Keithen McCant Season 1990

Honors & Awards

• First-Team All-Big Eight (AP, Coaches, 1991)
• Big Eight Offensive Player of the Week (Missouri, 1991)
• Tom Novak Award (1991)
• 12th Round NFL Draft Pick (Cleveland Browns, 1992)

1991 (Senior)
Keithen McCant produced a breakout senior season, starting at quarterback for the Big Eight co-champion Huskers for each of the final 10 regular-season games and the 1992 Federal Express Orange Bowl against Miami. McCant opened the fall behind Tom Haase and captain Mickey Joseph at quarterback. Haase battled an ankle injury in August and after the returning starter Joseph struggled early in a season-opening start against Utah State, McCant took the controls and never relinquished them. As a senior, McCant earned first-team All-Big Eight honors by completing 97-of-168 passes for 1,454 yards and 13 touchdowns. He also threw eight interceptions over 11 regular-season contests. He finished with an NCAA passer rating of 146.5, which led the Big Eight and ranked 12th nationally. McCant added strong numbers on the ground, rushing for 654 yards on 117 attempts (5.6 ypc) while adding seven more touchdowns. McCant was named the Big Eight Offensive Player of the Week following NU’s win over Missouri when he rushed nine times for 124 yards including a 36-yard touchdown and completed 9-of-13 passes for 144 yards and three touchdowns. He was also NU’s conference player-of-the-week nominee after wins over Oklahoma State and Iowa State. He guided a Husker offense that won the NCAA rushing title (353.2 ypg), while ranking third nationally in total offense (506.5 ypg) and scoring (41.3 ppg). In the Orange Bowl, McCant went 6-for-18 for 80 yards with two interceptions and was held to minus-32 yards rushing on nine attempts. He also recorded an unassisted tackle. McCant was chosen as the winner of Nebraska’s Tom Novak Award following the 1991 season, which is presented to the senior who best exemplifies courage and determination despite all odds in the manner of Nebraska All-America center Tom Novak.

A two-year letterman, McCant played 20 regular-season games for the Huskers with 10 starts. He totaled 1,486 passing yards and 729 rushing yards to finish with 2,215 yards of total offense. McCant went on to spend three seasons as a quarterback in the Canadian Football League with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers (1993-94) and the British Columbia Lions (1995). He was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the 12th round (316th overall pick) of the 1992 NFL Draft.

1990 (Junior)
McCant earned his first varsity letter as Nebraska’s No. 3 quarterback behind Mickey Joseph and Mike Grant. McCant played five games, completing 2-of-3 passes for 32 yards with one interception. He added two carries for 23 yards.

1989 (Sophomore)
McCant appeared in four games as a reserve quarterback for the Big Red. He carried two times for 52 yards, including a career-long 53-yard run in the season-opening win over Northern Illinois.

1988 (Redshirt)
McCant redshirted in his second season at Nebraska.

1987 (Freshman)
A scholarship recruit, McCant shared the starting quarterback duties with Tom Haase on Coach Shane Thorell’s Husker junior varsity team. McCant completed 10-of-28 passes for 182 yards and two touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions. He rushed 24 times for 92 yards.

Grand Prairie High School
McCant was the district offensive player of the year at Grand Prairie High School in Texas as a senior in 1986. He completed 72-of-161 passes for 1,500 yards and 18 touchdowns to lead Coach Ken Murray’s team to a 7-3 record and a district championship. As a junior, he beat out two seniors for the starting job and completed 108-of-202 passes for 1,400 yards and eight TDs for an 8-3-1 Grand Prairie team.

Personal
The son of Melba Thompson, McCant earned his bachelor’s degree as a criminal justice major from Nebraska in 1995.