Keith McCants
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No. 52, 78, 90 | |||||||
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Position: | Linebacker, defensive end | ||||||
Personal information | |||||||
Born: | Mobile, Alabama, U.S. | April 19, 1968||||||
Died: | September 2, 2021 St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S. | (aged 53)||||||
Height: | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | ||||||
Weight: | 260 lb (118 kg) | ||||||
Career information | |||||||
High school: | Murphy (Mobile) | ||||||
College: | Alabama | ||||||
NFL draft: | 1990 / Round: 1 / Pick: 4 | ||||||
Career history | |||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||
Career NFL statistics | |||||||
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Player stats at NFL.com · PFR |
Alvin Keith McCants (April 19, 1968 – September 2, 2021) was an American professional
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
In 1989, he led the Crimson Tide with 119 tackles and 4 sacks. After Alabama's victory against Tennessee, McCants was named the SEC Defensive Player of the Week by the league office
Among a number of individual honors, McCants finished his college career with 197 total tackles, including 16 tackles for a loss.[11] Additionally, McCants 119 tackles that year puts him tied for 6th all time for tackles in a single season by an Alabama player.[12] The February 12, 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.[13][14] In December 2010, Bleacher Report named McCants the 33rd greatest player in Alabama Crimson Tide History.[15]
Before the draft, Ed Sherman of the Chicago Tribune described McCants as "the biggest star around", with pro scouts "drooling over him", and projected him to be "a virtual lock to be the top pick in next spring`s NFL draft". `BAMA STAR WEIGHS THE PROS, CONS
Professional career
McCants was for a time expected to be the first player selected in the
Floyd Peters was brought to the Bucs in 1991, and converted McCants from a linebacker to defensive end. Although McCants resisted the change, Peters convinced him that with time he could become a success story along the lines of Chris Doleman, another Peters conversion.[22] Although privately unhappy he accepted the position, and tried to make the best of it, claiming "Teams won't take me lightly. I can tell you that...I can play any position on this football team, except maybe quarterback. When this season is over, I could be in the Pro Bowl. You don't know how hungry I am. It doesn't matter what position I'm playing. What matters is me."[23]
Although McCants was not fond of the move, he did have some success, as he led the Buccaneers in 1991 with 34 quarterback pressures and recorded 5 sacks, prompting Patrick Zier of the New York Times to remark "considering the circumstances, McCants first year was a success. . .despite having to learn an entirely new position".
Within 48 hours, he was picked up off waivers by the New England Patriots, where he was reunited once again with Ray Perkins, then New England's Offensive coordinator.[26] Regarding his cut from the Bucs and resigning, McCants remarked at the time "This is a lot off my shoulders...The rumors had been spreading for some time now concerning my future with Tampa."[27] He played in a preseason game the day he was signed, against the Kansas City Chiefs, before being released.
In 1993 while with the Houston Oilers, McCants stepped in to separate
NFL statistics
Year | Team | Games | Comb. Tkls. | Tackles | Asst. Tkls. | Sacks | Forced Fmb. | Fumb Rec. | Fumb Ret Yds | Int | Int Ret Yds. | Yards per Ret. | Long Ret. | Int Ret. Touchdown | Pass Def. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1990 | TB | 15 | 44 | 44 | 0 | 2.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1991 | TB | 16 | 54 | 54 | 0 | 5.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1992 | TB | 16 | 58 | 58 | 0 | 5.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1993 | HOU | 13 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1994 | HOU | 4 | 20 | 17 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
1994 | ARI | 8 | 15 | 14 | 1 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 1 | 3 |
1995 | ARI | 16 | 20 | 17 | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 2 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Career | 88 | 192 | 184 | 8 | 13.5 | 0 | 6 | 16 | 1 | 46 | 46 | 46 | 1 | 5 |
Broadcast career
On September 13, 2019, McCants began cohosting Hear It Now! with Barry Edwards every Friday on WWBA (820 AM) in Tampa Bay. This was his first full-time role as a broadcaster. He interviewed guests Cornelius Bennett,[32] Robert Jones, Stylez G. White, George Teague,[33] Willie Anderson,[34] Kato Kaelin and Ron Jeremy.
Personal life
McCants and
After leaving the NFL, McCants, who studied Criminal Justice while at the University of Alabama, became the first black marine police officer in the state of Alabama. Working for the Department of Conservation and Natural resources, Conservation Commissioner Riley Boykin Smith said at the time that "he hopes McCants will become the first of many minorities who take advantage of the opportunities to work for his department".[37][38]
McCants was also an avid scuba diver, having dived all around the coast of Florida and the Caribbean.[37]
McCants died of an apparent drug overdose on September 2, 2021, aged 53.[39]
Media appearances
McCants appeared in the 2012 episode Broke, part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series of sports documentaries. The premiere of Broke, which detailed the high rates of bankruptcy and financial trouble amongst professional athletes, attracted 2.7 million viewers, an all-time ESPN record.[40]
McCants was a semi-frequent guest on HuffPost Live, having appeared on the program five times.[41][42][43][44] [45] Three of the appearances were with host Marc Lamont Hill.
McCants was the guest for the September 21, 2012, episode of Dan Lebatard is Highly Questionable.[46]
On September 24, 2012, he appeared as a guest on The Adam Carolla Show alongside Jeff Timmons of 98 Degrees.[47]
In December 2012, McCants appeared on Tailgating with Kato, Kato Kaelin's sports-themed television talk show
He also appeared on WALA-TV Fox 10 a number of times, with segments including "The Interview"[48] and "Studio 10".[49]
McCants was featured in sportswriter Gregg Easterbrook's book The King of Sports: Football's Impact on America released in October 2013.
Legal troubles
According to a May 15, 2011,
References
- ^ "AHSFHS.org Alabama High School Football Player Bios". www.ahsfhs.org.
- ^ "The Tuscaloosa News - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
- ^ "All-America Teams | Walter Camp Football Foundation". Archived from the original on March 30, 2009.
- ^ Keith McCants, Alabama Crimson Tide, Football, Where Are They Now? | LostLettermen.com Archived April 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b https://web.archive.org/web/20120717081037/http://www.rolltide.com/archive_files/files/football/1989/GameRecaps/89recapAU.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 17, 2012. Retrieved May 25, 2011.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^ [1] [dead link]
- ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20120326074943/http://www.rolltide.com/archive_files/files/football/1988/GameRecaps/88recaps.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^ "Tri City Herald - Google News Archive Search".
- ^ "Record-Journal - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
- ^ "Gadsden Times - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
- ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20090320130713/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/alab/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/history-stats.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 20, 2009. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20120616210523/http://www.rolltide.com/archive_files/files/football/2004/gamenotes/bama_kentucky.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 16, 2012. Retrieved March 27, 2011.
{{cite web}}
: Missing or empty|title=
(help) - ^ "Alabama linebacker Keith McCants heads a group of some - 02.12.90 - SI Vault". Archived from the original on November 4, 2012.
- ^ "ExploreUK - rare and unique research materials from UK Libraries". exploreuk.uky.edu.
- ^ Pinto, Michael. "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. April 11, 1990.
- ^ "Portsmouth Daily Times - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
- ^ "1990 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
- ^ "Observer-Reporter - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
- ^ "Buccaneers Sign Keith McCants for $7.4 Million". Los Angeles Times. July 11, 1990.
- ^ Pino, Mark. "McCants signs, gets serious about football". The Ocala Star-Banner. July 13, 1990
- ^ "Gadsden Times - Google News Archive Search". News.ggogle.com. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- ^ MCCANTS TRYING NEW LINE OF WORK
- ^ "Gadsden Times - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com.
- ^ MCCANTS UNHAPPY AT END
- ^ Reading Eagle - Google News Archive Search
- ^ PATRIOTS PICK UP EX-BUC MCCANTS
- YouTube
- ^ Banks, Don (December 22, 1993). "McCants' move: castoff to playoffs". St. Petersburg Times.
- NFL.com.
- ^ "Keith McCants Stats". ESPN Internet Ventures. Retrieved June 6, 2014.
- ^ "Keith McCants Interviews Cornelius Bennett 9/20/19". Archived from the original on December 15, 2021 – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ "Keith McCants Interviews George Teague on 820 AM". Archived from the original on December 15, 2021 – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ "Keith McCants Interviews Willie Anderson". Archived from the original on December 15, 2021 – via www.youtube.com.
- ^ Manuel, Marlon (February 1, 1990). "NewsBank for AJC – www.ajc.com". The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta Constitution Page: F/3.
- ^ "Lindsey Harding | Actor Profile | Resume | Photos". Archived from the original on January 19, 2016. Retrieved December 22, 2011.
- ^ a b "The Tuscaloosa News - Google News Archive Search". Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- ^ "Lakeland Ledger - Google News Archive Search". Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- ^ "Keith McCants, former NFL and Alabama star, dead at 53". AL.com. September 2, 2021. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
- ^ "'Broke' Ranks as ESPN's Highest-Rated '30 for 30′ Documentary - Ratings - TVbytheNumbers.Zap2it.com". TVbytheNumbers. Archived from the original on November 9, 2014. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- ^ "HuffPost Live". Live.huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- ^ "HuffPost Live". Live.huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- ^ "HuffPost Live". Live.huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- ^ "HuffPost Live". Live.huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- ^ "HuffPost Live". Live.huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- YouTube
- ^ "Jeff Timmons and Keith McCants". Adamcarolla.com. September 25, 2012. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
- YouTube
- ^ "Former NFL Star Keith McCants Talks About His Rough Life After Football | Studio10". Archived from the original on November 26, 2013. Retrieved March 19, 2013.
- ^ Johnston, Joey. "Former Bucs player McCants is broke, suffering" Archived September 19, 2011, at the Wayback Machine, The Tampa Tribune, May 15, 2011