Tony Eason
| No. 11 |
| Quarterback |
| Personal information |
| Date of birth: October 8, 1959 (1959-10-08) (age 50) |
| Place of birth: Blythe, California |
| Height: 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
Weight: 212 lb (96 kg) |
| Career information |
| College: Illinois |
| NFL Draft: 1983 / Round: 1 / Pick: 15 |
| Debuted in 1983 for the New England Patriots |
| Last played in 1990 for the New York Jets |
| Career history |
As player:
|
| Career highlights and awards |
|
|
| Career NFL statistics as of 1990 |
| Pass attempts |
1,564 |
| Pass completions |
911 |
| Percentage |
58.2 |
| TD-INT |
61-51 |
| Passing yards |
11,142 |
| QB Rating |
79.7 |
| Stats at NFL.com |
Charles Carroll "Tony" Eason, IV (born October 8, 1959, in Blythe, California) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for the New England Patriots and New York Jets. Eason retired after the 1990 NFL season and currently resides in California.
College career, and the famed 1983 NFL Draft
Eason played college football at the University of Illinois. There, he affectionately earned the nickname "Champaign Tony", based upon the city in which the university is located according to the press.
He was drafted in the first round of the now famous 1983 NFL Draft (ie Class of '83), along with NFL Hall of Fame quarterbacks John Elway, Dan Marino, and Jim Kelly, and College Football Hall of Famers Todd Blackledge and Ken O'Brien. The 1983 draft is still considered the greatest year for quarterback talent coming out of the college ranks[citation needed].
Professional career
Eason became the starting QB for the Patriots in 1984, taking over for longtime starter Steve Grogan.
In the 1985 season, Eason helped the Patriots clinch a playoff berth with a 34-23 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in the season finale. Eason led the Patriots offense as they became the first team in NFL history to win three games on the road to reach the Super Bowl. He threw three touchdowns against the Marino-led Miami Dolphins in the AFC Championship Game, the first time New England had beaten the Dolphins at the Orange Bowl since 1966.
The Patriots made their first appearance in a Super Bowl in franchise history that year, meeting the Chicago Bears with Jim McMahon and Walter Payton. The Bears' famed 46 defense defeated Eason and the Patriots in Super Bowl XX, and Eason became the first starting quarterback in Super Bowl history not to complete a pass, going 0-for-6. Eason was replaced with Grogan, but the Patriots lost the game 46-10. Eason led the Patriots to the AFC East title the following season, but was defeated in the playoffs by John Elway and the Denver Broncos.
Retirement
Eason played two more seasons in New England before being traded to the New York Jets during the 1989 NFL season. He would share quarterback duties his final season with yet another member of the "Class of '83", Ken O'Brien.
