Donovan McNabb
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Donovan Jamal McNabb (born November 25, 1976 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American football player for the Philadelphia Eagles of the NFL. He attended Syracuse University.
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Early Years
Donovan was a standout quarterback at Mount Carmel High School on Chicago's south side. Mount Carmel has produced such athletes as current Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Simeon Rice, Chicago Bears tackle Steve Edwards, and Boston Celtics forward Antoine Walker.
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 first-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 attempt (9.1). He finished his college career ranked second in the school's history with 8,389 yards passing, 548 completions, 938 attempts and a 58.4 completion percentage. Started every game during his career, compiling a 33-12 record. As a senior, led Syracuse 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 rushed 135 times for 438 yards and 8 touchdowns.. Ranked sixth in the nation with a 158.9 passing efficiency rating and 22nd in total offense (233.8 yards per 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-yard TD pass vs. West Virginia, the longest in SU history. He redshirted in 1994.
NFL career
1999
In 1999, McNabb started six of the Eagles' final seven contests (missing the December 19 home game against New England due to injury) as he became the first Philadelphia Eagles rookie to start in the quarterback position since Brad Goebel on October 13, 1991, and the first Eagles rookie draft pick to start since John Reaves in 1972. He saw his first NFL regular season action in the second half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home on September 19. He made his first career start at home against Washington on November 14, completing eight of 21 passes for 60 yards in a 35-28 win. He also had nine carries for 49 rushing yards and led the team to a pair of successful two-point 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 (December 1, 1974 vs. Green Bay) and the first Eagle QB to win his first start since Ty Detmer (October 13, 1996 at NYG). Threw the first TD pass of his career (6 yards to TE Chad Lewis) vs. Indianapolis on November 21.
2000
In his first full season as a NFL starter in 2000, McNabb finished second in the Associated Press MVP voting (24-11) to St. Louis 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 Carolina's Steve Beuerlein (75.3%) and San Francisco's Jeff Garcia (75.1%) had a higher percentage. His 629 rushing yards in 2000 were tops among NFL QBs and the fourth-highest total ever (968 by Bobby Douglass in 1972; 942 by Cunningham in 1990; and 674 by Steve McNair in 1997). His six rushing TDs in 2000 were the most by an Eagles QB since Randall Cunningham also had six in 1988. Broke the club's single season record for most attempts (569) and completions (307) in 2000, marks previously set by Cunningham (560 and 301 respectively) 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. Atlanta at home (October 1) with his first 300-yard passing game and the Eagles' first since Bobby Hoying vs. Cincinnati at home on November 30, 1997. His 55 pass attempts at Pittsburgh (November 12) were a career-high and the fourth-highest total in team history. Named NFC Offensive Player of the Week after accounting for 90.7% of the offense in a victory at Washington (November 26). His 125 rushing yards were the most by an NFL QB since the Bears Bobby Douglass (127 on December 17, 1972) and was the sixth-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 Cleveland (December 10) en route to NFC Offensive Player of the Week honors.
2001
Earned his second 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 fourth-quarter comebacks in two wins vs. the Giants in 2001. At the Meadowlands (October 22), his 18-yard pass to James Thrash with 1:52 remaining gave the Eagles a 10-9 victory. At Philadelphia (December 30), wiped out a 21-14 deficit, engineering two fourth-quarter 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 NFC Divisional Playoff game at Chicago (January 19, 2002). Completed 26 of 40 for 262 yards with 2 touchdowns 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 fourth 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.
2002-2003
In week 11 of the 2002 season, McNabb was injured. On the third play of the game, he was sacked by the Cardinals' Adrian Wilson and LeVar Woods. He fumbled the ball, fell to the ground, and held his right leg. He went to the locker room to have his ankle taped, but returned for the Eagles' second drive. His injury was reported to be a sprained ankle, but X-rays after the game revealed that it was a broken ankle. During the game, however, McNabb made an impressive show of toughness. In one of the best passing games of his career, he was 20 of 25 passing, with 255 yards and 4 touchdowns. He also threw an interception.
McNabb was out for the last six weeks of the regular season, and returned to face the Atlanta Falcons in the playoffs, but he recovered slowly.
In late September of 2003, Donovan McNabb was the subject of very 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 his 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, two statistical thresholds 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).
McNabb's defenders, however, point out that Philadelphia had the worst contingent of wide receivers in the NFL throughout McNabb's tenure with the team up to that point, 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 (although this record was broken in 2004 by the Giants, whose wide receivers caught only two touchdowns in that year) - 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
McNabb finally amassed the kind of statistics that should place him firmly within the elite of NFL quarterbacks, averaging 8.26 yards attempt — the highest such figure for an Eagle quarterback since Sonny Jurgenson averaged 8.91 yards per attempt in 1962 — and completing 64.0 percent of his passes, along with throwing 31 touchdown passes (also running for three more) and only eight interceptions, these numbers good enough for a Passer Rating of 104.7. Furthermore, he became the first quarterback in league history to throw over 30 touchdowns and less than 10 interceptions in a single season. This dramatic improvement coincided with a massive upgrading of the Eagles' receiving corps, namely the arrival of Terrell Owens, who caught 14 of the scoring passes. As a result, the Eagles won their first seven games of the season for the first time in franchise history, clinched first place in their division with five weeks still to play in the regular season (becoming only the third team in modern NFL history to do this) and won the NFC's Eastern Division by a record-tying seven-game margin in posting a 13-3 record, the franchise's best 16-game season ever, defeated the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC championsip and leading the franchise to their first Super Bowl in almost a quarter century. He is only the third African-American quarterback to start in a Super Bowl after Doug Williams in the 1987 season and Steve McNair in 1999.
Super Bowl XXXIX
McNabb led his team against the newly-forming dynasty, The New England Patriots. Though both teams had difficulty finding an offensive strategy early in the game, McNabb made poor pass selections, and did not manage the clock well in the second half, including, at one point, not being able to call a play in the huddle, for reasons which are still unclear, during the team's penultimate offensive possession. He ended up throwing three interceptions, and the Eagles lost 24-21.