CADE McNOWN

UCLA

Quarterback, 1995-98

Cade McNown started playing football in fifth grade, and those early years molded a player who never shied away from contact. His natural inclination was to pick up first downs with his feet rather than his arm. Something would have to change before McNown would become UCLA’s all-time leading passer with 10,708 yards and the school’s 13th College Football Hall of Fame inductee.

"Bob Toledo told me: 'Cade, look you're going to run for yards, but you're going to pass for miles, so, start giving it to those other guys. They've got scholarships too,’” McNown recalled. “It took a little bit for me to figure that out. But it was a lot easier on my body."

Toledo was the offensive coordinator McNown’s freshman season before taking over as the Bruins head coach from College Football Hall of Famer Terry Donahue. Al Borges joined the staff in 1996 as the offensive coordinator and quarterback coach. All played key roles in turning the four-year starter into a consensus First Team All-America quarterback.

“Coach Donahue, Coach Toledo and Coach Borges allowed me to play to my strengths,” said McNown. “They allowed me to do a lot of throwing on the run and spread things out a lot, giving me space, rather than saying, you have to throw from the pocket every time.”

McNown guided the Bruins to Pac-10 titles in 1998 and 1997 and consecutive 10-2 seasons. The 1997 season would begin with consecutive close losses and end with a No. 5 national ranking following McNown’s Offensive MVP performance in a win over Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl.

The 1998 campaign flipped the losses to the backend, concluding with dramatic defeats to Miami (FL) and then Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl Game. McNown notched the UCLA single-game record with 513 passing yards against the Hurricanes and a Bruins bowl record of 340 passing yards against the Badgers. The 1998 team finished with a No. 8 final ranking, and McNown finished third in the Heisman voting, having accumulated 3,470 passing yards and 3,652 total offensive yards.

“Despite one of the most memorable games of my college career being a loss, it was probably the best offensive game our team ever played,” McNown said of the Miami defeat, which cost the Bruins a berth in the inaugural BCS National Championship game. “It was a great reminder that even when you do all the right things and everything you can, it doesn't necessarily guarantee a win.”

Donahue, who had recruited McNown, made the true freshman the starting quarterback four games into the 1995 season. The decision would eventually allow McNown to become the only quarterback on either side of the UCLA-USC crosstown rivalry to win all four games during their career.

“It became very clear early during his career that he possessed a degree of confidence,” said Donahue. “He just believed that he was going to be able to get it done in spite of any obstacles that might be in his way. He was certainly a gifted thrower. He was a good runner. He was tough as nails. He had all that stuff.... [Teammates] believed in him because of his personality, the way he expressed himself and just the fact that he usually got it done.”

McNown’s favorite memories include getting into the first game of the 1995 season as a true freshman against Miami and Ray Lewis and having legendary broadcaster Keith Jackson compliment him during the national broadcast. He recalled launching the school-record 20-game win streak by beating Texas by 63 points in Austin. He fondly remembers throwing two interceptions to future Hall of Famer Charles Woodson as a sophomore against Michigan, which elicited a halftime rebuke from his coach to stop making “that player look like an All-American.”

“I don't feel worthy,” said McNown about being inducted into the Hall. “It's amazing to be included alongside an incredible class with many people who I watched and admired. As you go through previous classes and what it means to be a part of it, I really don't have words. I truly feel like the only reason that is happening is the result of all the things that my teammates, coaches and administrators did, including my high school coaches and teammates. It's incredible not just for me but for all those people.”