Not many celebrity marriages have lasted as long as the one between Cris Collinsworth and his wife Holly Bankemper. These two met while they were college students. She graduated ahead of her husband and went on to practice law in Cincinnati while her husband, after college, gradually built up an impressive career as a football player and later as a sports broadcaster. Today, the union between them which has been solid over the years has got people wanting to know more about the family. Here is all there is to know about them in addition to a profile of the patriarch.
Background of Cris Collinsworth
On 27th January 1959, his birth was registered as a tot named Anthony Cris Collinsworth and born to Abraham Lincoln “Abe” Collinsworth and Donetta Browning Collinsworth in Dayton, Ohio. His parents were both educationists in addition to which his father played basketball and later became a coach in the sports. Cris also had brothers named Kyle and Greg Collinsworth whom he grew up with.
Growing up, in 1963, the family relocated to Titusville, Florida which saw Cris attend the Astronaut High School where he played football and got recognized as an All-American quarterback in addition to many other accolades.
With an athletic college scholarship before him, the lad proceeded to study at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, from (1977 to 1980) where he improved the versatility and style of his play with the varsity football team. He first started as a quarterback then switched to a wide receiver for which his performance improved drastically and was in synchronization with the rest of the team. This ensured he posted impressive records from his college career some of which are yet to be broken.
After college, Cris Collinsworth got drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in the 1981 NFL Draft as the 37th Overall pick in the second round. Cris proved his worth with the Bengals and was known for being a threat to cornerbacks of smaller stature, with his speed, he often outran the opposition defense, receiving 1,000 yards severally, and was named to the Pro Bowl from 1981 to 83. He played 107 games in 8 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals, recording 417 receptions, 6, 689 yards, and 36 touchdowns.
After his retirement from playing football, Cris Collinsworth began another phase of his career as a sports broadcaster. He began on Cincinnati station WLW, a sports radio talk show before becoming a reporter for Showtime’s (formerly HBO) Inside the NFL in 1989. Continuing his broadcast career, he worked with NBC in its NFL broadcast and NBC pregame show, Fox NFL Sunday pregame show, Sunday night NFL, NFL Network Thursday night games. He is a host of WGN America in addition to having worked as a commentator on Madden NFL 09, 10, 11, and NFL 12.
Family: Wife (Holly Bankemper), Sons
Cris Collinsworth found love where Holly Bankemper was right on time while they were still college students. Holly graduated as a lawyer in 1988 and went on to practice the profession in Cincinnati. She is a rather private person but for her marriage to a football star turned media personality, not much would have been known about her. The two have been married since 1989 and share four kids together; 2 sons and 2 daughters.
Austin, Ashley, Katie, and Jac. are their kids. Austin Collinsworth played football as a safety while in college and became his varsity captain at the University of Notre Dame. His football career came to an end following series of injuries. He later earned a master’s degree in Finance in 2014 and today, he is the Vice President of Digital Distribution for the app Pro Football Focus.
Ashley Collinsworth studied at Harvard and was an athlete. She ran track and field. The youngest of the Collinsworth’s, Jac and Katie both work in the media. Jac, before now, worked at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio and now works with ESPN on ESPN Sunday NFL Countdown as a features reporter, while Katie works at GolfNow as a manager in business marketing.
Net Worth
Cris Collinsworth has certainly seen the best things of life. His career life both as a football player and as a sports broadcaster have both seen him attain fruition in both. To this, his net worth of $12 million and annual earnings of $2 million is befitting. As he continues in his broadcasting career, more millions might probably top his current financial standing.
