Written by Jonathan Knight

---

Rather than focusing any more energy on Brandon Weeden’s quest - and the highly predictable conclusion to that quest - to become the Browns’ first established and embraced starting quarterback in two decades, let’s take a break from the hand-wringing and over-analysis and look back to the last guy the Browns had under center whom we were completely comfortable buying his jersey.

Like a Beatle or one of Jesus’ disciplines, we know him by a single name.

Bernie.

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the finest season of his career, when he led the AFC in passing and was, without question, one of the top players in the entire NFL. For the past quarter century, the Browns have tried and failed miserably to find a quarterback who could duplicate that level of excellence.

So to celebrate this silver anniversary, let’s see how well you know our sidearm-slingin’ hometown hero with a little quiz.

The correct answers will appear beneath the question with a click and a drag of the cursor. Keep track of your correct answers and get your Bernie IQ at the bottom of the page.

Don’t cheat and try to look up the answers online. Bernie would be disappointed in you.

 

1.Who caught Bernie’s first career pass?

Brian Brennan - an eight-yard gain on an out pattern

 

2.How many times did Bernie appear on the cover of Sports Illustrated?

Three - on the 1984 football preview issue with Dan Marino, in July 1985 just after the Browns drafted him, and on the 1988 NFL preview issue

 

3.What was Bernie’s rookie season with the Browns?

1985

 

4.In what stadium did Bernie both win his first college football game and make his first career NFL start?

Houston Astrodome

 

5.What high school did Bernie attend?

Youngstown Boardman

 

6.What significant event in American history took place the day Bernie was born?

The funeral of President John F. Kennedy

 

7.Excluding strike-replacement games, name the six other Browns who started at quarterback while Bernie was on the roster.

Gary Danielson, Mike Pagel, Don Strock, Todd Philcox, Mike Tomczak, and Vinny Testaverde

 

8.Name the three teams Bernie and the Browns defeated in the playoffs during his Cleveland career.

New York Jets (1986), Indianapolis Colts (1987), Buffalo Bills (1989)

 

9.In what year did Bernie post the highest passer rating of his career?

1987 (95.4)

 

10.What was Bernie’s jersey number at the University of Miami?

20

 

11.What two NFL teams did Bernie play for after being cut by the Browns?

Dallas Cowboys (1993), Miami Dolphins (1994-1996)

 

12.What future Cincinnati Bengal was Bernie’s top receiving target when they played together at the University of Miami?

Eddie Brown

 

13.What was Bernie’s last season with the Browns?

1993

 

14.Who caught Bernie’s first career touchdown pass?

Clarence Weathers - from 68 yards

 

15.What was the injury, suffered on opening day in Kansas City, that sidelined Bernie for six games of the 1988 season?

Torn ligaments in his elbow

 

16.What was the name of the group that released the hit song “Bernie, Bernie” in 1986?

The Bleacher Bums

 

17.Name the only two other Browns to wear jersey number 19 - one before Bernie and one after.

Billy Lefear (1972) and Frisman Jackson (2004)

 

18.Which team traded the No. 1 pick in the 1985 supplemental draft to the Browns so that they could draft Bernie?

Buffalo Bills

 

19.What was the result of Bernie’s first play in the NFL?

a) completed pass

b) handoff

c) incomplete pass

d) fumbled center snap

e) interception

Answer: d - Bernie fumbled his first snap and it was recovered by the defense

 

20.Name the two teams that defeated the Browns and Bernie in the playoffs.

Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos

 

21.How tall is Bernie?

Six feet, five inches

 

22.Who did Bernie beat out to win the starting quarterback position as a freshman at the University of Miami in 1983?

Vinny Testaverde

 

23.How many times did Bernie Kosar defeat John Elway?

Twice - in 1989 and 1990

 

24.Who caught Bernie’s last touchdown pass with the Browns (on a play drawn up in the dirt in the huddle)?

Michael Jackson

 

25.How many times did Bernie throw for more than 400 yards in a game?

Three - all in 1986, all at home vs. Miami, Pittsburgh, and the New York Jets

 

26.How many touchdowns did Bernie rush for in his Browns’ career?

Four

 

27.If Bernie had declared for the 1985 college draft, which team would he have wound up with?

The Minnesota Vikings - they had the third pick in the draft and needed a quarterback. Buffalo and Houston, Nos. 1 & 2, had just signed Jim Kelly and Warren Moon, respectively.

 

28.What was the injury, suffered on a Monday night against Miami in Week 2, that sidelined Bernie for nine games of the 1992 season?

Broken ankle

 

29.What was Bernie’s major at the University of Miami?

Double major in finance & economics

 

30.Who was the starting quarterback at the University of Miami prior to Bernie?

Jim Kelly

 

31.Against which team did Bernie make his NFL debut?

New England Patriots

 

32.What was the most touchdown passes Bernie threw in an NFL game?

4 vs. Cincinnati in 1987

 

33.What team did Bernie and the Hurricanes defeat in the 1984 Orange Bowl to capture Miami’s first-ever national championship?

Nebraska

 

34.How many yards did Bernie throw for in the double-overtime playoff victory against the Jets in January of 1987, which still stands as an NFL playoff record?

489

 

35.True or false: While with the Browns, Bernie never threw more interceptions than touchdowns in a season.

False - in 1990, he threw 10 touchdowns and 15 interceptions

 

36.What star defensive player did the Browns trade, along with their top pick in the 1986 college draft and third pick in the 1985 college draft, to acquire the No. 1 supplemental pick in 1985 with which they selected Bernie?

Chip Banks - he refused to report with Buffalo, who returned him to Cleveland in exchange for the Browns’ first-round pick in the 1985 college draft

 

37.Against which team did Bernie make his final appearance as a Brown?

Denver Broncos

 

38.What was the most interceptions Bernie threw in an NFL game?

4 vs. Pittsburgh in 1989

 

39.How many consecutive passes did Bernie throw without an interception in 1990/1991, setting an NFL record?

308 (Tom Brady broke this record in 2010)

 

40.What were Bernie’s jersey numbers after he left the Browns?

18 with Dallas, 19 with Miami

 

41.What was the most times Bernie was sacked in an NFL game?

11 vs. Indianapolis in 1992

 

42.True or false: Bernie Kosar never appeared in another postseason game after he left Cleveland.

False - two months after he was cut by the Browns, he completed five passes and threw for a touchdown for the Cowboys in the NFC Championship and took the final snap in Dallas’ Super Bowl XXVIII victory. He also threw one pass in Miami’s wild-card loss to Buffalo in 1995.

 

43.Who became the Browns’ starting quarterback when the team cut Bernie?

Todd Philcox

 

44.Who were the Browns’ four offensive coordinators during Bernie’s tenure?

Joe Pendry, Lindy Infante, Marc Trestman, and Jim Shofner (the Browns did not have an offensive coordinator for the first three years of Bill Belichick’s tenure)

 

45.True or false: the Bernie Kosar Candy Bar was filled with caramel.

False - it was solid milk chocolate.

 

46.Name Bernie’s two college head coaches.

Howard Schnellenberger and Jimmy Johnson

 

47.What was the name of the post-Browns News/Illustrated publication about the team founded by Bernie?

Bernie’s Insiders

 

48.True or false: Bernie’s career passer rating with the Browns was higher than Brian Sipe’s.

True - Bernie’s was 81.6, Sipe’s was 74.8.

 

49.How many consecutive passes did Bernie complete over a two-week period in 1989 to set a team record?

Sixteen

 

50.What is Bernie’s middle name?

Joseph

 

Judging by how many of these questions you missed, you can safely make the following conclusions:

0:

You are Bernie Kosar.

1-10:

You are either a member of Bernie’s immediate family or know enough about him to qualify for a restraining order.

11-15:

You are a child of the ‘80s.

16-25:

You need to relive the ‘80s.

More than 25:

You embarked on this quiz thinking Bernie Kosar was Bernie Madoff.

Follow @jknightwriter