Childhood & Early Life
Brian Keith Bosworth was born on March 9, 1965, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, to Foster and Kathy Bosworth.
Brian was only 18 months old when his family moved to Irving, Texas. He was only 6 years old when he started playing football for his father’s ‘Young Men's Christian Association’ (YMCA) team.
He attended Irving’s ‘MacArthur High School’ and played as a defensive end there. He wore jersey number 89 and played as a senior captain.
He earned a full 4-year scholarship to the ‘University of Oklahoma.’ He was also offered the same from the ‘Southern Methodist University’ and ‘Texas Tech.’
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Career
From 1984 to 1986, he played for the university, where he was recognized as a unanimous ‘All-American’ in 1985 and 1986. He redshirted his freshman season at the university but started getting attention after he featured in the line-up.
In his first game, he intercepted a pass in the third quarter, which led to his team’s victory over ‘Stanford’ by 19–7. His team started the season with 4–0 and was soon ranked third.
After rising to the third spot, his team headed into the ‘Red River’ rivalry game against top-ranked ‘Texas.’ In what became one of the most controversial ‘OU’–‘Texas’ games of all time, the teams ended with a 15–15 tie.
After winning over top-ranked ‘Nebraska’ and third-ranked ‘Oklahoma State,’ ‘OU’ finished 9–2–1. ‘OU’ thus shared the ‘Big 8’ title.
Although, he was a great player, his off-the-field controversial comments and actions got Brian more fame and attention than his game. He referred to the ‘NCAA’ as the “National Communists Against Athletes” a number of times.
In the 1987 ‘Orange Bowl’ game, he wore a T-shirt wearing the same slogan. He was barred from playing the game because of a positive steroid test.
To the shock and outrage of many, Brian unveiled the shirt and claimed that he had used steroids because his doctor had prescribed the same to him. His own coach, Barry Switzer, dismissed him from the team.
In spite of his antics, he remained to be a strong linebacker in college and was also regarded as a great tackler.
Brian was a good student and graduated a year earlier than usual. He made himself available for the ‘NFL’s supplement drafts and finally signed a 10-year, $11 million deal with the ‘Seattle Seahawks.’
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Brian’s professional football career did not go the way it was planned. He appeared in 12 games in his rookie season but became known for his notorious comments.
Before the first game of the season, he trash-talked ‘Denver Broncos’ quarterback John Elway. Later that season, he publicly claimed that he would contain ‘Los Angeles Raiders’ running back Bo Jackson.
It came to be known as the infamous “Bo Jackson Game.” Jackson met head-to-head with Brian, knocked him to the ground, and scored a touchdown.
The ‘Raiders’ won the game 37–14. Brian’s best game was the 34–21 win over the ‘Chicago Bears.’
In 1988, he was the leading tackler of the ‘Hawks,’ with 66 tackles to his name, but he stayed out of seven games due to an injury. He later had to undergo knee surgery and missed much of the 1989 training camp.
In 1989, he again suffered a right shoulder injury. He was eventually released by the ‘Seahawks’ after he failed to pass the physical test.
Brian’s ‘NFL’ career ended in 1990.
Brian made his acting debut with the film ‘Stone Cold’ in 1991. He has appeared in over 25 films, including ‘One Tough Bastard’ (1996), ‘Virus’ (1996), ‘Midnight Heat’ (1996), ‘Back in Business’ (1997), ‘The Longest Yard’ (2005), and ‘Do You Believe?’ (2015).
He has also appeared in TV series such as ‘CSI: Miami’ (2005), ‘Rock Slyde’ (2009), ‘Hell’s Kitchen’ (2010), and ‘Blue Mountain State’ (2010).
Awards & Achievements
Brian is the only player to have won the ‘Dick Butkus Award’ twice as the nation's top college linebacker. He was also ranked number 30 on the list of the ‘100 Greatest College Players of All-Time’ list of ‘College Football News.’
In October 1999, he became one of only nine linebackers on the ‘Sports Illustrated NCAA Football All-Century Team.’ In 2015, he was inducted into the ‘College Football Hall of Fame’ class of 2015.
He is also a two-time consensus ‘All-American.’
Personal Life
Brian married his high-school girlfriend, Katherine Nicastro, in September 1993. The couple divorced in 2006.
They have three children: Chase, Mark, and Hayley.
He also has two nephews who play football for the ‘UCLA Bruins.’
