McDonald Still Expects to Start for the Browns

Cleveland apparently will have the University of Miami’s Bernie Kosar next season, and Paul McDonald, the Browns’ starter, said Tuesday that he was pleased with that development, but added, “I expect to be the quarterback.”

Said McDonald, who has been with the Browns for five seasons since completing his eligibility at USC in 1979: “I think this is going to be great for the Cleveland Browns. It’s a major coup that we were able to land him.”

McDonald said he doesn’t fear the competition for the starting job he won briefly from Brian Sipe in 1982, lost to Sipe in 1983, then regained last season after Sipe had departed for the New Jersey Generals of the United States Football League.

“I always look forward to competition,” McDonald said. “But I don’t consider myself competing against other players. I’m competing against myself. Even if they brought Superman in here, I would still be competing against myself.

“When I went to USC, there were 9 or 10 other quarterbacks. I survived that. I competed here with Brian Sipe and didn’t give in to the pressure. Anytime you reach this level in professional sports, you’ve got to be able to respond to competition. I’ve got character.”

McDonald also said he has an advantage because of his experience.

“I came into this league with some accolades myself, although not as many as he’s had,” McDonald said. “I started in two Rose Bowls, played on a national championship team and was a second-team All-American.

“But when I came into the NFL, it was a big change for me. There were no Oregon States on the schedule. Bernie will have a lot to learn.”