| Brian Sipe |
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Drafted in the 13th round of the 1972 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns , Sipe spent the first two years of his career as a member of the team's reserve squad, seeing no action on the field. In 1974 , Sipe started four games after helping the Browns come back from a 12-point deficit against the Denver Broncos on October 27 . However, after winning just one of the four contests (a 21-14 victory against the New England Patriots on November 11 ), he was replaced by Mike Phipps . The team's disastrous 1975 season saw Sipe enter the starting lineup after three consecutive losses in which the Browns were outscored 124-26. Sipe's three starts reduced the margin of defeat for the squad, but still resulted in a trio of defeats, sending him back to the sidelines. The following year, he finally moved into a consistent starting role following an opening game injury to Mike Phipps on September 12 , 1976 . As the team's signal caller that season, he led them to a 9-5 record, a six-game improvement over the previous season. During the first half of the 1977 season, he led the team to five wins in their first seven games. However, on November 13 of that year, Sipe suffered a season-ending injury at Three Rivers Stadium against the Pittsburgh Steelers . Sipe came back the following year to throw for more than 2,900 yards and 21 touchdown passes, but the team's overall inconsistency resulted in an 8-8 finish. Serving as the catalyst for many thrilling moments during the 1979 and 1980 seasons, Sipe helped the team earn the nickname " Kardiac Kids ." The designation was in recognition of their tendency to produce heart-stopping comeback victories in the final minutes of many games. In 1980 , Sipe passed for 4,132 yards and 30 touchdowns, helping lead the team to its first postseason berth since 1972 . Individually, his efforts earned him the Associated Press' NFL MVP award and a selection to the NFL Pro Bowl . However, an interception in the final minute of the January 4 , 1981 playoff game against the Oakland Raiders brought the exciting season to an abrupt end. The play call, " Red Right 88 " would be immortalized in Cleveland sports infamy. Despite throwing for 3,876 yards the following year, Sipe was at the controls as the team staggered to a 5-11 mark. In 1982, Sipe and the Browns won just two of the team's first six games in the strike-marred NFL season, and Sipe was benched in favor of third-year signal caller Paul McDonald . Sipe regained his starting role the following year, but enraged Browns' head coach Sam Rutigliano by negotiating with Donald Trump 's USFL New Jersey Generals during the season. Sipe finished the campaign with 3,566 passing yards and 26 touchdown passes. Sipe did eventually sign with Trump after the season, playing for the Generals in 1984 , before concluding his career with the Jacksonville Bulls in 1985 . His shift to Jacksonville came about after Trump signed Heisman Trophy winner Doug Flutie to a multi-million dollar contract. |
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