How Bernie Kosar Outsmarted the NFL Draft

On April 24, 1985, University of Miami quarterback Bernie Kosar announced he would skip his final 2 years of college eligibility and bypass the NFL Draft to enter a separate supplemental draft. A native of Boardman, Ohio, Kosar grew up an avid Cleveland Browns fan. Kosar was ahead of his time. Back then, only college seniors or graduates were eligible for the NFL Draft. It was unthinkable of a sophomore to leave school early to enter the NFL. But Kosar had a few tricks up his sleeve. To achieve his goal of playing for the Browns, Kosar used some clever behind the scenes maneuvering to outsmart the system. Photo by Doug Jennings of the Associated Press.

Kosar was always underestimated. He was tall, gangly and wasn’t exactly a physical specimen. He even dressed in a tank top and shorts at his press conference to announce he was leaving UM. Many thought he was making a huge mistake. But all along, Kosar knew exactly what he was doing. During his two years at UM, Kosar led the Canes to a national championship as a redshirt freshman in 1983 and set then school records for passing yards and touchdown passes as a sophomore to finish 4th in the 1984 Heisman Trophy balloting.

Perhaps Kosar’s greatest attribute was his intelligence. A GTE Academic All American, he took 18 hours of college credits during the spring semester to graduate early with a double major in finance and economics. Kosar intentionally missed the April 15 deadline to enter the NFL Draft. At the time, the Buffalo Bills used the first pick to select Virginia Tech defensive end Bruce Smith. Minnesota traded up to the second pick with hopes of drafting Kosar. But rather than play in Minnesota, Kosar forced the NFL to create a separate supplemental draft after he officially graduated from Miami. Because the Bills had the worst record in 1984, they also had the first pick of the supplemental draft. Then Browns general manager Ernie Acorsi traded three draft picks to Buffalo to move up to the first pick and selected Kosar.