Football
b. April 17, 1961, West Islip, NY
A left-handed quarterback, Esiason starred at the University of Maryland and was chosen by the NFL's Cincinnati Bengals in the second round of the 1984 college draft. He became the team's starter in 1985.
Esiason was the league's top quarterback in 1988 with a 97.4 rating, completing 223 of 388 passes for 3,572 yards and 28 touchdowns. The Bengals went to the Super Bowl after that season but lost 20-16 to the San Francisco 49ers.
After sub-par seasons in 1991 and 1992, Esiason was written off by Cincinnati and by many observers. Traded to the New York Jets for a third-round draft choice, he returned to form in 1993, completing 288 of 473 passes for 3,421 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Replaced as the Jets' starter during the 1995 season, Esiason signed as a free agent with the Arizona Cardinals in 1996 and returned to the Bengals in 1997. He retired after that season.
In his NFL career, Esiason completed 2969 of 5205 passes for 37920 yards and 247 touchdowns, with 184 interceptions.
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