McCant’s patience pays off
Finally . : . something to put a
damper on the whining about the
Comhusker football team’s perceived
lack of respect.
Nebraska quarterback Keithen
McCant was named to the First team
of The Associated Press All-Big Eight
team on Tuesday. The team is se
lected by Big Eight-area sports me
dia.
There was concern among Husker
players, coaches and fans that the top
quarterback pick would be Colorado’s
Darian Hagan, who led his team to a
share of the national championship
last season before injuring his knee in
the Orange Bowl win against Notre
Dame.
Hagan had been the preseason
favorite long before anyone in the
conference region ever had heard of
McCant. He had returned from his
knee injury, which also gave him
overwhelming media attention, asdid
his attempt at returning punts this
season to turn the heads of NFL scouts.
But even that couldn ’ t help Hagan.
In the end, logic reigned supreme,
and McCant’s season statistics got
the top man the top honor.
Success is nothing new to McCant,
but it had been absent during most of
his career at Nebraska.
At Grand Prairie High School,
McCant was named the offensive
player of the year in his district during
his senior year in 1986, when he
completed 72 of 161 passes for 1,800
yards and 18 touchdowns.
During his freshman season at
Nebraska, McCant shared the start
ing job at quarterback with Tom Haase,
completing 10 of 28 passes for 182
yards and two touchdowns, with two
interceptions. He also ran for 92 yards
on 24 carries.
But on the varsity team, McCant’s
numbers were less-impressive. Until
this season, he had completed only 2
of 3 for 23 yards, and had thrown one
Chuck
Green
interception.
For a while, even McCant must
have thought his glory days on the
football field were behind him. After
drills ended last spring, McCant found
himself at No. 3 on the Husker depth
chart, behind Mickey Joseph and Tom
Haase, both of whom enjoyed start
ing time last season.
But when the season-opener against
Utah State finally rolled around in
September, McCant got another
chance.
Joseph, selected as the starter after
fall camp, faltered throughout the first
quarter. Haase was unable to play
because of an injury, and the dbor
opened for McCant, who was still the
third-stringer.
The fifth-year senior made the most
of his chance in that game. He com
pleted 6 of 10 passes for 101 yards
and one touchdown, and rushed nine
times for 87 yards and another touch
down.
Nebraska Coach Tom Osborne
announced that McCant would be the
starter in the next game, against Colo
rado State, and the rest is history.
His season statistics are as impres
sive as his patience and comeback
story: 1,454 yards and 13 touchdowns
passing, and another 654 yards — a
5.4 yards-per-carry average — and
seven touchdowns rushing.
McCant’s persistence illustrates the
hopelessness of quitting. While other
quarterbacks faced with the prospect
of spending their senior seasons at
third string may have quit, McCant
stuck it out and eventually got his
chance.
Because he did, he is now regarded
as the best signal caller in the confer
ence.
It’s doubtful that either Hagan or
McCant will play professional foot
ball, although McCant would have a
better chance, with two good knees
and some decent passing statistics. If
he sign s w ith someone as a free agent,
he may possess the tools to make the
team, albeit in a backup role.
But McCant was a backup at
Nebraska for three years. He stuck it
out and got his chance, and made the
most of it. The same could happen in
the pros with a little persistence and a
lot of luck.
Green is a senior news-editorial major,
the Daily Nebraskan’s assistant sports editor
and a columnist. u „
The best way
to wrap up the term
What better way than with an IBM Personal System/2. Make your holidays really happy and the new
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♦ *
I- OFFENSE: QB - Kelthen McCant, Nebraska, Sr., 6-2, 205,
Grand Prairie, Texas; RB - Barak Brown, Nebraska, So., 5-6,185, La Habra,
CaKf.; RB - Tony Sands, Kansas, Sr., 5-6,175, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; RB - Mike
Gaddis, Oklahoma, Sr., 6-2, 225, Midwest City, OWa.; TE - Johnny Mitchell,
Nebraska, So., 6-3,250, CMc^jo; WR - Michael Smith. Kansas St, Sr., 5-9,160,
New Orleans; CN - Jay Leeuwenburg, Colorado, Sr., 6-3, 265, Kirkwood, Mo.; OL
- Will Shields, Nebraska, Jr., 6-1,280, Lawton, Olda.; OL - Chris Perez,
Kansas, Sr., 6-5, 280, Palatine. III.; OL - Brian Boerboom, Nebraska, Sr., 6-7,
285, Colorado Springs, Cok>.; OL - Brian Brauninger, Oklahoma, Sr., 6-5,279,
Arlington, Texas; PK - Dan Eichloff, Kansas, So., 6-1,215, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
DEFENSE: DL - Joel Steed, Colorado, Sr., 6-3,270, Denver; DL- Dana
Stubblefield, Kansas, Sr., 6-4, 285, Cleves, Ohio; DL - Stacey Satterwhite,
OWahoma St., Sr., 6-6, 270, Welch, OWa.; DE - Reggie Barnes, Oklahoma St,
So , 6-4, 220, Altus, OWa.; LB - Joe Bowden, Oklahoma, Sr., 6-0, 230, Mesquite,
Texas; LB - Greg Biekert, Colorado, Jr., 6-3, 220, Longmont, Colo.; LB - Brooks
Barta, Kansas St., Jr.. 6-0, 215, Smith Center, Kan.; DB-Jason Belser,
OWahoma, Sr., 5-9, 184, Kansas City, Mo.; DB - Eric Hamilton, Colorado, Jr., 6-0,
200, Inglewood, Calif.; DB - Tyrone Legette, Nebraska, Sr., 5-10,180,
Columbia, S.C.; P - Dan Eichloff, Kansas, So., 6-1, 215, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
| - OFFENSE: QB -Darian Hagan, Colorado, Sr., 5-10,185,
Los Angeles; RB - Calvin Jonea, Nebraska, Fr., 5-11,205, Omaha; RB - Lamont
Warren. Colorado, Fr., 6-1, 185, Inglewood, Calif.; RB - Eric Gallon. Kansas St.,
Jr., 6-1, 205, Lakeland, Fla.; TE - Russ Campbell, Kansas St., Sr., 6-5, 255,
Wichita, Kan.; WR - Jon Bostick, Nebraska, Sr., 6-2,185, Bellevue, Wash.; CN
- Quentin Neujahr, Kansas St., So., 6-4, 270, Ulysses, Neb.; OL- Keith Loneker,
Kansas, Jr.. 6-3,325, Roselle Park, N.J.; OL - Erik Wiegert, Nebraska, Sr., 6-5,
275, Fremont, Neb.; OL - Brandon Houston, OWahoma, Sr., 6-5, 284, Bartlesville,
OWa.; OL - Mike Bedosky, Missouri, So., 6-5, 305, Jefferson City, Mo.; PK - Jeff
Jacke, Missouri, Jr., 6-0, 190, Richardson, Texas. DEFENSE: DL - Stacey Dillard,
OWahoma, Sr., 6-5, 287, Clarksville, Texas; DL - Leonard Renfro, Colorado, So.,
6-4, 285, Detroit; DL - Pat Engelbert, Nebraska, Sr., 6-2,250, Columbus, Neb.;
DE - Travis Hill, Nebraska, Jr., 6-2,230, Pearland, Texas.; DE - Trey Tippens,
OWahoma, Jr., 6-3, 235, Snyder, Texas; LB - Chris Wilson, OWahoma, Sr., 6-1,
230, Richardson, Texas; LB - Choi Brown, Colorado, Jr., 6-3, 230, Pasadena,
Calif.; LB - Mike Petko, Nebraska, Sr., 6-3, 230, Anaheim, Calif.; DB - Curtis
Cotton, Nebraska, Sr., 6-1,210, Omaha; DB - Mark DouBrava, Iowa State, Jr.,
6-0, 187, Urbandale, Iowa; DB-Sharron Washington, Missouri, Sr., 6-0, 205, St.
Louis; P - Mike Stigge, Nebraska, Jr., 6-2,190, Washington, Kan.
Amie DeFrairVDN
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