Hall of Fame
Norman “Boomer” Esiason achieved success in high school athletics by earning All-State honors in the sports of football, basketball and baseball.
A 1979 graduate of East Islip High School, Boomer earned the prestigious Yastrzemski Award presented annually to the most outstanding high school baseball player in Suffolk County. During his high school career he also earned All State honors in three sports (baseball, football, basketball). However, his most noticeable contributions came on the football field as the quarterback at East Islip. Following a tremendous football career there, Boomer earned a full athletic scholarship to the University of Maryland. As the starting quarterback he set 17 school records and earned All-American honors as a four-year quarterback on the football team.
In 1984, he was drafted in the second round of the National Football League (NFL) amateur draft as the 37th overall pick by the Cincinnati Bengals. Five years later he led the Bengals to the Super Bowl after being named 1988 NFL Most Valuable Player for that season and leading the league in passer rating. Esiason’s 14-year career in the NFL with the Bengals, New York Jets and Arizona Cardinals was highlighted by four Pro Bowl selections. He was ranked among the top left-handed quarterbacks in the league in all time passing yards, career completions and career attempts.
Esiason is highly recognized now for the work he does away from the game of football. In 1993 his son Gunner was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, a potentially fatal illness for which there is no cure. He set up the NFL Quarterback Challenge and a Long Island golf tournament to benefit CF. In 1993 alone, Boomer helped raise over $500,000. In his fight to find a cure for the disease, he set up the Boomer Esiason Foundation which has helped raise millions of dollars for research.