Walter Andrew Brister III was born in Alexandria, Louisiana, in 1962.
Better known to the sports world as Bubby, the quarterback was the son of a legendary local high school coach by the same name. Brister was the high school signal caller in Monroe and starred on the football field and baseball diamond. He was selected in the 1981 MLB draft by the Detroit Tigers and played one season in the minors before deciding to focus on football.
After his senior season at Northeast Louisiana, he was selected in the third round of the 1983 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Near immediate comparisons to Steelers iconic quarterback Terry Bradshaw were drawn. Playing the same position and coming from the same part of the country, the similarities were obvious.
Playing for Chuck Noll, the ever tough quarterback enjoyed his best years from 1988 through 1991. The back end of his career was memorable as he stepped into a backup role behind legendary QB John Elway in Denver for three seasons. He shined when given the opportunity to take the field when he replaced an injured Elway and was a key component in helping secure playoff spots for the two Super Bowl champion Denver squads. Brister played one season in Minnesota in 2000 before retiring.
After football, Brister took on the role of football broadcast analyst and co-host of hunting and fishing show called Louisiana Outdoor Adventures on the Outdoor Channel. Two years ago, he was also named VP of Corporate Development at Empire Group.
In this interview for SC Daily, Brister talks about the Terry Bradshaw comparisons, his own favorite “baseball card,” making time for fan mail and more.
Tony Reid– Your rookie cards appeared in 1989 in Pro Set, Score and Topps sets. What was it like to see yourself on a football card for the first time?
Bubby Brister– It was a trip because I grew up a sports fan. I bought bubblegum cards but for the cards not for the gum. When I was finally on a trading card it was pretty neat. My dad was a high school football coach for 40 years. My sisters were all cheerleaders and supported my dad. It was big deal for my family to get on a trading card and be drafted by the Steelers. It was a dream come true, Tony.
TR–You have 342 different cards in the database that have been made over the years. Do you have any that stand out to you?
BB-Thinking back, of course I’ve been hit in the head a lot, I think I had a little set that had a baseball card of me in it (1992 Pro Line Football). I got drafted by the Detroit Tigers in baseball. It was a part of the football set. I never made it to the major leagues. That was pretty cool because they made a baseball card of me. So to have a baseball and a football card was pretty cool.
TR–Being drafted by an iconic franchise like the Pittsburgh Steelers and being the starting quarterback, when was the first time you were asked for your autograph there?
BB-When I got drafted by the Steelers I flew up there and there were people in the airport. The media was there. I think that was the first time I got asked for my autograph, when I was coming through the airport to go to Pittsburgh to sign and then go the Latrobe for training camp. I was still a young guy, maybe 22 or 23 years old. I had asked guys for their autographs when I was a little kid. I was a big Astros fan. I had gone and asked some of the Astros for their autographs when I was little. I couldn’t believe that now people were asking me for my autograph. It’s a great feeling.
TR- Who were your favorite teams and players growing up?
BB-I was from Monroe, Louisiana. My uncle coached Terry Bradshaw. Believe it or not, the New Orleans Saints were Louisiana’s team but we were four hours from New Orleans. We were actually closer to Dallas. The Cowboys were winning back then. Terry Bradshaw and one of the defensive backs went to Louisiana Teach and then went to the Steelers, too. I was a Steelers fan. I was a big baseball fan. Nolan Ryan was my guy. I got to go over to Houston and watch the Astros and get autographs from those guys. I was a big Steelers fan and I always hoped I would grow up and get drafted by the team and it dang sure happened. I was blessed in so many different ways.
TR-You were a star with the Steelers and a Super Bowl champion during your time with the Denver Broncos. Do you have any memorabilia saved from your long career?
BB-I do. In my office I have the Super Bowl jerseys and two Super Bowl trophies. Of course, I have some Steelers stuff. I got Player of the Week one time when I was a rookie. I have a picture with Tom Moore, who was one of my favorites. He is coaching for Tampa now. He just got put in the Hall of Fame. They made a place for recognizing assistant coaches and filming and editing so Tom Moore was able to get in. So, yeah I have a few things in my office to go along with deer heads, fish and a few things like that. I am a redneck by trade, so I have to have that.
TR– If you could go back and stop any opponent after a game and do a jersey swap, who would you want to swap with and why?
BB-We were old school. We didn’t want to shake hands or talk to the other team after the game and we damn sure didn’t want one of their jerseys. By the time we got done playing Cleveland or Cincinnati we wanted to fight. We didn’t want to go shake hands or get a jersey. Things have changed a lot over the years. It’s gotten a lot softer but I still enjoy it. The National Football League is awesome.
TR–I must have been 11 or 12 years old. I was sending letters to my favorite athletes that summer and I sent a letter to you and shortly thereafter, I got a glossy autograph picture back from you that completely made in my summer. On some level, that success probably kept me sending letters and collecting. So, I just want to thank you for that.
BB-Well, that’s awesome. I would always try to get the mail back out. I’m glad you said that. I have mail probably that I haven’t got out in time. I need to do that. I would always try to get it out before Thanksgiving and the holidays. I haven’t done much lately. You saying that will trigger me to get off my lazy butt and get that mail out. The Steelers fans are crazy. I get mail from all over the world, not just the country. I started thinking, could you imagine if you were Terry Bradshaw or Ben Roethlisberger? I was just a very average quarterback. Those Steelers fans are just unbelievable. I try to send all of the mail out if I can.
Coming up in the days ahead: a Card Back Q&A with Bubby Brister
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