Bubby Brister
Encyclopedia
Walter Andrew "Bubby" Brister, III (born August 15, 1962, in Monroe
, Louisiana
) is a former American football
quarterback
in the NFL
for the Pittsburgh Steelers
, Philadelphia Eagles
, New York Jets
, Denver Broncos
, and Minnesota Vikings
. He played quarterback
at Tulane and Northeast Louisiana University and was taken in the third round of the 1986 NFL Draft
by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He was given the nickname "Bubby" (a mispronunciation of "Brother") by one of his five older sisters. Being the sixth child born was his reason for choosing 6 as his jersey number.
and perceived lack of sophistication, traits that were similarly mocked in Brister's predecessor, Terry Bradshaw
. In a similar vein, his name was often misspoken. In a 1999 Sports Illustrated
article, Brister cited "Bubba Brewster" and "Bobby Blister" as common manglings, and online his name often appears as "Bubba Brister."http://www.dixie.org/AssetFactory.aspx?did=176http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2006/08/debate_the_top_.htmlhttp://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1121328/index.htm.
Brister spent two years as the back up to Mark Malone, starting two games as a rookie in 1986 and appearing briefly in relief in two games in 1987. He won a three way competition for the Steelers' starting quarterback job with former Kansas City player Todd Blackledge and Steve Bono. Bono went on to serve as Joe Montana's back up in both San Francisco and Kansas City, where he succeeded Montana as the team's starting quarterback.
Career highlights during his 1988-1991 run as Pittsburgh's starting QB included ranking 4th in the NFL in average yards per pass completion in 1988 and ranking 10th in the league in passer rating in 1990. It was 1990 that Brister established career highs for starts (16), yards passing (2,725) and touchdown passes (20). Brister missed 8 games with injuries in 1991, setting up a competition with back up Neil O'Donell for the starting job. Pittsburgh went 5-3 when Brister played, only 2-6 with O'Donnell as a starter. Brister was the starting quarterback during Hall Of Fame Coach Chuck Noll's final post season run with the Steelers, winning the 1989 AFC Wild Card in overtime on the road against Houston, then losing a close game to eventual AFC Champion Denver. Brister led an 82 yard drive at the end of the 4th quarter to tie the Houston game and force overtime. Against Denver, he passed for 229 yards and 1 touchdown, with no turnovers.
One of Brister's famous quotes came after a 1991 game between the Houston Oilers and Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh was getting blown out, and coach Chuck Noll wanted to pull starter Neil O'Donnell
and replace him with Brister to finish the hopeless game. Brister replied "I don't mop up for anybody." O'Donnell was starting in place of an injured Brister.
Brister played for the Steelers for 7 years, several of them as the regular starter at quarterback. In 1992, new Steelers head coach Bill Cowher
chose backup quarterback Neil O'Donnell
over Brister, essentially ending his career as a starting player for the Steelers.
quarterback John Elway
and Jeff Lewis. Brister's only significant playing time in the 1997 season came in a week 17 game against the San Diego Chargers. Before the 1998 season, Jeff Lewis had fallen out of favor with the Broncos, thus Brister became the primary backup QB. During the 1998 season, Elway was forced to sit out a number of games due to injury and Brister became the Broncos QB. He played well and the Broncos went undefeated in all of his starts (5-0); Brister also broke the team's (then) record for longest rushing touchdown by a quarterback and recorded a higher passer rating than Elway. However, when Elway retired in 1999
, Brister was passed over for the starting spot in favor of Brian Griese
, and the Broncos released him after that season. During his three seasons with the Broncos, he won two Super Bowl
rings .
Brister spent 2000 with the Vikings. He signed with the Kansas City Chiefs
in 2001 but was cut before the season began. He then retired from football. He finished his career with a passing record of 1,207 completions in 2,212 attempts for 14,445 passing yards and 81 touchdown
s.
Brister played in three conference championship games and two Super Bowls.
affiliate. In 2003, Brister became the co-host of a hunting and fishing oriented show called Louisiana Outdoor Adventures on The Outdoor Channel
. In 2005, he joined the staff of Hunter’s Specialties, a producer of hunting and fishing adventure videos.
He now lives in Mandeville, Louisiana
with his wife and two children.
Monroe, Louisiana
Monroe is a city in and the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 53,107, making it the eighth largest city in Louisiana. A July 1, 2007, United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 51,208, but 51,636...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
) is a former American football
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 NFL
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...
for 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...
, 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...
, 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...
, 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...
, and Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vikings joined the National Football League as an expansion team in 1960...
. He played 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...
at Tulane and Northeast Louisiana University and was taken in the third round of the 1986 NFL Draft
1986 NFL Draft
The 1986 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, 1986...
by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
He was given the nickname "Bubby" (a mispronunciation of "Brother") by one of his five older sisters. Being the sixth child born was his reason for choosing 6 as his jersey number.
Pittsburgh career
Pittsburgh sports writers and Steelers fans often made jokes about Brister's southern accentSouthern American English
Southern American English is a group of dialects of the English language spoken throughout the Southern region of the United States, from Southern and Eastern Maryland, West Virginia and Kentucky to the Gulf Coast, and from the Atlantic coast to most of Texas and Oklahoma.The Southern dialects make...
and perceived lack of sophistication, traits that were similarly mocked in Brister's predecessor, Terry Bradshaw
Terry Bradshaw
Terry Paxton Bradshaw is a former American football quarterback with the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League . He played 14 seasons. He is a football analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday...
. In a similar vein, his name was often misspoken. In a 1999 Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
article, Brister cited "Bubba Brewster" and "Bobby Blister" as common manglings, and online his name often appears as "Bubba Brister."http://www.dixie.org/AssetFactory.aspx?did=176http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2006/08/debate_the_top_.htmlhttp://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1121328/index.htm.
Brister spent two years as the back up to Mark Malone, starting two games as a rookie in 1986 and appearing briefly in relief in two games in 1987. He won a three way competition for the Steelers' starting quarterback job with former Kansas City player Todd Blackledge and Steve Bono. Bono went on to serve as Joe Montana's back up in both San Francisco and Kansas City, where he succeeded Montana as the team's starting quarterback.
Career highlights during his 1988-1991 run as Pittsburgh's starting QB included ranking 4th in the NFL in average yards per pass completion in 1988 and ranking 10th in the league in passer rating in 1990. It was 1990 that Brister established career highs for starts (16), yards passing (2,725) and touchdown passes (20). Brister missed 8 games with injuries in 1991, setting up a competition with back up Neil O'Donell for the starting job. Pittsburgh went 5-3 when Brister played, only 2-6 with O'Donnell as a starter. Brister was the starting quarterback during Hall Of Fame Coach Chuck Noll's final post season run with the Steelers, winning the 1989 AFC Wild Card in overtime on the road against Houston, then losing a close game to eventual AFC Champion Denver. Brister led an 82 yard drive at the end of the 4th quarter to tie the Houston game and force overtime. Against Denver, he passed for 229 yards and 1 touchdown, with no turnovers.
One of Brister's famous quotes came after a 1991 game between the Houston Oilers and Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh was getting blown out, and coach Chuck Noll wanted to pull starter Neil O'Donnell
Neil O'Donnell
Neil Kennedy O'Donnell is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for 14 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, and Tennessee Titans...
and replace him with Brister to finish the hopeless game. Brister replied "I don't mop up for anybody." O'Donnell was starting in place of an injured Brister.
Brister played for the Steelers for 7 years, several of them as the regular starter at quarterback. In 1992, new Steelers head coach Bill Cowher
Bill Cowher
William Laird "Bill" Cowher is a former American football coach and player. Cowher resigned after 15 seasons as the Steelers' coach on January 5, 2007, 11 months to the day after winning 2005–06's Super Bowl XL...
chose backup quarterback Neil O'Donnell
Neil O'Donnell
Neil Kennedy O'Donnell is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for 14 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets, Cincinnati Bengals, and Tennessee Titans...
over Brister, essentially ending his career as a starting player for the Steelers.
Later career
After brief stops as a backup quarterback for the Eagles and Jets, Brister sat out the 1996 season. In his first season in Philadelphia in 1993, Brister ranked 7'th in the league in passer rating and 4'th in lowest interception percentage, starting 8 games with two relief appearances subing for an injured Randall Cunningham. His former teammate in Philadelphia, linebacker Bill Romanowski had signed with the Denver Broncos and, in 1997, suggested to Broncos head coach Mike Shahanan that he take a look at Brister. Brister signed with Denver and became their #3 quarterback for the 1997 season, backing up Hall of FamePro 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 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 Jeff Lewis. Brister's only significant playing time in the 1997 season came in a week 17 game against the San Diego Chargers. Before the 1998 season, Jeff Lewis had fallen out of favor with the Broncos, thus Brister became the primary backup QB. During the 1998 season, Elway was forced to sit out a number of games due to injury and Brister became the Broncos QB. He played well and the Broncos went undefeated in all of his starts (5-0); Brister also broke the team's (then) record for longest rushing touchdown by a quarterback and recorded a higher passer rating than Elway. However, when Elway retired in 1999
1999 NFL season
The 1999 NFL season was the 80th regular season of the National Football League. The Cleveland Browns returned to the field for the first time since the 1995 season...
, Brister was passed over for the starting spot in favor of Brian Griese
Brian Griese
Brian David Griese 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....
, and the Broncos released him after that season. During his three seasons with the Broncos, he won two 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...
rings .
Brister spent 2000 with the Vikings. He signed with the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
in 2001 but was cut before the season began. He then retired from football. He finished his career with a passing record of 1,207 completions in 2,212 attempts for 14,445 passing yards and 81 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.
Brister played in three conference championship games and two Super Bowls.
After retiring
After retiring from football, Brister spent a short time as a television sports analyst for Denver's Fox Sports NetFox Sports Net
The Fox Sports Regional Networks, or simply Fox Sports Net , are a collection of cable TV regional sports networks in the United States owned and operated by News Corporation.- Beginnings :...
affiliate. In 2003, Brister became the co-host of a hunting and fishing oriented show called Louisiana Outdoor Adventures on The Outdoor Channel
The Outdoor Channel
Outdoor Channel is an American speciality channel focused on the outdoors, offering programming that includes hunting, fishing, Western lifestyle, off-road motorsports and adventure. The network can be viewed on multiple platforms including high definition, video-on-demand, as well as on a . ...
. In 2005, he joined the staff of Hunter’s Specialties, a producer of hunting and fishing adventure videos.
He now lives in Mandeville, Louisiana
Mandeville, Louisiana
Mandeville is a city in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 12,421 in 2008. Mandeville is located on the North Shore of Lake Pontchartrain, south of Interstate 12. It is across the lake from the city of New Orleans and its southshore suburbs...
with his wife and two children.