CLEVELAND, Ohio (Jan. 13, 2014) -- Legendary Cleveland Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award at this month's 14th Annual Greater Cleveland Sports Awards, the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission announced Monday. The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes a sports figure who has made a lasting impact on the Cleveland community.
"I am humbled and honored to be given this year's Lifetime Achievement Award," said Kosar. "I want to thank the Cleveland community for their unwavering support. Cleveland is a special place made up of special people and it will always be home."
Kosar, a native of Youngstown, became a Cleveland icon almost as soon as he was drafted by the Browns in 1985. Taking over the starting position midway through his rookie season, Kosar quickly cemented himself as one of the National Football League's top signal-callers.
Kosar led the Browns to the AFC Championship three times during his career and was named to the 1987 Pro Bowl. He also set the NFL record for consecutive pass attempts without an interception (308).
Since retiring, Kosar has maintained an active presence in the Cleveland community. Along with serving as the color commentator for Brown's pre-season games, Kosar hosted a charity golf tournament for many years. Kosar also played a major role in bringing an Arena Football League franchise to Cleveland.
The Greater Cleveland Sports Awards honors the best of Cleveland sports and features top sports personalities and athletes, an outstanding memorabilia and experience auction and an exciting dinner and awards show. The event will be held on January 23 at the Renaissance Cleveland Hotel Grand Ballroom. A limited amount of tables are still available and can be purchased by calling 216-363-1108.
Fans can also purchase an entry into the Golden Ticket raffle drawing. The winner of the drawing will receive a pair of 2014 Indians, 2014 Browns and 2014-2015 Cavalier season tickets. A limited number of 300 entries will be sold and entries are on sale at www.cleveland.com/sportsawards.
What They're Saying About Bernie
"Bernie was the most popular athlete to ever play for a Cleveland sports team. He loves this community and he loves the people in this town. He's an incredibly generous, loyal and kind individual. He's simply happy to live in Northeast Ohio. Bernie's resilience makes him a true representative of the city of Cleveland." - Umberto Fideli, President and CEO, The Fideli Group
"To me, Bernie Kosar will always represent Cleveland. In my lifetime, outstanding Browns players who come to mind would be Jim Brown first and Bernie Kosar second. Anyone who was old enough to watch Bernie play will remember the determination, execution and drive that he had and still has within him. He will always represent an exciting period in Cleveland Browns history and still has an enormous fan base around the country. His fans love Bernie and Bernie loves his fans. The qualities he possesses as a friend; kindness, humor, loyalty and toughness, are just a small portion of the man he is. I am lucky to call him my friend." - Timothy Hyland, Managing Director, Boyd Watterson
About the Greater Cleveland Sports Commission
The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission prides itself on being one of the most distinguished Sports Commissions in the country, effectively leveraging sports events and activities to further economic development in Northeast Ohio. The philosophy of the Sports Commission sets it apart from others by operating as an economic and community development organization utilizing sports as a vehicle to forward other community agendas. The organization takes the unique approach of becoming a management and financial partner in each event with the goal of producing events that are more successful in Cleveland than other cities in which they have been held. Since 2000, the Sports Commission has been responsible for attracting over 135 sporting events, contributing to more than $400 million in economic activity. For more information, visitwww.clevelandsports.org.
