All-American quarterback, NFL starter and UCLA football alumnus Cade McNown has finally received his most recent honor – becoming a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
First announced in March 2020 by the National Football Foundation, the 2020 class of the College Football Hall of Fame was supposed to be honored a year ago, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 19 nominees were actually inducted Tuesday morning as part of a ceremony in Las Vegas. Inducted alongside the 2021 class as well, the storied southpaw signal-caller will now be enshrined for his four years of performances with the Bruins.
"I don't feel worthy," McNown said ahead of his Hall of Fame On-Campus Salute on Oct. 23. "It's amazing to be included alongside an incredible class with many people who I watched and admired. As you go through previous classes and what it means to be a part of it, I really don't have words. I truly feel like the only reason it is happening is the result of all the things that my teammates, coaches and administrators did, including my high school coaches and teammates. It's incredible not just for me but for all those people."
Not a stranger to the hall of fame honor, McNown was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009 and was also a part of the 2017 class for the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame.
Bruin fans, above all else, likely remember McNown for his efforts in the 1998 season. His senior year provided arguably the most memorable campaign for a quarterback wearing the blue and gold since Gary Beban won the Heisman Trophy in 1967. Bringing UCLA one game away from a national championship game appearance, McNown competed at a top level all season long, including during a 34-17 victory over USC in front of 88,080 fans at the Rose Bowl.
Across 12 games in his senior season, the left-handed quarterback threw for 3,470 yards, 21 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a passer rating of 156.6.
McNown won the Pac-10 co-Offensive Player of the Year, was named as a consensus First Team All-American and finished third in the Heisman Trophy vote. McNown also holds the record for the most career passing yards in UCLA history with 10,708.
UCLA went 30-14 with McNown as a starter, and he was the last Bruin quarterback to appear in a Rose Bowl. McNown also led his team to a Cotton Bowl victory in 1998, earning All-American praise as a junior as well.
Following his final campaign at UCLA, McNown was selected No. 12 overall in the 1999 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. Only seeing action for two seasons in professional football, McNown retired in 2003, after being flipped in trades and not finding a solid position for playing time.
During Tuesday’s ceremony, McNown was recognized with fellow quarterbacks Eric Crouch from Nebraska, Eastern Illinois’ Tony Romo, USC’s Carson Palmer and the late Steve McNair of Alcorn State
The accomplishment will now add somewhat of a bookend to McNown’s illustrious college career.
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