Athletes - Danny McManus

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	Athletes - Danny McManus

Danny McManus (b. June 17, 1965 in Hollywood, Florida) is an American and Canadian football quarterback, who has spent every football season since 1990 in the Canadian Football League with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, British Columbia Lions, Edmonton Eskimos, and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. McManus also spent the 1988 NFL season on the bench with the Kansas City Chiefs. When his team has been eliminated from the playoffs in the last two seasons, McManus has also done broadcasting work with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

College career

McManus spent four seasons at Florida State University, from 1984 to 1987, coached by the legendary Bobby Bowden (McManus also went to Florida State in 1983, but was redshirted). McManus spent his first two years as a Seminole on the bench, but in 1986, despite a pair of concussions suffered the previous year, McManus was named the Seminole's offensive most valuable player, after a season that saw him come out of the backup position to end the year as the starter, throwing for 872 yards and seven touchdowns.

In 1987, McManus started every game for Florida State, leading them to an 11-1 record and a spot in the Fiesta Bowl, which they won 31-28 over the University of Nebraska. McManus, who threw for 375 yards and three touchdowns in the bowl game, was named the most valuable player, and wound up with 1,984 yards and fourteen touchdowns on the year. After this season, McManus was selected in the NFL draft, but late: in the eleventh round by the Kansas City Chiefs.

The National Football League

McManus made the Chiefs out of training camp, and spent his first, and only, National Football League season on the bench as the third quarterback. During his brief time with the Chiefs, the team was woeful, going 4-11. McManus saw no action, and was released during 1989's training camp. McManus spent all of 1989 trying to catch on with another NFL team, but was unsuccessful.

Moving north

Unable to find a place to play in 1989, McManus signed with the Canadian Football League's Winnipeg Blue Bombers in time for the 1990 season. Unlike the terrible Chiefs team that he had just left, the Blue Bombers of the era were in the middle of a mini-dynasty, where they would win two Grey Cups in three years. The 1990 season gave the Blue Bombers perhaps their best ending ever, as they obliterated the Edmonton Eskimos 50-11 in the 78th Grey Cup in Vancouver. McManus, the Blue Bombers' backup all year, threw for a total of 946 yards and seven touchdowns during the season, and also tosses a touchdown in the Grey Cup in a rare appearance for the backup in the championship game.

Through 1991 and 1992, McManus remained with the Blue Bombers as the backup quarterback to Matt Dunigan. McManus made his second Grey Cup appearance in 1992, again coming in for a relief stint. This time, however, the circumstances were not so good, as Dunigan had been ineffective and the Blue Bombers went on to lose the 80th Grey Cup 24-10 to Calgary at SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario.

After the Grey Cup, McManus left Winnipeg as a free against and ended up signing with the British Columbia Lions, and started three games in 1993 when starting quarterback Danny Barrett was injured. For 1994, McManus was again the backup, this time to Kent Austin. However, fate would give McManus a larger role in this season as, in the 82nd Grey Cup, Austin was knocked out of the game and McManus had to take over for the final, dramatic drive. McManus led the Lions downfield far enough for Lui Passaglia to kick a game-winning field goal, giving British Columbia a 26-23 victory over the Baltimore Football Club. It was McManus's second Grey Cup and third appearance in five years in the Canadian Football League.

Starting quarterback

In 1995, McManus was given the reins as the Lions' full-time starter. McManus threw for 4,655 yards (second in the league behind his old mentor Dunigan) and 19 touchdowns. But the Lions' efforts to defend their Grey Cup were quickly derailed come playoff time, as the Lions were defeated by the Edmonton Eskimos in the Northern Division Semi-Final despite McManus throwing for 333 yards and two touchdowns.

Any ardour McManus must have felt to the Eskimos must have quickly cooled, however, as he signed with Edmonton during the off-season as a free agent following his release by British Columbia. Once again, McManus was second in the league in passing yardage for 1996, this time behind Doug Flutie, with 4,425 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions. McManus led the Eskimos to second in the Western Division and the Grey Cup game, including a 68-7 slaughtering of McManus's old Blue Bombers in the Western Semi-Final. In the driving snow at Ivor Wynne Stadium, the Toronto Argonauts defeated Edmonton in the 84th Grey Cup 43-37. McManus had an excellent game despite the conditions with 413 yards and three touchdowns, but was outplayed by Toronto's Flutie, who was named the most outstanding player. McManus's only interception of the game came when Doug Flutie's brother Darren fell trying to catch a well-thrown ball, and the ball ricocheted off of Flutie and into the waiting arms of a Toronto defensive back, who returned it for a touchdown.

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