Steve Beuerlein

Stephen Taylor "Steve" Beuerlein is a former football quarterback, and currently is an NFL and college football analyst for CBS.

Buerlein attended Notre Dame in 1983, under the university’s new head coach Gerry Faust. In a 1986 game against the Alabama Crimson Tide, Beuerlein was on the receiving end of one of the more notable sacks in college football history. Alabama linebacker Cornelius Bennett, who would go on to a Pro Bowl NFL career, knocked Beuerlein unconscious with a hit that was featured by sports artist Daniel Moore in the painting "The Sack." Even after his NFL career ended, Beuerlein would claim that "The Sack" was the hardest he'd ever been hit.

Beuerlein was drafted by the Los Angeles Raiders in the fourth round of the 1987 NFL Draft, but suffered a season ending injury in pre-season play. He made his NFL debut the following year, splitting quarterback duties with Jay Schroeder for the next two years. The Raiders finished third in the AFC West division both years.

Beuerlein's limited playoff experience came with the Dallas Cowboys, after being traded to them 1991, in relief of an injured Troy Aikman. He started in a win against the Chicago Bears, throwing 180 yards, and a touchdown, with no interceptions. The following week, he started but was relieved by Aikman after the Detroit Lions jumped too far ahead for the Cowboys. On his last play as a Cowboy, Beuerlein fumbled the ball on a botched handoff to Derrick Gainer, in Beuerlein's second play of the game.The Cowboys would go on to win 52-17 in Super Bowl XXVII.

He would play with the Arizona Cardinals in 1993, passing for his first of three 3000 yard season.

In 1995 he was the first selection in the 1995 NFL Expansion Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was the starting quarterback for the first game in team history. He would later lose his starting job to Mark Brunell.

In 1996 he was acquired by the Carolina Panthers, where he remained for the next five years. Beuerlein holds many Panthers passing records. Many of these include single-season records set during 1999, probably his most successful year in the NFL, for passing yards (4,436), touchdowns (36), attempts (571), and completions (343). He made the Pro Bowl that year as well, the only time in his career.

Beuerlein finished his career with the Denver Broncos in 2002 and 2003, playing in twelve games over two years mostly as a backup. However, before retiring in 2004, he signed a token one-year deal with Carolina, saying he wanted to retire as a Panther.

Beuerlin testified in May 2000 before a U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. Invited to Congress to raise awareness and funding for ALS research, he spoke with a first-hand knowledge that brought a deeply personal note to his message: Jeff Sherer, his friend from high school. He received a 25-second ovation after he testified.

In 2003, Beurlein partnered with fitness solutions provider Wilkins Fitness Enterprises in North Carolina, the largest distributor of fitness equipment, accessories, flooring and solutions in the Carolina's.

In 2004, Beuerlein joined CBS Sports as a game analyst for The NFL on CBS, where he travels each week during the season to NFL venues in order to provide color commentary for games. Beuerlein also occasionally calls college football games for CBS.