Mark Bavaro's nickname was Rambo — not only because of a strong resemblance to actor Slyvester Stallone, but because of the hard-nosed football he played all during his 10-year stint in the NFL.
There are many facets to Mark Bavaro, a shy, quiet kid from Danvers who is considered the finest football player ever to come out of the North Shore.
Tough as nails, he played through injuries throughout his college and pro career and fought for every yard he earned. His signature after every touchdown wasn't a self promoting celebration dance, but rather a quiet moment genuflecting and making the sign of the cross.
Bavaro burst onto the scene at Danvers High in the late 1970s, and by the midway point of his sophomore year Falcons head coach Ernie Smith turned to his assistants and made a bold prediction.
"I said this kid has the potential to make the pros one day," said Smith. "Some of them thought I was nuts, but I had played with two kids in college (at UMass Amherst) who were drafted in the first round - and Mark had more natural athletic ability than either of them. After he had a great junior year for us, both at tight end and defensive end. We had every college coach in the country coming to see him.
"It's an amazing story because he was basically a shy kid who didn't say much beyond 'yes coach, no coach.' And he had wonderful parents who were concerned mainly about his academic opportunities, figuring the football would take care of itself. We are all so proud Mark played for Danvers High."
Smith recalls a game against St. John's Prep early in Bavaro's senior year when he had six or seven catches in the first quarter alone before being injured when tackled. At first doctors, thought Bavaro would be out four to six weeks.
"After the first week I got a call from Tony (Mark's late father, who was an exceptional football player himself), who told me doctors said he could play if I could find a device to lock the elbow in place," said Smith. "I called everybody from the Patriots to Boston College trying to find something. Finally, Mass General Hospital said to bring him in and they would make something to fit. Mark couldn't bend his arm, but wound up playing the whole season with that device - basically using one arm."
Bavaro had his pick of any college and chose Notre Dame, where he became an All-American his senior year with 32 receptions for 395 yards.
He spend his first seven years in the National Football League with the New York Giants, who drafted him in the fourth round (No. 100 overall) in 1985. Bavaro came into the NFL with the reputation as an exceptional blocker and a receiver with great hands who was willing to fight for extra yards — and he lived up to all expectations.
The 6-foot-4, 245-pound Bavaro made the NFL All-Rookie team in '85 after Giants head coach Bill Parcells named him a starter. He became a two-time All-Pro at the position and was a member of the Giants' Super Bowl teams in 1986 and 1990.
In his stellar career Bavaro played in 126 games, caught 351 passes for 4,733 yards and scored 39 TDs. His highest production came in his second year in the league when he had 66 receptions for 1,001 yards, and the following season found his way to the end zone eight times, the most in his nine active seasons.
Along the way, No. 89 broke two club records: Most receptions in a single game, catching 12 passes from QB Phil Simms against the Cincinnati Bengals in his rookie year; and receptions by a tight end (66) the following season, shattering the old mark by seven catches.
He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated for its NFL preview issue in 1987, with the caption "The Living End: Mark Bavaro of the New York Giants." He had also been on SI's cover the previous season, making a catch and dragging a Washington Redskins defender with him.
Bavaro played a key role in both Super Bowl wins during his stint with the Giants, making two big third down receptions to keep drives alive in the 20-19 victory over the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV. Four years prior, he had a big game in SB XXI vs. the Broncos (39-20), including a touchdown catch.
Perhaps his most memorable play came during a Monday Night Football game in 1986 against San Francisco. It took several 49ers to drag Bavaro down after a reception, hanging on while he clawed his way for nearly 20 yards, sparking a Giants rally to win the game.
When the Giants put him on the PUP (physically unable to perform) list, he missed the entire 1991 season due to a degenerative knee condition, but stayed involved in the game as a volunteer tight end coach for Dom Savio. He returned to play one year for coach Bill Belichick at Cleveland, and then spent his final two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Bavaro, whose brother David also played in the NFL, lives in Boxford with his wife and three children. He is an equity trader, and an avid golfer with a 10 handicap.
