Cris Collinsworth is a former NFL player and sports broadcaster for NBC, Showtime, and the NFL Network.
Collinsworth is not an alien when it comes to American football. He was a wide receiver in the league for eight seasons. The former player is the owner of Pro Football Focus which monitors sports statistics.
In January 2023, the color commentator again caught public attention after blaming Trevor Lawrence during the match between the Chiefs and the Jaguars.
In his analysis of the game, Collinsworth called Lawrence’s perfect pass an “overthrow.”
Moving on, the 17 Sports Emmy Awards winner started his professional football career in 1981 with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Jersey number 80 showed a phenomenal dedication towards the Bengals for eight-year. Also, the team was Collinsworth’s first and last team in his professional football career.
Before diving much into the life of Cris Collinsworth, let’s have a look at some of his quick facts
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Cris Collinsworth |
| Birth Date | January 27, 1959 |
| Birth Place | Dayton, Ohio, USA |
| Nick Name | Not Available |
| Religion | Christian |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | White |
| Education | University Of Florida |
| Horoscope | Aquarius |
| Father’s Name | Abraham Lincoln “Abe” Collinsworth |
| Mother’s Name | Donetta Browning Collinsworth |
| Siblings | Two; Kyle And Greg Collinsworth |
| Age | 65 Years Old |
| Height | 6 ft 5 in / 1.96 m / 196 cm |
| Weight | 192 lb / 87 kg |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Build | Athletic |
| Profession | NFL Player |
| Former Affiliated Team | The Cincinnati Bengals |
| Position | Wide Receiver |
| Active Years | 1981-1988 |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife | Holly (Bankemper) Collinsworth |
| Kids | Austin Collinsworth Katie Collinsworth Jack Collinsworth Ashley Collinsworth |
| Net Worth | Approx. $25 Million |
| Social Media | Facebook, Instagram |
| Merch | Football Cards, Autographed Football Card |
| Last Update | March 2024 |
Early Life, Family & Education
Fully named Anthony Cris Collinsworth, he was born on January 27, 1959, in Dayton, Ohio.
Collinsworth was raised by his father, Abraham Lincoln “Abe” Collinsworth, and his mother, Donetta Browning Collinsworth. Lincoln was one of the top scorers in Kentucky High School basketball history.
Cris is from a well-educated family; his mother, Donetta, was a teacher, and his father, Abe, a high school teacher and coach, later became the principal.
Apart from this, Abe was able to become of school superintendent for Brevard County.
Cris’s family, later on, shifted to Florida in 1963. After that, in Florida, Collinsworth attended Astronaut High School, where he was an All-American quarterback.
His father was the principal of Astronaut High School.
Personal Life, Wife, & Children
Talking about Cris Collinsworth’s personal life, he is married to Holly Bankemper. She is an attorney.
The couple is also a happy parent of Austin Collinsworth, Katie Collinsworth, Jack Collinsworth, and Ashley Collinsworth.
Collinsworth’s family presently lives in Fort Thomas, Kentucky. In 1991, he earned a degree in juris doctor from the University of Cincinnati College of Law. Besides his professional life, Collinsworth is also a philanthropist.
Cris son, Austin Collinsworth, is a former football player and team captain at the University of Notre Dame.
Jac attended Notre Dame and was a reporter for ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown before joining his father at NBC.
He is the on-site host for Football Night in America. Also, he hosts NBC’s Notre Dame football and NASCAR and coverage for other big events such as the Indianapolis 500 and Kentucky Derby.
- Holly Bankemper — Wife
- Ashley — Daughter
- Jack — Son
- Austin — Son
- Katie — Daughter
Career
College Career
Cris Collinsworth was named high school All-American quarterback for his gameplay. Also, he is the state champion of the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 3A 100-yard-dash.
During his freshman year, Florida had struggled, so coach Dickey transferred him to a more balanced pro-set attack for 1978.
Florid’s offense did not improve enough to save Dickey’s job. Collinsworth rolled to a new role as a first-team All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) selection in 1978, 1979, and 1980.
At the beginning of his career, he played for the University of Florida as a first-run quarterback. Later, his coach told him he play wide receiver.
He was a senior captain of the 1980 Gator team.
Moreover, he was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a Gator Great in 1991.
The Gainesville Sun recognized him as the No. 12 all-time Gator player as part of the recognition of 100 years of Florida football in 2006.
Professional Football Career
The former wide receiver began his professional career as a Cincinnati Bengals player, where he played for eight years. Furthermore, Cris was named to Pro Bowl three times in 1981, 1982, and 1983.
Collinsworth signed a contract with the Tampa Bay Bandits of USFL. Unfortunately, due to a bad ankle, his contract was voided.
Again, he moved back to the Bengals and completed eight seasons.
Broadcasting Career
As soon as he retired, Collinsworth began broadcasting as a sports radio talk show host on Cincinnati season WLW.
Afterward, in 1990 he was a part of the NBC network’s NFL broadcasts. Similarly, in 1998, Collinsworth joined the NFL on the Fox team. Later, he became a reporter for HBO’s Inside the NFL in 1989.
In 1998, Collinsworth joined the NFL on Fox group after NBC lost its transmission rights to CBS.
Working as a color commentator on the Fox NFL Sunday pregame show, Collinsworth was appointed to the organization’s lead game telecom group (cooperating with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman) in 2002.
He chipped away at Fox’s Super Bowl XXXIX broadcast three years later. During his stay at Fox, Collinsworth was likewise the host of the network show Guinness World Records Primetime.
In 2009, Collinsworth filled the color-commentator role vacated by John Madden on NBC’s Sunday Night Football.
Over the next few years, Collinsworth covered events like the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Throughout the 2000s, he provided his voice for the “Madden” video game series, again acting as a color commentator. In 2017, he covered the Super Bowl once again.
Collinsworth also hosted Inside the Vault on WGN America. He is on the Board of Selectors of Jefferson Awards for Public Service as of 2023.
Cris Tensions During Broadcasting Career
On May 2, 2020, Cris thought he was worth more salary than he was making and almost ruined his broadcasting career.
Similarly, he was the color commentator for Super Bowl LII, where he endured a reaction because of his alleged one-sided discourse for the Patriots.
On the 2nd score that prompted replay surveys, Collinsworth said both would be upset even though both stood. He was condemned after neglecting to see Zach Ertz turned into a sprinter.
He likewise said that he abandoned the replay surveys. Fans were not exactly satisfied with his editorial. Two or after three days, Al Michaels safeguarded Collinsworth, saying that it was the principles to blame and not Collinsworth.
On January 15, 2023, he was trending on social media for his performance during the AFC wild-card between the Ravens and the Bengals.
Moreover, football fans became furious with his comment when Trevor Lawrence got a tough break in the second quarter, and his 60-yard bomb pass to Christian Kirk fell incomplete in a game between the Chiefs and Jaguars.
The color commentator Collinsowrth blamed Lawrence for pass overthrow.
Fans were furious at him for his comments and retweeted by criticizing him on the platform.
Net Worth & Salary
As mentioned above, Cris Collinsworth’s net worth is estimated at approximately $25 million as of 2024.
Collinsworth has earned a massive amount of money as a former professional football player. Apart from this, he has also earned a hefty sum as a sports broadcaster.
He made $4 million annually as a color commentator and TV personality before, which has now bumped to $12.5 million.
Highlights & Awards
The phenomenal wide receiver has won Sports Emmy Awards 17-time, eight for Studio Analyst and nine for Field Analyst.
Apart from this, in 2001, the Academic All-America Hall of Fame inducted Cris Collinsworth.
- 1981-1983:3x Pro Bowl
- 1983:First Team All Pro
- 1981, 1982,1985: 3x Second-team All-Pro
- 1980: First-team All – American
- 1987-1980: 3x First-team All-SEC
- Athletic Hall of Fame, University of Florida
NFL Statistics
| Receptions | 417 |
|---|---|
| Receiving Yards | 6,698 |
| Yards Per Reception | 16.1 |
| Receiving Touchdowns | 36 |
Charity
Cris Collinsworth is not just about earning money but believes in giving back to society.
He initiated the Cris Collinsworth ProScan Fund (CCPF), a non-profit organization, in 2002 based in Cincinnati, United States.
The organization aims to fight breast cancer by providing support, education, and early detection services, including free mammograms, to women. For this purpose, they organize Pink Ribbon Programs.
Similarly, it also aims to empower children by fostering self-esteem, critical thinking, and sportsmanship through chess. For this purpose, they organize the Queen City Classic Chess Programs.
Company
Cris Collinsworth runs a football data and analysis company called Pro Football Focus. The company grades every player’s performance in each play they participate in.
He remembers being a paying subscriber of Pro Football Focus until 2012, when he became curious about how the company functions.
Collinsworth then contacted the company, asking whether they were coaches or someone else. Neil Hornsby, who was indulged in the company since then, called Collinsworth.
Hornsby sold a majority share of the company to Cris in 2014, and since then, Cris has earned a big bulk of income for his stake in the company.
Silver Lake Panthers invested $50 million in September 2021 in a minority stake in PFF. The overall value of the company is still undisclosed.
Politics
In September 2017, in a Trump vs. NFL players debate, the Republican president didn’t like seeing some players kneeling in protest during the national anthem.
Collinsworth called out Trump and said his apology would go a long way. However, he is not a liberal media guy. He is, in fact, a Republican, and being from the GOP, but he still called out Trump.
Cris’s indulgence in politics has been on and off since the beginning of his NFL career while leaning towards the right. He also made donations to Kentucky Republican Party in 2004.
Moreover, his late father’s name was Abraham Lincoln Collinsworth, as the man was born on Lincoln’s birthday.
Cris once said in an interview that his father was as much of a republican as Abraham Lincoln was.
Apology
Cris apologized to the female football fans for his remark in the Wednesday Night football game in December 2020.
In the match between Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers, Cris said that he was blown away by queries made by female football fans in Pittsburgh. He made this statement:
“Everybody’s a fan. In particular, the ladies that I met. They have really specific questions about the game, and I’m like, ‘Wow.’ You’re just blown away by how strong the fans are here in this town,”.
The statement might not look offensive initially, but it is demeaning and promotes the stereotype that ‘football is not for females.’
Cris apologized for the blunder, stating:
“Today on our broadcast, I made reference to a couple of women that I met in Pittsburgh who so impressed me with their football knowledge that I wanted to tell their story on the air,” he wrote on Wednesday night. “I know the way I phrased it insulted many. I’m so sorry. What I intended as a compliment to the fans of Pittsburgh became an insult. I’m sick about insulting any fan, but especially female fans and journalists. I know firsthand how much harder they have to work than any of us in this industry. I was wrong, and I deeply apologize.”
Social Media Presence
Cris Collinsworth is updated when it comes to social media. He is very active on Facebook and Instagram. He posts about his career and family on these platforms.
View this post on Instagram
The former wide receiver has 19.4k followers on Instagram and 10.1k followers on Facebook.
Popularity Graph
Cris Collinsworth is a sportscaster and a former professional football player who played 8 seasons in the NFL.
The popularity graph shows the data from the last 12 months; often, he is in the limelight because of his comments during the games.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)
When did Cris Collinsworth retire?
Cris retired for organized football in 1988. He ended his career with 417 receptions for 6,698 yards and 36 touchdowns in 107 games.
How long did Cris Collinsworth play in the NFL?
Cris Collinsworth spent an eight-year in NFL as a professional player with the Bengals.
Was Cris Collinsworth in the Hall of Fame?
Cris Collinsworth was inducted into the Academic All-America Hall of Fame in 2001. He has won 17 Sports Emmy Awards as a broadcaster. But no, he has not been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame
