Keith McCants
Alvin Keith McCants (born April 19, 1968 in Mobile, Alabama) is a former professional American football linebacker who played for six seasons in the National Football League for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Houston Oilers, and the Arizona Cardinals from 1990 to 1995. He was selected by Tampa Bay in the 1st round (4th overall) of the 1990 NFL Draft.
High school career
McCants attended Murphy High School in Mobile, Alabama. As a senior, he amassed 130 tackles and 3 interceptions and was named to the 1986 1st Team All State Team. Additionally, McCants was named to the 1986 Alabama Sports Writers Association's Super 12 team, composed of the top 12 high school football players in the state.[1] McCants was also on the school's basketball team, and helped lead them to the state tournament both his freshman and senior year.[2]
College career
A college standout at the University of Alabama, McCants had a number of accolades bestowed upon him including being named a 1989 Consensus First Team All-American and a 1989 Butkus Award Runner-up.[3] He was a member of the 1990 Sugar Bowl team and was named the National Defensive Player of the Year in 1989 by CBS-TV. In 1988 as a sophomore, McCants finished second on the team with 78 tackles, second only to Derrick Thomas. In 1989, he led the Crimson Tide with 119 tackles and 4 sacks and was named Sports Illustrated defensive player of the week after totaling 18 tackles in an Alabama victory over LSU. In the last game of the 1989 regular season against Auburn, dubbed the Iron Bowl, McCants was named the CBS Player of the Game for Alabama with 18 tackles, an interception, and a forced fumble.[4] McCants 119 tackles that year puts him tied for 6th all time for tackles in a single season by an Alabama player.[5] Among a number of individual honors, McCants finished his college career with 197 total tackles, including 16 tackles for a loss.[6] The February 12th, 1990 issue of Sports Illustrated ran an article that focused on McCants titled "The Young and the Restless", that profiled his and other college juniors' eventually successful attempts to declare for the NFL Draft before their senior season, a then-uncommon practice.[7][8] In December 2010, Bleacher Report named McCants the 33rd greatest player in Alabama Crimson Tide History.[9]
Professional career
McCants was for a time expected to be the first player selected in the 1990 NFL draft, but the Atlanta Falcons backed off due to rumors of knee trouble and allegations that his family had been paid money by a sports agent while he was still in college.[10] After being drafted fourth overall by the Buccaneers in 1990, McCants signed a 5 year, $7.4 million dollar deal with the team, including a then-record $2.5 million dollar cash signing bonus.[2] [11] A highly touted prospect, McCants rookie card by Score quoted former Kentucky head coach Jerry Claiborne as saying "Keith is one of the best football players I have ever seen. Have you ever seen a linebacker as big as he is? I never have. He looks like an elephant and he runs like a deer". Buccaneers coach Ray Perkins, McCants' former college coach, said that "He plays like he is never out of the play. That is an intensity level I like".[12]
McCants had difficulty adjusting to playing linebacker in the NFL and was converted to defensive end for the 1991 season. Previously timed at 4.51 seconds for the 40-yard dash, after the transition he lost speed. Tampa Bay also drafted him not knowing that he had sustained a serious knee injury. McCants did have some success, as he led the Buccaneers in 1991 with 34 quarterback pressures, and was second on the Buccaneers in sacks (5) and quarterback pressures (21) in 1992. Eventually, Tampa Bay cut him during their 1993 training camp. While with the Houston Oilers, McCants stepped in to separate Buddy Ryan and Kevin Gilbride when Ryan punched Gilbride in the face following an Oiler's fumble.[13] In 1994, McCants' 46-yard touchdown was the Cardinals' longest interception return of the season.[14] McCants retired from the NFL in 1995.
Personal Life
According to her biography, while still a child WNBA player Lindsey Harding was inspired by a footrace with McCants to enter the world of sports.[3]. McCants recently launched his own website, www.keithmccants.com, which he plans on using as a platform to present his take on topical football and sports commentary. He now maintains a Twitter account and Facebook fan page as well.
Legal troubles
According to a May 15th, 2011 Tampa Tribune article, since 2002 McCants has had three convictions on charges of possessing drugs or drug paraphernalia. [15] . The article goes on to detail how, since his last new arrest in December 2010, "McCants said he has been clean and doesn't believe he has a drug-addiction problem."
References
- ^ AHSFHS.org Alabama High School Football Player Bios
- ^ The Tuscaloosa News - Google News Archive Search
- ^ Keith McCants, Alabama Crimson Tide, Football, Where Are They Now? | LostLettermen.com
- ^ http://www.rolltide.com/archive_files/files/football/1989/GameRecaps/89recapAU.pdf
- ^ http://www.rolltide.com/archive_files/files/football/2004/gamenotes/bama_kentucky.pdf
- ^ http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/alab/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/history-stats.pdf
- ^ Alabama linebacker Keith McCants heads a group of some - 02.12.90 - SI Vault
- ^ University of Kentucky Men's Basketball Programs
- ^ The 50 Greatest Players In Alabama Crimson Tide Football History | Bleacher Report
- ^ Associated Press. "Falcons sour on McCants, want George with top pick". The Gadsden Times. 11 Apr 1990.
- ^ Buccaneers Sign Keith McCants for $7.4 Million - Los Angeles Times
- ^ Pino, Mark. "McCants signs, gets serious about football". The Ocala Star-Banner. 13 Jul 1990]]
- ^ Buddy Ryan punching Kevin Gilbride - YouTube
- ^ Arizona Cardinals Stats at NFL.com
- ^ Johnston, Joey. "Former Bucs player McCants is broke, suffering", The Tampa Tribune, May 15th, 2011
External links
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Draft years
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AFC East: BUF · MIA · NE · NYJ • North: BAL · CIN · CLE · PIT • South: HOU · IND · JAC · TEN • West: DEN · KC · OAK · SD
NFC East: DAL · NYG · PHI · WAS • North: CHI · DET · GB · MIN • South: ATL · CAR · NO · TB • West: ARI · STL · SF · SEA
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| Persondata |
| Name |
McCants, Keith |
| Alternative names |
McCants, Alvin Keith; McCants, A. Keith |
| Short description |
All-American college football player, professional football player, defensive lineman, defensive end, linebacker |
| Date of birth |
April 19, 1968 |
| Place of birth |
Mobile, Alabama, United States |
| Date of death |
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| Place of death |
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