Donald G. McPherson (born April 2, 1965) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) and Canadian Football League (CFL). He spent seven seasons in the NFL and CFL with the Philadelphia Eagles, the Houston Oilers, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and the Ottawa Rough Riders.
McPherson played college football for the Syracuse Orange, winning the Maxwell Award and the Davey O'Brien Award. He was selected in the sixth round by the Eagles in the 1988 NFL draft. His accomplishments during his tenure with Syracuse propelled him to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008.
College football statistics[]
Passing[]
| Season | Team | G | Cmp | Att | Cmp% | Yds | TD | TD% | Int | Int% | Y/A | AY/A | Y/C | Y/G | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Syracuse | 11 | 11 | 29 | 37.9 | 175 | 0 | 0.0 | 3 | 10.3 | 6.0 | 1.38 | 15.9 | 15.9 | 67.9 |
| 1985 | Syracuse | 11 | 85 | 159 | 53.5 | 1,469 | 12 | 7.5 | 5 | 3.1 | 9.2 | 9.33 | 17.3 | 133.5 | 149.7 |
| 1986 | Syracuse | 11 | 142 | 269 | 52.8 | 1,827 | 12 | 4.5 | 7 | 2.6 | 6.8 | 6.51 | 12.9 | 166.1 | 119.4 |
| 1987 | Syracuse | 11 | 129 | 229 | 56.3 | 2,341 | 22 | 9.6 | 11 | 4.8 | 10.2 | 9.98 | 18.1 | 212.8 | 164.3 |
| Career | 44 | 367 | 686 | 53.5 | 5812 | 46 | 6.7 | 26 | 3.8 | 8.5 | 8.11 | 15.8 | 132.1 | 139.2 | |
Rushing & Receiving[]
| Rushing | Receiving | Scrimmage | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | G | Att | Yds | Y/A | TD | Y/G | Rec | Yds | Y/R | TD | Y/G | Plays | Yds | Avg | TD | Awards |
| 1984 | Syracuse | 11 | 34 | 42 | 1.2 | 0 | 3.8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 34 | 42 | 1.2 | 0 | ||
| 1985 | Syracuse | 11 | 157 | 489 | 3.1 | 7 | 44.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 157 | 489 | 3.1 | 7 | ||
| 1986 | Syracuse | 11 | 191 | 523 | 2.7 | 6 | 47.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 191 | 523 | 2.7 | 6 | ||
| 1987 | Syracuse | 11 | 110 | 230 | 2.1 | 5 | 20.9 | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 1 | 0.6 | 111 | 237 | 2.1 | 6 | H-2,Maxwell,AA |
| Career | 44 | 492 | 1284 | 2.6 | 18 | 29.2 | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 1 | 0.2 | 493 | 1291 | 2.6 | 19 | ||
After football[]
McPherson joined the staff of Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sport in Society, before becoming the first executive director of the Sports Leadership Institute at Adelphi University. As a feminist and social activist he has founded several outreach and mentoring programs, and regularly speaks at college campuses as a critic of gender roles, stating that the standard constructions of masculinity and femininity both limit men's emotions and overall well-being as well as contribute to "gendered violence" such as domestic violence, stalking, and rape. In this capacity he has testified before hearings of the United States House of Representatives.
McPherson is currently a college football commentator for Big East football on regional sports cable network SportsNet New York.
Personal life[]
He is the younger brother of former NFL player and pastor Miles McPherson.
See also[]
- List of NCAA major college football yearly passing leaders