Walter Andrew “Bubby” Brister, III was born on August 15, 1962, in Monroe, Louisiana. He is a former NFL quarterback who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets, Denver Broncos, and Minnesota Vikings.

Brister's College Career 

Brister was the last quarterback signed by legendary Paul “Bear” Bryant at the University of Alabama; however, he opted to play professional baseball for a while and transferred to the Northeast Louisiana Indians (now UL-Monroe Warhawks). Brister played quarterback at Northeast Louisiana University and was taken in the third round of the 1986 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh sports writers and Steelers’ fans often made jokes about Brister’s southern accent and perceived lack of sophistication, traits that were similarly mocked regarding Brister’s predecessor, Terry Bradshaw.

Steelers Quarterback 

Brister played for the Steelers for seven years, several of them as the regular starter at quarterback. In 1992, new Steelers’ head coach Bill Cowher, chose backup quarterback Neil O’Donnell over Brister, essentially ending his career as a starting player for the Steelers.

On October 14, 1990, Bubby Brister had his greatest game as a quarterback in the NFL. The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Denver Broncos 34-17 and Brister was 21 of 28 for 353 yards and four touchdowns, three of them to rookie tight end Eric Green. “It was fun,” said Brister. “Hell, that was more fun playing football than I've had in a long time. I had a blast. We were laughing at times.” (1)

Bubby Brister Super Bowl Bound 

After brief stops as a backup quarterback for the Eagles and Jets, Brister moved to the Denver Broncos, where he won two Super Bowl rings backing up future Hall of Fame quarterback, John Elway. During the 1998 season, Elway was forced to sit out a number of games due to injury, and Brister became the Broncos’ QB. He played brilliantly, as the Broncos went undefeated in all of his starts while Brister recorded a higher passer rating than Elway for that season.

Brister spent 2000 with the Vikings. He signed with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2001 but was cut before the season began. He then retired from football. He finished his career with a passing record of 1,207 completions in 2,212 attempts for 14,445 passing yards and 81 touchdowns.

Life after Football for Bubby Brister

After retiring from football, Brister spent a short time as a television sports analyst for Denver’s Fox Sports Net affiliate. In 2003, Brister became the co-host of a hunting and fishing-oriented show called Louisiana Outdoor Adventures on The Outdoor Channel. In 2005, he joined the staff of Hunter’s Specialties, a producer of hunting and fishing adventure videos.

Bubby's Quotes 

One of Bubby’s famous quotes came after a 1991 game between the Houston Oilers and Pittsburgh Steelers. Pittsburgh was getting blown out, and Coach Chuck Noll wanted to pull starter Neil O’Donnell and replace him with Bubby Brister to finish the hopeless game. Brister replied, “I don’t mop up for anybody.”

Why They Call Him Bubby 

He was given the nickname “Bubby” by his five older sisters. Being the sixth child born was his reason for choosing “6” as his jersey number. He now lives in Mandeville, Louisiana with his wife and two children. Brister has played in three conference championship games and two Super Bowls.

By A. Goodin, 20Yardline.com
August 22, 2007

Steelers Schedule 10-11
Ashes betting 2010

Bubby Brister Biography Sources

(1) Steelers Come Alive, Rip Broncos (1990, October 15) The Washington Post