the game 21-15, Eason registered a record 433 passing yards in the game. Eason also threw four of the Illini's seven interceptions in the game.
In the 1983 East-West Shrine Game
, Eason led the East team to 26-25 win over a West team led by John Elway
. Eason completed 21 of 34 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns in the game.
Eason still holds many of the school's all-time passing records, including the following:
in the first round (15th overall pick) of the 1983 NFL Draft
. He was one of six quarterbacks picked in the first round of the 1983 Draft along with John Elway
(1st pick), Todd Blackledge
(7th pick), Jim Kelly
(14th pick), Ken O'Brien
(24th pick), and Dan Marino
(27th pick).
Eason appeared in 72 games (49 as a starter) for the Patriots between 1983 and 1989. His best years were from 1984 to 1986 when he was the Patriots' starting quarterback. In 1984, he completed 259 out of 431 passes (60.1%) for 3,228 yards and a passer rating of 93.4—third best in the NFL. In 1986, he completed 276 of 448 passes (61.6%) for 3,328 yards and a passer rating of 89.2—fourth best in the NFL. Eason also set an undesirable record in 1984 by being sacked 59 times for a loss of 409 yards; his 59 sacks was the most in NFL history at the time and currently stands as the ninth highest single season total. Eason also led the NFL in interception percentage in the 1984 season with 1.9% of his passes being intercepted.
In the 1985 season, Eason helped the Patriots clinch a playoff berth with a 34-23 win over the Cincinnati Bengals
in the season finale. Eason led the Patriots offense as they became the first team in NFL history to win three games on the road to reach the Super Bowl
. He threw three touchdowns against the Marino-led Miami Dolphins
in the AFC Championship Game
, the first time New England had beaten the Dolphins at the Orange Bowl
since 1966.
The Patriots made their first appearance in a Super Bowl in franchise history that year, meeting the Chicago Bears
with Jim McMahon
and Walter Payton
. The Bears' famed 46 defense
defeated Eason and the Patriots in Super Bowl XX
, and Eason became the first starting quarterback in Super Bowl
history not to complete a pass, going 0-for-6. Eason was replaced with Steve Grogan
, but the Patriots lost the game 46-10.
In 2008, ESPN ranked Eason's performance as the worst (82nd out of 82) in the history of the Super Bowl, noting, "In addition to his awful passing stats, he lost a fumble and not surprisingly was yanked in the second quarter."
Eason led the Patriots to the AFC East
title the following season, but was defeated in the playoffs by John Elway
and the Denver Broncos
.
Eason was traded to the New York Jets
during the 1989 NFL season
. He appeared in 18 games for the Jets in the 1989 and 1990 seasons, but only two as a starter.
Blythe, California
Blythe is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, in the "Palo Verde Valley" of the Lower Colorado River Valley region, an agricultural area and part of the Colorado Desert along the Colorado River. Blythe was named after Thomas Blythe, a gold prospector who established primary...
) is a former 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 played 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...
for the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
(1980–1982) and professional football for 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...
(1983–1989) and New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
(1989–1990).
Early years
Eason grew up in Walnut Grove, CaliforniaWalnut Grove, California
Walnut Grove is a census-designated place in Sacramento County, California, United States. It is part of the Sacramento–Arden-Arcade–Roseville Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, and attended Delta High School in Clarksburg, California
Clarksburg, California
Clarksburg is a census-designated place in Yolo County, California. It is located on the Sacramento River, in the extreme southeastern corner of the county...
, a school with only 250 students at the time. Despite an impressive high school football career, Eason's only scholarship offer from a Division I school came from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California
Stockton, California
Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...
. Eason's grades prevented him from enrolling at University of the Pacific, and he opted to attend American River Junior College in Sacramento, California
Sacramento, California
Sacramento is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat of Sacramento County. It is located at the confluence of the Sacramento River and the American River in the northern portion of California's expansive Central Valley. With a population of 466,488 at the 2010 census,...
. Eason spent two years playing football at American River in 1978 and 1979.
Illinois
Eason transferred to the University of Illinois and sat out the 1980 season. He was 6 feet, 4 inches tall, and weighed 205 pounds when he took over as the starting quarterback for the Fighting IlliniIllinois Fighting Illini football
The Illinois Fighting Illini are a major college football program, representing the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. They compete in NCAA Division I-A and the Big Ten Conference.-Current staff:-All-time win/loss/tie record:*563-513-51...
in 1981. His first start for Illinois matched Eason against Pitt
Pittsburgh Panthers football
Pittsburgh Panthers football is the intercollegiate football team of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Traditionally the most popular sport at the university, Pitt football has played at the highest level of American college football...
's quarterback Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
; the Illini lost 26-6, but Eason made an impressive debut as he completed 23 of 37 passes for 207 yards (slightly better than the 204 yards passing by Marino in the game). In his first season with the Illini, Eason led the Illini to a 7-4 record, but the team was ineligible to play in a bowl game due to sanctions imposed by the Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
. Eason completed 248 of 406 passes (61.1%) for 3,360 yards and 20 touchdowns. The Illini ranked third in the nation in passing in 1981, as Eason led the Big Ten in passing efficiency and total offense and set nine conference records, including records for total offense, completions, passing yardage, and passing touchdowns. He also edged out Art Schlichter
Art Schlichter
Arthur Ernest Schlichter is a retired college and professional American football quarterback, sometimes known for his compulsive gambling and the legal problems especially gambling that arose from it...
as the quarterback on the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
' All Big-Ten football team.
Eason earned the nickname "Champaign Tony" while playing at Illinois, based upon the city
Champaign, Illinois
Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
in which the university is located.
As a senior in 1982, Eason accumulated a school record 3,671 passing yards and led the Illini to a 7-4 regular season record and its first appearance in a bowl games since the 1964 Rose Bowl
1964 Rose Bowl
The 1964 Rose Bowl was the 50th Rose Bowl Game, played on January 1, 1964. It featured the Illinois Fighting Illini against the Washington Huskies....
. He also broke five NCAA passing records in 1982 and tied four more. The NCAA records set by Eason in 1982 included most total yards per game in a career (299.5), most passing yards per game in a career (300.4), most completions per game in a career (23.9), and most total yards in first two seasons (6,589). Eason finished second in the voting behind Michigan's Anthony Carter for the Chicago Tribune Silver Football
Chicago Tribune Silver Football
The Chicago Tribune Silver Football is awarded by the Chicago Tribune to the college football player determined to be the best player from the Big Ten Conference. The award has been presented annually since 1924, when Red Grange of Illinois was the award's first recipient.The winner of the Silver...
trophy as the Most Valuable Player in the Big Ten.
Eason's final game for Illinois was the 1982 Liberty Bowl
Liberty Bowl
The Liberty Bowl is an annual U.S. American college football bowl game played in December of each year from 1959 to 2007 and in January in 2009 and 2010. The Liberty Bowl was sponsored by AXA Financial and was known as the AXA Liberty Bowl from 1997 to 2003...
, which also marked the last head coaching appearance of Bear Bryant
Bear Bryant
Paul William "Bear" Bryant was an American college football player and coach. He was best known as the longtime head coach of the University of Alabama football team. During his 25-year tenure as Alabama's head coach, he amassed six national championships and thirteen conference championships...
for Alabama. Although Illinois lost the game 21-15, Eason registered a record 433 passing yards in the game. Eason also threw four of the Illini's seven interceptions in the game.
In the 1983 East-West Shrine Game
East-West Shrine Game
The East–West Shrine Game is an annual post-season college football all-star game played each January since 1925. The game is sponsored by the fraternal group Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and the net proceeds are earmarked to some of the Shrine's charitable works, most notably the Shriners...
, Eason led the East team to 26-25 win over a West team led by 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...
. Eason completed 21 of 34 passes for 202 yards and two touchdowns in the game.
Eason still holds many of the school's all-time passing records, including the following:
- Passing yardage in a season - 3,671 (1982)
- Total offensive yardage in a season - 3,671 (1982)
- Passing yards per game in a season - 333.7 (1982)
- Pass attempts in a season - 505 (1982)
- Pass efficiency in a season - 140.0 (1981)
- Pass efficiency in a career - 133.8 (1981–82)
- Passing yards per game in a season - 300.4 (1981–82)
- Most interceptions in a season - 19 (1982)
- Consecutive pass completions - 14, at Iowa, 10/30/82
Professional career
Eason was selected by the New England PatriotsNew 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...
in the first round (15th overall pick) of the 1983 NFL Draft
1983 NFL Draft
The 1983 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 26–27, 1983...
. He was one of six quarterbacks picked in the first round of the 1983 Draft along with 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...
(1st pick), Todd Blackledge
Todd Blackledge
Todd Alan Blackledge was an American football quarterback in both the NCAA and National Football League. In college, he led the Penn State Nittany Lions to a national championship; and, as a pro, he played for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Pittsburgh Steelers...
(7th pick), Jim Kelly
Jim Kelly
James Edward Kelly is a former American football quarterback in the NFL for the Buffalo Bills and the USFL's Houston Gamblers....
(14th pick), Ken O'Brien
Ken O'Brien
Kenneth John O'Brien is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for the New York Jets and Philadelphia Eagles. When he retired he was the only Jets quarterback to have ever been the top ranked passer in a season. He held the team record for most...
(24th pick), and Dan Marino
Dan Marino
Daniel Constantine "Dan" Marino, Jr. is a retired American football quarterback who played for the Miami Dolphins in the National Football League...
(27th pick).
Eason appeared in 72 games (49 as a starter) for the Patriots between 1983 and 1989. His best years were from 1984 to 1986 when he was the Patriots' starting quarterback. In 1984, he completed 259 out of 431 passes (60.1%) for 3,228 yards and a passer rating of 93.4—third best in the NFL. In 1986, he completed 276 of 448 passes (61.6%) for 3,328 yards and a passer rating of 89.2—fourth best in the NFL. Eason also set an undesirable record in 1984 by being sacked 59 times for a loss of 409 yards; his 59 sacks was the most in NFL history at the time and currently stands as the ninth highest single season total. Eason also led the NFL in interception percentage in the 1984 season with 1.9% of his passes being intercepted.
In the 1985 season, Eason helped the Patriots clinch a playoff berth with a 34-23 win over the Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
in the season finale. Eason led the Patriots offense as they became the first team in NFL history to win three games on the road to reach 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...
. He threw three touchdowns against the Marino-led 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...
in the AFC Championship Game
AFC Championship Game
The American Football Conference Championship Game is one of the two final playoff matches of the National Football League, the largest professional American football league in the United States. The game is played on the penultimate Sunday in January and determines the champion of the American...
, the first time New England had beaten the Dolphins at the Orange Bowl
Miami Orange Bowl
The Orange Bowl, formerly Burdine Stadium, was an outdoor athletic stadium in Miami, Florida, west of downtown in Little Havana. Considered a landmark, it was the home stadium for the Miami Hurricanes college football team...
since 1966.
The Patriots made their first appearance in a Super Bowl in franchise history that year, meeting the 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...
with Jim McMahon
Jim McMahon
James Robert "Jim" McMahon, Jr. is a former American football player. He played college football at Brigham Young University, where he was a two-time All-American and later in the professional ranks with the Chicago Bears, San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona...
and Walter Payton
Walter Payton
Walter Jerry Payton was an American football running back who played for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League for thirteen seasons. Walter Payton was known around the NFL as "Sweetness". He is remembered as one of the most prolific running backs in the history of American football...
. The Bears' famed 46 defense
46 defense
The 46 defense is an American football defensive formation. The formation comprises four down linemen, three linebackers, and four defensive backs. The 46 defense was originally developed and popularized by Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan, who later became head coach of the...
defeated Eason and the Patriots in Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX
Super Bowl XX was an American football championship game played on January 26, 1986 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana to decide the National Football League champion following the 1985 regular season...
, and Eason became the first starting quarterback in 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...
history not to complete a pass, going 0-for-6. Eason was replaced with Steve Grogan
Steve Grogan
Steve James Grogan is a former American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. Grogan played for the Patriots for his entire NFL career, from 1975 to 1990.-High school and college:...
, but the Patriots lost the game 46-10.
In 2008, ESPN ranked Eason's performance as the worst (82nd out of 82) in the history of the Super Bowl, noting, "In addition to his awful passing stats, he lost a fumble and not surprisingly was yanked in the second quarter."
Eason led the Patriots to the AFC East
AFC East
The American Football Conference – Eastern Division or AFC East is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. There are four members: Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots , and New York Jets...
title the following season, but was defeated in the playoffs by 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...
and 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...
.
Eason was traded to the New York Jets
New York Jets
The New York Jets are a professional football team headquartered in Florham Park, New Jersey, representing the New York metropolitan area. The team is a member of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
during the 1989 NFL season
1989 NFL season
The 1989 NFL season was the 70th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announced his retirement...
. He appeared in 18 games for the Jets in the 1989 and 1990 seasons, but only two as a starter.