Danny McManus
Encyclopedia
Danny McManus is a retired professional American football
and Canadian football
quarterback
who passed for over 50,000 yards in seventeen seasons in the Canadian Football League
. He played every season in the league from 1990 to 2006, as a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
, BC Lions
, Edmonton Eskimos
, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
, and finally with the Calgary Stampeders
. As of 2007, his all-time CFL passing yardage is third most next to Damon Allen
and Anthony Calvillo
, and he works as a colour analyst for TSN
's CFL broadcasts, having previously appeared as a guest analyst on the CFL on CBC
late in his playing career. McManus is currently the Head U.S. Scout of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
.
, from 1984 to 1987, coached by the legendary Bobby Bowden
(McManus also went to Florida State in 1983, but was redshirted). McManus was named the starter as quarterback in 1985 and led the Seminoles to defeat Nebraska. After four victories, he suffered a pair of concussions and he had spent the rest of 1985 on the bench. But in 1986, 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. Due to his leadership, FSU had one of their greatest campaigns. 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 1988 NFL Draft
, but late: in the eleventh round by the Kansas City Chiefs
.
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.
s 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 tossed 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.
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 West Final he replaced Austin and led the Lions to a trip to a comeback victory over the Calgary Stampeders in a driving snowstorm culminating in a last second TD pass that sent the Lions to the Grey Cup Game at home in Vancouver. In the 82nd Grey Cup
, Austin was knocked out of the game and McManus had to take over at halftime, and ended up leading the Lions on a dramatic drive downfield setting up Lui Passaglia
to kick a game-winning field goal, giving BC a 26-23 victory over the Baltimore Stallions
. It was McManus's second Grey Cup and third appearance in five years in the Canadian Football League.
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 Western Division Semi-Final despite McManus throwing for 333 yards and two touchdowns.
, 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.
1997
was a slight regression for McManus, but not for the Eskimos as they won their division for the first time since 1991. McManus fell to fourth in passing yardage but was still the Edmonton nominee for Most Outstanding Player. Edmonton was hosting the 85th Grey Cup
that year and hopes were high that the Eskimos would play at it, but Edmonton lost a heart-breaking Western final to the Saskatchewan Roughriders
31-30. McManus threw for an excellent 407 yards in the game in a losing effort.
, as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats signed both the veteran quarterback and his all-time favourite receiver, Darren Flutie. McManus arrived on a talent-laden team and did not disappoint, finishing second in passing yardage for the second time in his career and becoming only the second Hamilton quarterback to pass for over 4,000 yards in a season. The Tiger-Cats warred with the fast-rising Montreal Alouettes
and their veteran quarterback Anthony Calvillo
all season, including a rare tie in a regular-season meeting between the two teams. Hamilton and Montreal finished even at 12-5-1, but Hamilton took first place on their superior head-to-head record. When the two teams inevitably clashed in the East final, Hamilton took a thriller 22-20. However, all-star quarterback Jeff Garcia
and his Calgary Stampeders
beat Hamilton 26-24 in the 86th Grey Cup
.
Despite the disappointment of 1998, McManus rebounded in superb fashion for 1999
. Throwing for 5,334 yards and 28 touchdowns, McManus won his first, and only, Most Outstanding Player award. The icing on the cake came on the 87th Grey Cup
, where McManus thwarted the Stampeders' drive for a repeat in a rematch of the previous year's championship game. Garcia was gone to the NFL but his replacement Dave Dickenson
had proven very dangerous; however, the Tiger-Cats took their first Grey Cup since 1986
with a 32-21 victory. It was McManus's third Grey Cup and his sixth appearance in the big game.
In 2000
, McManus set the CFL record with six straight seasons throwing for at least 4,000 yards. But, after their Grey Cup victory, the Tiger-Cats were beginning to enter a long spiral to the East Division basement. The team finished a disappointing 9-9 and lost the East Semi-Final to Winnipeg. 2001
was a slight resurgence as the Tiger-Cats finished 11-7, but another loss to Winnipeg in the East Final sent the Tiger-Cats home early. By 2002
, the Tiger-Cats were running on fumes and went down to 7-11, ahead of only the expansion Ottawa Renegades
. For the first time in his CFL career, Danny McManus missed the playoffs.
McManus turned 38 during the 2003 CFL season
, and the retirement talk was coming in hard. It would be hard for it not to, however, as the Tiger-Cats were one of the worst teams in Canadian football history that year. Despite starting fifteen games, McManus threw for only 2,869 yards, snapping his record streak of consecutive 4,000 yard seasons at eight. McManus might have been hurt by the loss of preferred target Darren Flutie
to retirement. The Tiger-Cats finished 1-17, with the only bright spot being an overtime victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
2004
was significantly stronger for McManus, as was his team. For the second time in his career, McManus threw for over 5,000 yards despite turning 39 early in the season. The Tiger-Cats shocked the Canadian football world by finishing 9-8-1, an accomplishment amazing enough for rookie head coach Greg Marshall
to be named coach of the year and McManus to receive the Rogers-AT&T Fan Choice Award
, sharing it with Anthony Calvillo. In Hamilton's sole playoff game, they lost the East Semi-Final to rivals Toronto 24-6.
The Tiger-Cats were unable to build on their 2004 success, and in the 2005 season
finished in the league's basement at 5-13, with a defense that allowed 583 points, the worst in Canadian Football League history. McManus threw for 2,544 yards and eleven touchdowns with a quarterback rating of 67.1, and spent time on the bench in favour of Khari Jones
, Marcus Brady
, and the unknown Kevin Eakin
who all took snaps.
, McManus was traded to the newly-crowned league champion Edmonton Eskimos in a package that included as the centrepiece Edmonton quarterback Jason Maas
. This was the first time McManus had ever been traded in his career and his second go-round with Edmonton. On March 31, 2006, McManus was traded for the second time in his career, this time to the Calgary Stampeders. Edmonton received a third round draft pick in the 2006 CFL Draft
in return. For the 2006 season McManus served as backup and mentor to Stampeders' starting quarterback Henry Burris
. He announced his retirement from playing football on April 2, 2007. He was quickly snapped up by TSN
as an analyst for CFL game broadcasts for the 2007 season
. He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame
in 2011.
training camp and signed on as a coaching consultant in July to assist offensive co-ordinator Marcel Bellefeuille
and work with the quarterbacks. Danny is now the Head U.S. scout for the Ti-Cats.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
and Canadian football
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
who passed for over 50,000 yards in seventeen seasons in the Canadian Football League
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
. He played every season in the league from 1990 to 2006, as a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are currently members of the East Division of the Canadian Football League . They play their home games at Canad Inns Stadium, and plan to move to a new stadium for the 2012 season.The Blue Bombers were founded...
, BC Lions
BC Lions
The BC Lions are a professional Canadian football team competing in the West Division of Canadian Football League . Based in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Lions play their home games at BC Place Stadium in Downtown Vancouver, having previously played at Empire Stadium in East Vancouver from 1954...
, Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
, Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
, and finally with the Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
. As of 2007, his all-time CFL passing yardage is third most next to Damon Allen
Damon Allen
Damon Allen is a former professional quarterback in the Canadian Football League, most recently with the Toronto Argonauts. He is currently second in all-time professional football passing yards and second in all-time CFL passing yards after he was surpassed for first place by the Montréal...
and Anthony Calvillo
Anthony Calvillo
Anthony Calvillo is a Canadian Football League quarterback, currently playing for the Montreal Alouettes. He is the all-time professional football passing yards leader and first in all-time CFL passing yards...
, and he works as a colour analyst for TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
's CFL broadcasts, having previously appeared as a guest analyst on the CFL on CBC
CFL on CBC
CFL on CBC was a presentation of Canadian Football League football aired on the CBC Television Network. CBC held broadcast rights for the CFL from 1952 to 2007...
late in his playing career. McManus is currently the Head U.S. Scout of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
The Hamilton Tiger-Cats are a Canadian Football League team based in Hamilton, Ontario, founded in 1950 with the merger of the Hamilton Tigers and the Hamilton Wildcats. The Tiger-Cats play their home games at Ivor Wynne Stadium...
.
College career
McManus spent four seasons at Florida State UniversityFlorida State University
The Florida State University is a space-grant and sea-grant public university located in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a comprehensive doctoral research university with medical programs and significant research activity as determined by the Carnegie Foundation...
, from 1984 to 1987, coached by the legendary Bobby Bowden
Bobby Bowden
Robert Cleckler "Bobby" Bowden is a retired college football coach. He coached the Florida State Seminoles football team from the 1976 to 2009 seasons...
(McManus also went to Florida State in 1983, but was redshirted). McManus was named the starter as quarterback in 1985 and led the Seminoles to defeat Nebraska. After four victories, he suffered a pair of concussions and he had spent the rest of 1985 on the bench. But in 1986, 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
Fiesta Bowl
The Fiesta Bowl, now sponsored by Frito-Lay and named with their Tostitos brand, is a United States college football bowl game played annually at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Between its origination in 1971 and 2006, the game was hosted in Tempe, Arizona at Sun Devil...
, which they won 31-28 over the University of Nebraska. Due to his leadership, FSU had one of their greatest campaigns. 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 1988 NFL Draft
1988 NFL Draft
The 1988 NFL Draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24–25, 1988. The league also held a supplemental draft after the regular draft and...
, but late: in the eleventh round by the Kansas City Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs
The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. They are a member of the Western Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Originally named the Dallas Texans, the club was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1960 as a...
.
National Football League
McManus made the Chiefs out of training camp, and spent his first, and only, National Football LeagueNational Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
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
1989 NFL season
The 1989 NFL season was the 70th regular season of the National Football League. Before the season, NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle announced his retirement...
's training camp. McManus spent all of 1989 trying to catch on with another NFL team, but was unsuccessful.
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
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 won two Grey CupGrey Cup
The Grey Cup is both the name of the championship of the Canadian Football League and the name of the trophy awarded to the victorious team. It is Canada's largest annual sports and television event, regularly drawing a Canadian viewing audience of about 3 to 4 million individuals...
s in three years. The 1990 season
1990 CFL season
The 1990 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 37th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 33rd Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1990:J...
gave the Blue Bombers perhaps their best ending ever, as they obliterated the Edmonton Eskimos 50-11 in the 78th Grey Cup
78th Grey Cup
The 78th Grey Cup was the 1990 Canadian Football League championship game played between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Edmonton Eskimos at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, BC...
in Vancouver. McManus, the Blue Bombers' backup all year, threw for a total of 946 yards and seven touchdowns during the season, and also tossed a touchdown in the Grey Cup in a rare appearance for the backup in the championship game.
Through 1991
1991 CFL season
The 1991 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 38th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 34th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1991:...
and 1992
1992 CFL season
-1992 CFL Awards:*CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award – Doug Flutie , Calgary Stampeders*CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award – Ray Elgaard , Saskatchewan Roughriders*CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award – Willie Pless , Edmonton Eskimos...
, McManus remained with the Blue Bombers as the backup quarterback to Matt Dunigan
Matt Dunigan
Matt Dunigan is a former quarterback, coach, and executive in the Canadian Football League who is currently a CFL sportscaster for Canadian sports television channel TSN...
. 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
80th Grey Cup
The 80th Grey Cup was the 1992 Canadian Football League championship game played between the Calgary Stampeders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers at Toronto's SkyDome...
24-10 to Calgary
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
at SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario.
BC Lions
After the Grey Cup, McManus left Winnipeg as a free agent and ended up signing with the BC Lions, and started three games in 19931993 CFL season
The 1993 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 40th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 36th Canadian Football League season.-CFL news in 1993:...
when starting quarterback Danny Barrett
Danny Barrett
Danny Barrett is a former Canadian Football League quarterback and former quarterbacks coach at the University at Buffalo. He was previously the head coach of the CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders....
was injured. For 1994
1994 CFL season
The 1994 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 41st season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 37th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1994:...
, McManus was again the backup, this time to Kent Austin
Kent Austin
Richard Kent Austin is the Head Coach for the Cornell University Big Red football team. Prior to this, he was the Offensive Coordinator for the Ole Miss Rebels football team. He is the former Head Coach of the Canadian Football League's Saskatchewan Roughriders...
. However, fate would give McManus a larger role in this season as, in the West Final he replaced Austin and led the Lions to a trip to a comeback victory over the Calgary Stampeders in a driving snowstorm culminating in a last second TD pass that sent the Lions to the Grey Cup Game at home in Vancouver. In the 82nd Grey Cup
82nd Grey Cup
The 82nd Grey Cup was the 1994 Canadian Football League championship game played between the Baltimore Football Club and the BC Lions at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, BC. It was the first-ever championship in professional football history to feature a United States-vs-Canada matchup...
, Austin was knocked out of the game and McManus had to take over at halftime, and ended up leading the Lions on a dramatic drive downfield setting up Lui Passaglia
Lui Passaglia
Lui Passaglia is a former professional Canadian football player. Passaglia was the placekicker/punter for the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League for a record-breaking 25 years and scored more points in that time than any professional gridiron football player in history...
to kick a game-winning field goal, giving BC a 26-23 victory over the Baltimore Stallions
Baltimore Stallions
The Baltimore Stallions were a Canadian Football League team based in Baltimore, Maryland, which played the 1994 and 1995 seasons. They were the most successful American team in the Canadian Football League, having two winning seasons and a division title. In 1995 they became the only American team...
. It was McManus's second Grey Cup and third appearance in five years in the Canadian Football League.
In 1995
1995 CFL season
The 1995 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 42nd season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 38th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News 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 Western Division Semi-Final despite McManus throwing for 333 yards and two touchdowns.
Edmonton Eskimos
Any animosity 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 19961996 CFL season
The 1996 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 43rd season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 39th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1996:...
, this time behind Doug Flutie
Doug Flutie
Douglas Richard "Doug" Flutie is a former American and Canadian football quarterback. Flutie played college football at Boston College, and played professionally in the National Football League, Canadian Football League, and United States Football League...
, 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
Ivor Wynne Stadium
Ivor Wynne Stadium is a Canadian football stadium located at the corner of Balsam and Beechwood Avenues, two blocks west of Gage Avenue North in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada...
, the Toronto Argonauts
Toronto Argonauts
The Toronto Argonauts are a professional Canadian football team competing in the East Division of the Canadian Football League. The Toronto, Ontario based team was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest existing professional sports teams in North America, after the Chicago Cubs and the Atlanta...
defeated Edmonton in the 84th Grey Cup
84th Grey Cup
The 84th Grey Cup, also known as The Snow Bowl, was the 1996 Grey Cup Canadian Football League championship game played between the Toronto Argonauts and the Edmonton Eskimos at Ivor Wynne Stadium in Hamilton, Ontario...
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
Darren Flutie
Darren Paul Flutie is a former Canadian football wide receiver for the BC Lions, Edmonton Eskimos, and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He is the Canadian Football League's third all-time leader in catches, behind Ben Cahoon and Terry Vaughn; he is also third all-time in career receiving yardage behind...
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.
1997
1997 CFL season
The 1997 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 44th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 40th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1997:...
was a slight regression for McManus, but not for the Eskimos as they won their division for the first time since 1991. McManus fell to fourth in passing yardage but was still the Edmonton nominee for Most Outstanding Player. Edmonton was hosting the 85th Grey Cup
85th Grey Cup
The 85th Grey Cup was held in 1997 in Edmonton before 60,431 fans. The heavily favoured Toronto Argonauts won the game over the Saskatchewan Roughriders with a score of 47-23.-Game summary:...
that year and hopes were high that the Eskimos would play at it, but Edmonton lost a heart-breaking Western final to the Saskatchewan Roughriders
Saskatchewan Roughriders
The Saskatchewan Roughriders are a Canadian Football League team based in Regina, Saskatchewan. They were founded in 1910. They play their home games at 2940 10th Avenue in Regina, which has been the team's home base for its entire history, even prior to the construction of Mosaic Stadium at Taylor...
31-30. McManus threw for an excellent 407 yards in the game in a losing effort.
Hamilton Tiger-Cats
McManus left the Eskimos as a free agent for 19981998 CFL season
-1998 CFL Awards:*CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award – Mike Pringle , Montreal Alouettes*CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award – Mike Morreale , Hamilton Tiger-Cats*CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award – Joe Montford , Hamilton Tiger-Cats...
, as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats signed both the veteran quarterback and his all-time favourite receiver, Darren Flutie. McManus arrived on a talent-laden team and did not disappoint, finishing second in passing yardage for the second time in his career and becoming only the second Hamilton quarterback to pass for over 4,000 yards in a season. The Tiger-Cats warred with the fast-rising Montreal Alouettes
Montreal Alouettes
The Montreal Alouettes are a Canadian Football League team based in Montreal, Quebec.The current franchise named the Alouettes moved to Montreal from Baltimore, Maryland, in 1996 where they had been known as the Baltimore Stallions...
and their veteran quarterback Anthony Calvillo
Anthony Calvillo
Anthony Calvillo is a Canadian Football League quarterback, currently playing for the Montreal Alouettes. He is the all-time professional football passing yards leader and first in all-time CFL passing yards...
all season, including a rare tie in a regular-season meeting between the two teams. Hamilton and Montreal finished even at 12-5-1, but Hamilton took first place on their superior head-to-head record. When the two teams inevitably clashed in the East final, Hamilton took a thriller 22-20. However, all-star quarterback Jeff Garcia
Jeff Garcia
Jeffrey Jason "Jeff" Garcia is an American football quarterback who is currently a free agent. He played college football at San Jose State University....
and his Calgary Stampeders
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a Canadian Football League team based in Calgary, Alberta and named in reference to the Calgary Stampede. The Stampeders play their home games at McMahon Stadium...
beat Hamilton 26-24 in the 86th Grey Cup
86th Grey Cup
The 86th Grey Cup was held in 1998 in Winnipeg. The Calgary Stampeders won the game over the Hamilton Tiger-Cats with a score of 26-24.-Game summary:...
.
Despite the disappointment of 1998, McManus rebounded in superb fashion for 1999
1999 CFL season
-1999 CFL Awards:*CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award – Danny McManus , Hamilton Tiger-Cats*CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award – Mike O'Shea , Toronto Argonauts*CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award – Calvin Tiggle , Hamilton Tiger-Cats...
. Throwing for 5,334 yards and 28 touchdowns, McManus won his first, and only, Most Outstanding Player award. The icing on the cake came on the 87th Grey Cup
87th Grey Cup
The 87th Grey Cup was held in 1999 in Vancouver. The Hamilton Tiger-Cats won the game 32-21 over the Calgary Stampeders in a rematch of the previous year's 86th Grey Cup.-Game summary:...
, where McManus thwarted the Stampeders' drive for a repeat in a rematch of the previous year's championship game. Garcia was gone to the NFL but his replacement Dave Dickenson
Dave Dickenson
David Dickenson is a former professional Canadian football player with the Calgary Stampeders and the BC Lions. Dickenson also played quarterback collegiately at the University of Montana, where he led the Montana Grizzlies to the 1995 NCAA I-AA college football championship.-High school...
had proven very dangerous; however, the Tiger-Cats took their first Grey Cup since 1986
1986 CFL season
The 1986 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 33rd season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 29th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 1986:...
with a 32-21 victory. It was McManus's third Grey Cup and his sixth appearance in the big game.
In 2000
2000 CFL season
-2000 CFL Awards:*CFL's Most Outstanding Player Award – Dave Dickenson , Calgary Stampeders*CFL's Most Outstanding Canadian Award – Sean Millington , BC Lions*CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award – Joe Montford , Hamilton Tiger-Cats...
, McManus set the CFL record with six straight seasons throwing for at least 4,000 yards. But, after their Grey Cup victory, the Tiger-Cats were beginning to enter a long spiral to the East Division basement. The team finished a disappointing 9-9 and lost the East Semi-Final to Winnipeg. 2001
2001 CFL season
The 2001 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 48th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 44th Canadian Football League season.-CFL news in 2001:...
was a slight resurgence as the Tiger-Cats finished 11-7, but another loss to Winnipeg in the East Final sent the Tiger-Cats home early. By 2002
2002 CFL season
The 2002 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 49th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 45th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 2002:...
, the Tiger-Cats were running on fumes and went down to 7-11, ahead of only the expansion Ottawa Renegades
Ottawa Renegades
Ottawa Renegades was the most recent name of a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario founded in 2002, seven years after the storied Ottawa Rough Riders folded...
. For the first time in his CFL career, Danny McManus missed the playoffs.
McManus turned 38 during the 2003 CFL season
2003 CFL season
The 2003 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 50th season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 46th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 2003:...
, and the retirement talk was coming in hard. It would be hard for it not to, however, as the Tiger-Cats were one of the worst teams in Canadian football history that year. Despite starting fifteen games, McManus threw for only 2,869 yards, snapping his record streak of consecutive 4,000 yard seasons at eight. McManus might have been hurt by the loss of preferred target Darren Flutie
Darren Flutie
Darren Paul Flutie is a former Canadian football wide receiver for the BC Lions, Edmonton Eskimos, and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. He is the Canadian Football League's third all-time leader in catches, behind Ben Cahoon and Terry Vaughn; he is also third all-time in career receiving yardage behind...
to retirement. The Tiger-Cats finished 1-17, with the only bright spot being an overtime victory over the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
2004
2004 CFL season
The 2004 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 51st season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 47th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 2004:...
was significantly stronger for McManus, as was his team. For the second time in his career, McManus threw for over 5,000 yards despite turning 39 early in the season. The Tiger-Cats shocked the Canadian football world by finishing 9-8-1, an accomplishment amazing enough for rookie head coach Greg Marshall
Greg Marshall
Greg Marshall is a former Canadian football running back and current head coach for the University of Western Ontario's football team, the Western Mustangs. Marshall was the head coach with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League from to...
to be named coach of the year and McManus to receive the Rogers-AT&T Fan Choice Award
Rogers Fans' Choice Award
The Rogers Fans' Choice Award is annually awarded to the player who received the most votes from fans as the Rogers Player of the Game, during the 4th quarter of CFL games on TSN, since 2003....
, sharing it with Anthony Calvillo. In Hamilton's sole playoff game, they lost the East Semi-Final to rivals Toronto 24-6.
The Tiger-Cats were unable to build on their 2004 success, and in the 2005 season
2005 CFL season
The 2005 Canadian Football League season is considered to be the 52nd season in modern-day Canadian football, although it is officially the 48th Canadian Football League season.-CFL News in 2005:...
finished in the league's basement at 5-13, with a defense that allowed 583 points, the worst in Canadian Football League history. McManus threw for 2,544 yards and eleven touchdowns with a quarterback rating of 67.1, and spent time on the bench in favour of Khari Jones
Khari Jones
Khari Okang Jones [ke-HAR-ee] is a retired professional Canadian football player and former television sports reporter for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Jones played quarterback in the Canadian Football League, where he enjoyed his most success with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers...
, Marcus Brady
Marcus Brady
Marcus Brady is a former professional Canadian football quarterback and is currently a wide receivers coach for the Montreal Alouettes. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Toronto Argonauts in 2002...
, and the unknown Kevin Eakin
Kevin Eakin
Kevin Eakin is an American football quarterback for the Alabama Vipers of the Arena Football League. He was signed by the New York Jets of the National Football League as a street free agent in 2005...
who all took snaps.
Final season and retirement
After the 93rd Grey Cup93rd Grey Cup
The 93rd Grey Cup game was held on November 27, 2005, at B.C. Place Stadium in Vancouver, British Columbia between the Edmonton Eskimos and the Montreal Alouettes, to decide the winner of the 2005 season of the Canadian Football League. The Eskimos prevailed over the Alouettes in a 38-35 overtime...
, McManus was traded to the newly-crowned league champion Edmonton Eskimos in a package that included as the centrepiece Edmonton quarterback Jason Maas
Jason Maas
Jason Maas is a former Canadian football quarterback. He is best known for his career in the Canadian Football League, which was largely spent with the Edmonton Eskimos...
. This was the first time McManus had ever been traded in his career and his second go-round with Edmonton. On March 31, 2006, McManus was traded for the second time in his career, this time to the Calgary Stampeders. Edmonton received a third round draft pick in the 2006 CFL Draft
2006 CFL Draft
The 2006 CFL Draft:-Round one:-Round two:-Round Three:-Round Four:-Round Five:-Round Six: -Further reading:*...
in return. For the 2006 season McManus served as backup and mentor to Stampeders' starting quarterback Henry Burris
Henry Burris
Henry Burris, Jr. is a professional Canadian and former American football player. Burris plays the quarterback position with the Canadian Football League Calgary Stampeders. Burris spent one year as a reserve quarterback for the National Football League's Chicago Bears...
. He announced his retirement from playing football on April 2, 2007. He was quickly snapped up by TSN
The Sports Network
The Sports Network, commonly abbreviated as TSN, is a Canadian English language Category C specialty channel and is Canada's leading English language sports TV channel. TSN premiered in 1984, in the first group of Canadian specialty cable channels...
as an analyst for CFL game broadcasts for the 2007 season
2007 CFL season
The 2007 CFL season was the 54th season of modern Canadian professional football. Officially, it was the 50th season of the league, and many special events were held to commemorate the event. Regular-season play began on June 28, 2007 at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario and concluded on...
. He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame
Canadian Football Hall of Fame
The Canadian Football Hall of Fame is a not-for-profit corporation, located in Hamilton, Ontario, that celebrates great achievements in Canadian football. It is an open to the public institution. It includes displays about the Canadian Football League, Canadian university football and Canadian...
in 2011.
Coaching career
McManus began working as a guest coach with the Tiger-Cats during 2008 CFL season2008 CFL season
The 2008 CFL season was the 55th season of modern Canadian professional football. Officially, it was the 51st season for the league. It was also the first CFL season in which all of the league's regular season and post-season games, including the Grey Cup game, were aired on TSN. This meant the CFL...
training camp and signed on as a coaching consultant in July to assist offensive co-ordinator Marcel Bellefeuille
Marcel Bellefeuille
Marcel Bellefeuille was a Canadian football head coach, most recently for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League.-University of Ottawa:...
and work with the quarterbacks. Danny is now the Head U.S. scout for the Ti-Cats.