Griese's Life of Football
1999 Regular Season: Griese has started eight of the 10 games and completed 149 of 254 (58.7%) for 1,908 yds. and 9 touchdowns, with 8 interceptions and a long of 88. He has rushed 31 times for 65 yds. (2.1) and two touchdowns with a long of 14, and been sacked 16 times (-112). Griese was active but did not play at San Diego (11/7) and at Seattle (11/14) because of a sore shoulder. Through 10 weeks, despite missing two whole games, Griese ranks fifth in the AFC (9th NFL) in passing yards. In Griese's first NFL start, vs. Miami (9/13), he performed well, completing 24 of 40 passes (60%) for 270 yds. and three touchdowns. His longest completion was a 61-yd. touchdown to Ed McCaffrey on his sixth attempt of the night, and just the ninth of his career. All three of Griese's touchdown passes went to McCaffrey, as the duo folllowed the initial TD connection with scoring strikes of 11 and 4 yds. in the third and fourth quarters, respectively. Griese added his fourth touchdown of the season at Tampa Bay (9/26) on a 12-yd. pass to McCaffrey in the 1st qtr. He temporarily established a new longest career pass with a 71-yd. completion to Rod Smith vs. the Jets (10/3). Griese notched his first NFL win as a starter at Oakland (10/10), completing 17 of 29 (58.6%) for 234 yds. and one touchdown, with one interception, while rushing a career-high seven times for 16 yds. (2.3). The touchdown came on a 3-yd. pass to Rod Smith just before halftime, capping an efficient 5-play, 57-yd. drive that consumed just 40 seconds of clock time. On the drive, Griese completed all four of his passes for 57 yds., and carried the ball 5 yds. on Denver's only running play. The win also marked Griese's first NFL game-winning fourth-quarter drive, as he marched the Broncos 63 yds. in 11 plays for the winning 26-yd. field goal. He made it two wins in a row with his performance against Green Bay (10/17), completing 19 of 31 passes (61.3) for a career-high 363 yds. and two touchdowns with one interception, to earn AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. The yardage figure was the 11th-highest single-game total in franchise history, and the highest by a first-year starter, while also ranking as the fourth-highest total in the AFC in 1999 (7th NFL). His 88-yard shovel-pass completion to Byron Chamberlain in the contest was the longest non-scoring pass play in franchise history, and the seventh-longest overall, and is the longest pass play in the AFC (2nd NFL) this season through 10 weeks of play. Griese also rushed for his first NFL touchdown in the contest, a 2-yarder in the 4th qtr. to provide the final margin of 31-10. Griese made it two games in a row with both a passing and rushing touchdown, at New England (10/24), part of a 25-of-38, 316-yard effort that saw him become the first Broncos first-year starter to exceed the 300-yd. passing mark in back-to-games. The 25 completions represented a new career high, as did his 23 rushing yards (3 carries) and his longest carry of 14 yds.
Preseason: Griese was named the Broncos' starting quarterback Aug. 30, replacing Bubby Brister. In five preseason games (1 start) he completed 68 of 101 passes (67.3%) for 716 yds. and 6 touchdowns with just one interception, to compile a passer rating of 103.4. He rushed twice for 5 yds. (2.5) with a long of 3, and was sacked three times for 23 yds.
1998: Griese has been designated the Broncos' third quarterback for 14 of the 16 games in his rookie season. He saw his first NFL action in Week Five vs. Philadelphia (10/4), replacing Bubby Brister in the fourth quarter. Griese completed 1 of 3 passes for 2 yds. with one interception, while also being credited with four rushing attempts for -4 yds. He completed his first NFL pass for a 2-yd. gain to Vaughn Hebron. Griese was active for the Broncos' Monday Night game at Kansas City (11/16), as the backup to starter Bubby Brister, with John Elway being designated Denver's third QB because of strained rib cartilage.
Postseason: Griese was designated the Broncos' third quarterback for all three postseason contests. With Denver's 34-19 conquest of Atlanta in Super Bowl XXXIII (1/31), Griese, a rookie, completed his second straight championship season, after quarterbacking the University of Michigan to the collegiate national championship in 1997.
1997: A first-team All-Big Ten Conference selection, Griese led the Wolverines to a 12-0 mark and a share of the national championship with Nebraska, defeating Washington State in the Rose Bowl with an MVP performance. He was a finalist for the Davey O'Brien Award and the recipient of the National Football Foundation & Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete Award. During the season he earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors vs. Colorado, ESPN Player of the Week honors vs. Indiana, ABC Sports/Chevrolet Player of the Game accolades vs. Penn State and Burger King Athlete of the Game recognition vs. Ohio State. He completed 193 of 307 passes (62.9%) for 2,293 yards, 17 touchdowns and only six interceptions, breaking the previous school single-season records of 189 completions of 296 passes by Todd Collins in 1993. 0nly Collins (2,509 in 1993 and 2,518 in 1994) and Jim Harbaugh (2,729 in 1986) threw for more yards in a season for the Wolverines. Griese's interception percentage of 1.95% was the fourth-lowest in school annals.
1996: Griese was an Academic All-Big Ten Conference pick, playing mostly in a reserve role. On the season he completed 35 of 61 passes for 513 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions. He also punted 12 times for 429 yards (33.0 avg.). In the Wolverines 13-9 road victory over previously unbeaten Ohio State, he completed 8 of 13 passes for 120 yards, including a 69-yard touchdown to Tai Streets.
1995: Griese started the last nine games, completing 193 of 307 passes for 2,293 yards, 17 touchdowns and six interceptions. In his first career start against Miami (Ohio), he completed 14 of 24 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns. Griese threw for a career-high 323 yards on 24 of 46 passing with one score against Penn State. His 46 attempts ranks third on the school's all-time single-game list.
1994: Griese saw action only as a holder for placements and field goals for the last nine games of the season.
1993: Griese redshirted.
HIGH SCHOOL: Griese was a Prep Football Report All-Southeast, Miami Herald all-city second-team and all-state third-team selection as a senior at Columbus High School in Miami, Fla., completing 101 of 183 passes for 1,387 yards and seven touchdowns in his final year. He hit on 194 of 335 attempts for 2,356 yards and 19 scores during his career. Griese also lettered in basketball, averaging 10 points per game, and added another letter in golf.
PERSONAL: Griese was a Prep Football Report All-Southeast, Miami Herald all-city second-team and all-state third-team selection as a senior at Columbus High School in Miami, Fla., completing 101 of 183 passes for 1,387 yards and seven touchdowns in his final year. He hit on 194 of 335 attempts for 2,356 yards and 19 scores during his career. Griese also lettered in basketball, averaging 10 points per game, and added another letter in golf. His father, Bob, played 14 years with the Miami Dolphins and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1990. Brian David Griese was born March 18, 1975 in Miami.
