Kevin Sweeney (American football)

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Kevin Sweeney
No. 19, 7
Position:Quarterback
Personal information
Born: (1963-11-16) November 16, 1963 (age 61)
Bozeman, Montana, U.S.
Height:6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Weight:191 lb (87 kg)
Career information
High school:Fresno Bullard
(Fresno, California)
College:Fresno State (1983–1986)
NFL draft:1987: 7th round, 180th pick
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Career highlights and awards
  • 2×
    PCAA
    Co-Most Valuable Player (1985, 1986)
  • 2× PCAA Offensive Player of the Year (1985, 1986)
  • 2× First-team All-PCAA (1985, 1986)
  • Fresno State Bulldogs No. 9 retired
Career NFL statistics
Passing attempts:106
Passing completions:47
Completion percentage:44.3%
TD–INT:7–6
Passing yards:605
Passer rating:61.2
Stats at Pro Football Reference

Kevin Joseph Sweeney (born November 16, 1963) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football for the Fresno State Bulldogs.

Early life

Sweeney attended Bullard High School, where he was a standout quarterback. As a senior, he broke Pat Haden's state record for touchdown passes in a season with 35 and received Northern California offensive player of the year honors.

His older brother Jim was recruiting him for the

Fresno State University
.

College career

Sweeney accepted a scholarship from

Fresno State University to be coached by his father and replace at quarterback the graduated Jeff Tedford.[1] He worked with Steve DeBerg
, whom he credited with helping him most with his throwing motion.

He was a four-year starter, played in 46 contests and missed only one half of a game in his career, even playing as a senior with a left dislocated shoulder that required surgery at the end of the season.[2]

As a sophomore, he passed for 3,259 yards and 20 touchdowns, leading the nation's highest scoring offense (39.1 points per game). The next year, he threw for 2,604 yards and 14 touchdowns, while helping his team finish as the only Division I unbeaten school (11–0–1). He also had a career long 95-yard touchdown pass against Oregon State University.

As a senior, he had the lowest interception percentage (2.37) among the top 25 rated passers and set a conference mark with a career-high 4

NCAA most prolific passer after breaking Doug Flutie's record for passing yards in a career (10,623 yards).[3]
[4] He shared the NCAA mark for most games of 200 or more passing yards (31), had the conference's career records for touchdowns (66) and completions (781).

College statistics

  • 1983: 166/334 for 2,359 yards with 16 TD vs 19 INT
  • 1984: 227/421 for 3,259 yards with 20 TD vs 13 INT
  • 1985: 177/295 for 2,604 yards with 14 TD vs 7 INT
  • 1986: 160/284 for 2,363 yards with 15 TD vs 9 INT

In 2000, the school retired his number 9 jersey.[5] In 2002, he was inducted into the Fresno Athletic Hall of Fame.[6]

Professional career

Dallas Cowboys

Sweeney was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the seventh round (180th overall) of the 1987 NFL draft, after dropping because of his height.[7] It was also a type of homecoming, as he was a ballboy at the Cowboys' Thousand Oaks training camp growing up. He couldn't pass Paul McDonald on the depth chart and was waived on September 7.[8]

After the players went on a strike on the third week of the

Washington Redskins, the crowd started chanting "We Want Sweeney, We Want Sweeney" when the team didn't perform well in the eventual 13–7 loss.[11] He was a very popular player with the fans during those games; accounting for 291 passing yards, 4 touchdown
passes, 20.8 yards per completion, one interception, 2 wins and a 109.3 rating in passing efficiency (led all replacement players). He was kept on the roster for the rest of the year.

In 1988, he was the third-string quarterback behind White and Steve Pelluer. On November 6, he started the second half and passed for three touchdowns against the New York Giants.[12] The next game, he was given the opportunity to start against the Minnesota Vikings, but lost 43–3 after completing just 10 of 28 passes for 93 yards, with 2 interceptions and 2 fumbles.[13]

In

Plan B free agency
.

San Francisco 49ers

On March 27,

Plan B free agent.[14] He was released before the start of the season on August 26.[15]

Montreal Machine (WLAF)

In

World League of American Football, where he was named the starter at quarterback, before being passed on the depth chart by Michael Proctor.[16] He played in 10 games, making 24 completions out of 69 attempts for 219 yards, one touchdown
and 3 interceptions.

Personal life

Sweeney is a senior vice president at Wells Fargo Bank.

References

  1. ^ Olderman, Murray (November 7, 1986). "Family affair at Fresno State". Nevada Daily Mail. Nevada, Missouri. NEA. p. 10.
  2. ^ "SPORTS PEOPLE; Sweeney Has Surgery". Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  3. ^ "Sweeney Passes for 216 Yards to Break Flutie's Record; Fresno St. Wins". Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  4. ^ "Sweeney Tops Flutie Mark". Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  5. ^ "Four Former Bulldogs Football Players to be Honored on Saturday". Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  6. ^ "Kevin Sweeney Hall of Fame bio". Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  7. ^ "1987 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  8. ^ "Transactions". Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  9. ^ "Replacements Seek Another Sunday". Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  10. ^ "Kevin Sweeney". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  11. ^ "Redskins Down Cowboys". Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  12. ^ "Surging Giants Take 4th Straight". Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  13. ^ "Turnovers Help Minnesota Rout Cowboys, 43-3". Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  14. ^ "Dallas Quarterback Pelluer Asks to Be Traded". Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  15. ^ "Sweeney May Leave Football". Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  16. ^ "WLAF: Bratwurst in Frankfurt, and a Big Crowd in Birmingham". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
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