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Revision as of 00:49, 27 September 2004 by Dale Arnett (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Donovan McNabb (born 25 November 1976) is an American football player for the Philadelphia Eagles. He attended Syracuse University.
College highlights
One of the most decorated athletes in Syracuse history, he was a four-year starter at quarterback and a key reserve on the school's nationally ranked basketball team. On the gridiron he was named the Big East Conference's offensive player of the decade (1990s) and of the year an unprecedented three times from 1996-98, as well as the 1st-team all-conference quarterback in each of his four seasons.
Statistics and records
McNabb set the Syracuse and Big East career records for touchdown passes (77), touchdowns responsible for (96), passing yards (8,389), total offensive yards (9,950) and total offensive plays (1,403). He set the school's all-time records for total yards per game (221.1), passing efficiency (155.1) and yards per att. (9.1). He finished his college career ranked 2nd in the school's history with 8,389 yards passing, 548 comps., 938 atts. and a 58.4 comp. pct. Started every game during his career, compiling a 33-12 record. As a senior, led SU to an Orange Bowl berth vs. Florida as he completed 157 of 251 passes (62.5%) for 2,134 yards. His 22 TD passes tied the school's single season record set by former Eagle Don McPherson (1987). Also was 135-438-8TDs rushing. Ranked 6th in the nation with a 158.9 passing efficiency rating and 22nd in total offense (233.8 yards/game). Tied a school-record with 4 TD tosses vs. Cincinnati and accounted for 5 TDs vs. Miami (3 rushing and 2 passing). Amassed 2,892 yards in total offense in his junior season to set a school record. As a freshman, was the Big East rookie of the year and tossed a 96-yd. TD pass vs. West Virginia, the longest in SU history. He redshirted in 1994.
NFL career
1999
In 1999, McNabb started 6 of the final 7 contests as he became the first Philadelphia Eagles rookie to start in the quarterback position since Brad Goebel on 1991-10-13, and the first Eagles rookie draft pick to start since John Reaves in 1972. He saw his first NFL regular season action in the 2nd half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on 1999-9-19. He made his first career start vs. Washington (1999-11-14), going 21-8-60yds. passing in the 35-28 win. He went 9-49 rushing and also converted on a pair of 2-pt. conversions (1 rush and 1 pass). With the win, he became the first Eagles rookie QB to win his first NFL start since Mike Boryla (12/1/71 vs. Green Bay) and the first Eagle QB to win his first start since Ty Detmer (10/13/96 at NYG). Fired the first TD pass of his career (a 6 ydr. to TE Chad Lewis) vs. Ind. (11/21/99).
2000
In his first full season as a NFL starter in 2000, McNabb finished 2nd in the Associated Press MVP voting (24-11) to StL RB Marshall Faulk, who set the NFL record for most TDs scored in a season. Selected as a first alternate to the NFC Pro Bowl squad in 2000 (behind the Minnesota Vikings Daunte Culpepper, San Francisco 49ers Jeff Garcia, and St. Louis Rams Kurt Warner). When Warner was unable to participate due to injury, McNabb led the NFC on a touchdown scoring drive in his first series. Accounted for 74.6% of the team's total net yards in 2000. Only Car.'s Steve Beuerlein (75.3%) and SF's Jeff Garcia (75.1%) had a higher pct. His 629 rushing yards in 2000 were tops among NFL QBs and the 4th-highest total ever (968 by Bobby Douglass in 1972; 942 by Cunningham in 1990; and 674 by Steve McNair in 1997). His 6 rushing TDs in 2000 were the most by an Eagles QB since Randall Cunningham had 6 in 1988. Broke the club's single season record for most attempts (569) and completions (307) in 2000, Cunningham previously set those marks (301 cmps. and 560 atts.) in 1988. Named 2000 NFL player of the year by CBS Radio and the Terry (Bradshaw) Awards on Fox Sports and was named to the All-Madden team. Made his prime time debut (ESPN) vs. Atl. (10/1/00) with his first 300-yard passing game and the Eagles first since Bobby Hoying vs. Cin. on 11/30/97. His 55 pass att's at Pit. (11/22/00) were a career-high and the 4th-highest total in team history. Named NFC offensive POW after accounting for 90.7% of offense in victory at Wash. (11/26/00). His 125 rushing yards were the most by an NFL QB since the Bears Bobby Douglass (127 on 12/17/72) and was the 6th-best rushing effort by a QB since 1940 when the "T" formation was introduced. Threw for a career-high 390 passing yards and 4 TDs at Cle. (12/10/00) en route to NFC offensive POW honors.
2001
Earned his 2nd trip to the Pro Bowl (was originally elected as an alternate) following the 2001 season after combining for 3,715 yards of total offense and establishing career highs in TD passes (25) and QB rating (84.3). Including playoffs, threw TD passes in 15 of 18 games and 2-or-more in 12 of those games Named by his teammates as the club's offensive MVP in 2000 and 2001. Led the Eagles in 4th qtr. comebacks in two wins vs. the Giants in 2001. At NYG (10/22/01), his 18-yard pass to James Thrash with 1:52 remaining gave the Eagles a 10-9 victory. At Phi. (12/30/01), wiped out a 21-14 deficit, engineering two 4th qtr. scores as the Eagles clinched the NFC East title. Tied Ron Jaworski and Tommy Thompson for the most postseason wins in franchise history by a QB (3). His 8 career playoff TDs trails only Jaworski (9) Named NFL offensive player of the week after the divisional playoff game at Chi. (1/19/02). Was 40-26-262-2TDs passing and added 37 yards and a TD on the ground. That rushing TD was the final score at the old Soldier Field. He last started at that stadium in the 1995 City High School Championship. Became only the 4th QB in Eagles history to pass for 3,000 yards in consecutive seasons - Sonny Jurgenson (1961-62), Ron Jaworski (1980-81) and Randall Cunningham (1988-90) were the others.
2003
After suffering a broken leg during the 2002 season, McNabb was slow to recover.
In September of 2003, Donovan McNabb was the subject of controversial comments made by Rush Limbaugh, who worked as a commentator for ESPN at the time. There has been much discussion about the merit of these comments, which resulted in Limbaugh's resignation from ESPN.
Despite the slow start in the 2003 season, McNabb again led his team to the NFC championship game - yet Donovan's detractors point out that in his five years in the NFL McNabb has yet to complete 60 per cent of his passes or average seven yards per attempt over the course of an entire season, these two statistical thresholds being widely accepted as benchmarks for what constitutes a successful season for a modern-day NFL quarterback. With Philadelphia's loss to the Carolina Panthers in the 2003 NFC championship game (actually played on January 18, 2004), McNabb became the first NFL quarterback since Danny White of the Dallas Cowboys (1980-1982) to lead a team to three consecutive defeats in conference title games, prompting some observers to conclude that McNabb "chokes" in big games (his cumulative passer rating in the three conference championship games is 50.5 - a figure that is approximately 10 points lower than what the worst quarterback in the league earns over the course of a typical year). By contrast, two other African-American quarterbacks, Steve McNair and Daunte Culpepper, both completed more than 60 per cent of their passes in each season from 2000 through 2003 - and Culpepper also averaged over seven yards per attempt in all four seasons, while McNair met the latter standard three times.
McNabb's defenders, however, point out that Philadelphia has had the worst contingent of wide receivers in the NFL throughout McNabb's tenure with the team, and perhaps in modern professional football history: In 2003, for example, Philadelphia's wide receivers caught only five touchdown passes - tying the record for fewest in a season since the regular-season schedule was lengthened to its present 16 games in 1978 - and that, by going the entire months of September and October without having a wide receiver catch a touchdown pass, the 2003 Eagles became the first NFL team since 1945 not to have gotten a touchdown pass from any of its wide receivers in the first two months of a season.
2004
Through the Eagles' first three games of the season, all wins, McNabb has finally amassed the kind of statistics that should place him firmly within the elite of NFL quarterbacks, averaging over eight yards per attempt and completing nearly 70 percent of his passes. Not coincidentally, this improvement has followed a dramatic upgrading of the Eagles' receiving corps, most notably the arrival of Terrell Owens.
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