Collinsworth Earns Academic Hall Of Fame Honor
Wednesday, May 16, 2001 | Football
Cris Collinsworth, an All-America wide receiver at the University of Florida in 1980, has been selected for induction into the Verizon Academic All-America Hall of Fame. He will be inducted into that prestigious Hall of Fame in New York on June 26th.
The Verizon Academic Hall of Fame was established in 1988 to honor former Academic All-America selections who have excelled in their profession and have made substantial contributions to their communities. Collinsworth, who received Florida's Belden Award at 1981 graduation ceremonies, the highest honor a Gator student-athlete can achieve for combined academic and athletic excellence, joins Carlos Alvarez and Tracy Caulkins as University of Florida inductees into the Verizon Academic All-America Hall of Fame. The Air Force Academy leads all schools with four inductees into the Hall with Florida, Notre Dame and UCLA ranking second with three honorees apiece.
Collinsworth, a former Titusville Astronaut High School product, came to Florida as a quarterback in 1977 and his 99-yard TD pass to Derrick Gaffney vs. Rice in 1977 is tied for the longest TD pass in major college history. Prior to his sophomore year in 1978 he was moved to wide receiver where he then became a three-time All-SEC performer and an All-America selection in 1980. He was an Academic All-America selection in 1980 as well as a SEC All-Academic choice in 1979 and 1980.
In 1981 he was a second-round selection in the NFL Draft by Cincinnati and was named the NFL's Rookie of the Year later that season. He registered 417 career receptions, the second highest total in Cincinnati history, for over 6,600 career receiving yards. He played in the NFL Pro Bowl three times and the Super Bowl twice. He retired from the NFL after eight years to begin a prominent broadcasting career which has seen him work for HBO, NBC and now FOX.
Collinsworth earned his law degree from the University of Cincinnati in 1990. He has been active in both the Gainesville and Cincinnati communities. For several years he has held the Collinsworth Foundation Benefit Golf Classic in Gainesville which raises funds to support the Sid Martin Bridge House, a residential health facility and program that provides a structured environment for people with emotional and chemical dependency problems. He is also involved with golf tournaments which aid the Children's Hospital Medical Center in the Cincinnati area.
