“The Fumble” Made Him Stronger
February 20th, 2012
Joe knows a pile of his readers were too young to be glued to their TV sets when new Bucs running backs coach Earnest Byner delivered one of the most famous goat moments in NFL history back in 1988.
(Joe wishes he was that young.)
A 25-year-old running back on Marty Schottenheimer’s Cleveland Browns (he wasn’t Chokenheimer yet), Byner coughed up a fumble on the Broncos’ 1 yard line as the Browns drove in the final two minutes for a touchdown that would have tied the AFC Championship game. Denver recovered, took a safety with a few ticks left, and that was the ballgame.
But Byner didn’t crawl into a hole and fade away. He recovered and resurrected himself in Washington where he grabbed 1,000-yard seasons and a Super Bowl ring.
The Cleveland Plain-Dealer ran a good story a couple years back that summed up Byner’s experience, including the mystery Jeff Fisher firing him as RBs coach in Tennessee after Chris Johnson ran for 2,000+ yards in 2010.
Byner was fired after two years of helping Johnson become an elite back. The former Browns star asked Titans coach Jeff Fisher about the decision — twice. He never received a good answer, other than Fisher had long wanted to hire Kennedy Pola.
Fisher had tried to hire Pola in 2008, but he remained in Jacksonville. Then Fisher turned to Byner, who took Johnson from rookie to stardom. Byner is the first to say Johnson has tremendous talent, but he still wonders what he did wrong.
“I do know that Jeff has great respect for Kennedy,” Byner said. “But it’s still baffling to me.”
Then something else happened.
Four days after Pola left Jacksonville for Byner’s job in Tennessee, Jacksonville hired Byner to replace Pola.
“I think back to The Fumble,” he said. “You go through something like that, you learn to keep moving forward. You can’t stay angry or bitter.”
Byner has the solid coaching resume, and he brings yet another Super Bowl ring to One Buc Palace, along with Butch Davis, Mike Sullivan and Bryan Cox.
Surely Bucs fans remember that LeGarrette Blount coughed up a few too many in 2011. Joe suspects Byner can offer Blount fabulous perspective and direction in that department.
February 20th, 2012 at 11:13 am
It was one fumble at the worst possible time. Almost impossible to live down, obviously. Here it is again.
But you learn, man up and move on and I see nothing but that from Coach Byner. He’s been there, worked hard and became a damn good player as well as an excellent coach and teacher. He gets respect and is a solid hire IMO. All good.
February 20th, 2012 at 12:20 pm
I do remember the “fumble” but that is what I respect about Byner, he is resilient and moved on from something that could have ruined a career. Sometimes we as fans act as though guys try to fumble, there are many factor which come into play when one fumbles, it is how said player responds and bounces back after they fumble which make them successful. I look forward to Earnest as our RB coach, it seems he is successful everywhere he’s been. I am pretty sure Jac had a good rushing record under him and the Titans stumbled under Pola whereas they were very successful under Byner… Hopefully he will inspire LGB and any other backs we pick up.
February 20th, 2012 at 12:21 pm
Great Post read, thanks Joe, I remember that Game.. I actually saw the Browns and Dolphins play that year on the 50 in Joe Robbie Stadium. Earnest Byner was a great RB then. In that game the report said he had :15 carries, 67 yards & seven catches, 120 yards and two touchdowns… yeah it stunk that he coughed up the ball. It happens and you stand up and move on from that. Which he did. Coach Byner has been a leader in that regard to me, we can hope that this rubs off just a little on our RB’s
Imo this is the best RB coach we’ve ever had. Although anyone remember who was our RB coach when we had our own one man havoc wreaking RB with our BUC all time leader in rushing yards leader James Wilder.. To team him and Blount up would be something to see… talk about pound the rock.
February 20th, 2012 at 12:25 pm
I am old enough to remember that play. I was watching it live. I grew up a Cleveland Browns Fan. I switched to the Bucs when I moved to Florida and Art Modell moved the team to Baltimore. I met Art Modell at the old Sombrero a short time before he moved the team. If I’d known what he was planning, I would have done something other than shaking his hand!
February 20th, 2012 at 12:30 pm
IMHO, this is fast becoming THE best coaching staff Tampa has seen in a long long time.
February 20th, 2012 at 12:55 pm
The Bucs will draft whomever they draft, but with this coaching staff they’re putting in place, the Richardson pick just keeps sounding better and better. But then again, so does LaMichael James with the Johnson references in this article.
February 20th, 2012 at 1:05 pm
mjmoody:
First round: Mo Claiborne, CB.
Second round: Lavonte David, LB
Third round: LaMichael James, RB
February 20th, 2012 at 4:09 pm
You know, I think EB got a bad rap for that fumble. I’ve seen that replay at least 100 times on NFL Network and the play is improperly named. It should be called “The Strip.” The guy who got the ball out of Byner’s arms really laid into the ball to get it loose. This wasn’t a “greased pig” fumble. If I’m that guy on the Broncos, I’m pissed that I’m not getting the proper recognition for my defensive efforts.
February 20th, 2012 at 6:15 pm
I think I’d rather have Doug Martin than LaMichael James. Martin is a better blocker and is a fantastic receiver. I just think James is a little too light in the ass to be taking on DE’s or LB’s on a blitz. I know James has the edge in speed but I don’t want another back coming in where they know we are going to run because he can’t pass block.