Browning Nagle, Former Jets QB and Louisville Legend, Dies at 57
Browning Nagle, the strong-armed quarterback who led Louisville to one of the most memorable bowl wins in school history, passed away this week following a battle with colon cancer. He was 57. The university announced his death Friday.
The Fiesta Bowl That Made Him a Legend
For Louisville fans, Nagle will forever be tied to the 1991 Fiesta Bowl. His performance that night was nothing short of spectacular. He threw for 451 yards and three touchdowns as the Cardinals pulled off a stunning upset of Alabama. The performance was so dominant that Nagle took home the game's MVP award. And here's the part that shows you who he was: before throwing all those touchdowns, he also sang the national anthem.
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👉 Claim Your Free $10 at KalshiThat season, Nagle threw for 4,653 yards and 32 touchdowns over two seasons as a starter under coach Howard Schnellenberger. The Jets thought they had found their franchise quarterback.
An NFL Career That Never Quite Materialized
New York selected Nagle in the second round of the 1991 draft, confident he could develop into a long-term starter. After spending his first year on the bench, the Jets gave him the starting job in 1992. It didn't go the way anyone hoped. Nagle went 3-10 as the starter, throwing 17 interceptions against just seven touchdown passes. By 1993, he was benched in favor of Boomer Esiason. The Jets released him in 1994, and he finished his NFL career with stops at Indianapolis and Atlanta.
There's an interesting footnote to Nagle's story: the Jets wanted Brett Favre badly in 1991 and even tried to trade up to get him. But Favre went one pick ahead of them to Atlanta at 33rd overall, and the Jets settled for Nagle instead. Two completely different careers from picks just one spot apart.
Louisville football released a statement Friday: "We are saddened by the passing of Browning Nagle, former Fiesta Bowl MVP quarterback and Louisville great."
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