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Josh McCown
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Rows of football-related books line the shelves in the office of Sam Houston State
offensive coordinator James Ferguson. Former Sam Houston State and NFL-bound QB Josh
McCown has read many of them, spending nights sifting through Ferguson’s old
playbooks, learning the intricacies of the run-and-shoot offense and the vulnerabilities
of a cover-3 defense.
After finishing his football career, McCown would like to become a football coach. He
has read books about coaching strategies and observed which type of coaching styles have
effectively motivated his teammates. He made a habit of bringing his breakfast to coaches
meetings every morning during the season and closely observing how a game plan is devised.
But McCown’s focus was not solely on preparing for a career beyond his playing days.
He also wanted to improve as a player. That he has done, perhaps more than any other NFL
prospect leading up to the NFL Draft on April 20-21.
McCown, 22, was virtually unheard of prior to the season after playing for Division
I-AA Sam Houston State. He did not have the platform he did at Southern Methodist
University, where he had started for three seasons prior to transferring to Sam Houston.
But he was noticed at the Senior Bowl in February. When Oregon QB Joey Harrington
suffered a knee injury in the East-West Shrine game and could not play in the Senior Bowl,
McCown was added to the roster and given the opportunity to work with Seattle head coach
Mike Holmgren, a noted QB guru.
Holmgren quickly sensed McCown’s grasp of the game.
"In meetings, he’s very interested, very attentive," Holmgren said.
"He’s one of those guys that’s sharp. He can transfer from the meeting to
the practice field, and that’s one thing we are looking for."
What has been more impressive is his athleticism. At the Indianapolis combine, McCown
posted some jaw-dropping numbers. At 6-3 1/2, 221 pounds, he was
timed in the 40-yard dash at 4.56 seconds. That time is one-hundredth of a second faster
than Pro Bowl QB Donovan McNabb ran at the combine coming out of Syracuse three years ago.
McCown caught the eye of scouts again when he was warming up before being tested in the
vertical jump at the combine. McCown’s strength and speed coach Kurt Hester told him
not to stretch his calves before being tested in the vertical jump because stretching
inhibits explosive power. Instead of stretching, Hester advised McCown to make two
in-place jumps as a warm-up procedure. Standing next to a five-foot tall concert barrier
in the RCA Dome, McCown side-hopped over the wall once and hopped back to his original
position. Other quarterbacks dropped their heads. They were not surprised when McCown went
on to post a vertical jump of 38.5 inches, the best jump of any quarterback.
His leaping ability did not go unnoticed at Sam Houston State either, where several
basketball players told their basketball coach about McCown after playing with him in
pick-up games. With the ability to perform a 360-degree dunk effortlessly, McCown made a
believer out of head coach Bob Marlin. Marlin told McCown he could contribute to the team
immediately and would likely start for the hoops squad.
Because McCown played at SMU as a true freshman, he was eligible to use a redshirt year
to make the transition to Sam Houston. Had he redshirted, McCown said he would have joined
the basketball team in the fall. However, it was clear that McCown was the most talented
quarterback on the team in fall camp and the coaching staff decided he was going to play.
Sam Houston State offensive coordinator James Ferguson wasn’t so sure McCown would
be ready to play when he initially transferred. He had thrown 27 touchdowns and 34
interceptions at SMU, including nine touchdowns and 16 interceptions his junior year.
Ferguson questioned his consistency, but later realized why he had trouble making
decisions.
In the middle of McCown’s sophomore season, the team reversed the roles of its
offensive coordinator and tight ends coach, changing the offensive terminology and many of
the reads that McCown had been taught to make. Three games later, the two coaches reversed
roles again, changing the offense back to the original system and leaving a mixture of the
two offensive systems in place.
McCown’s older brother, Randy, was the starting quarterback at Texas A&M at
the time and Josh frequently conversed with his brother during the season. Neither Randy
nor Josh had ever seen such a change in the middle of the season. After SMU’s third
sub-par season, McCown felt the program lacked stability and was headed in the wrong
direction. Losing was draining the fun out of the game. He wanted to win again, like he
did when he led Jacksonville (Texas) High School to a 12-1 record.
So he transferred to Sam Houston State, where several of his friends attended. He also
knew a strong corps of seniors were returning to the football team. Every successful team
that his brother Randy played on at Texas A&M had strong senior leadership. Josh saw
it in place at Sam Houston State and made the move.
After winning the starting QB position, McCown passed for 3,481 yards and 32
touchdowns, throwing more touchdowns in one season than he did in three years at SMU and
earning the Southland Conference Player of the Year award. While SMU’s coaching staff
was looking for new jobs after another dismal season, McCown was leading the Bearkats into
the playoffs against Northern Arizona.
In the final 32 seconds of the playoff game, with the score tied 31-31 and the Bearkats
gaining possession near their 20-yard line, Ferguson said he had already gone into
overtime mode, not expecting to drive the length of the field, when McCown came to his
side and told him to send some receivers deep.
McCown reminded his teammates not to turn the ball over in the huddle. Stepping up to
the line of scrimmage, he expected Northern Arizona to be playing soft underneath, trying
not to give up the big play. After taking the snap, he looked for a running back crossing
on a short route when his protection broke down and he was forced out of the pocket. He
darted out of the pocket at full throttle, drawing the attention of defenders but still
looking downfield when he spotted a Sam Houston receiver streaking down the sideline.
Running to his left, he heaved the ball nearly 65 yards across the field, completing a
58-yard strike to a receiver who ran out of bounds inside the 10-yard-line. The Bearkats
called two more plays in the middle of the field to set up the game-winning field goal for
a 34-31 victory — the first playoff victory in school history.
While they lost their next game to Montana, the eventual Division I-AA champion, McCown
led the Bearkats to the highest final NCAA Division I-AA ranking (No. 7) in school
history. With McCown at the helm, Sam Houston State led the Southland Conference in
scoring (37.5 points), passing (278.8 yards) and total offense (437.4 yards). More
importantly, McCown cut down on his turnovers, with 12 interceptions.
While scouts have criticized his consistency and decision-making ability, Ferguson said
McCown played very consistent as a senior and can prove his critics wrong if he is given
time to develop under one offensive coordinator.
"The reason I don’t think he is great at making decisions is because he has
had three offensive coordinators in college," Ferguson said. "He has had to
learn a whole bunch of different systems. Had he been in one system the whole time, I
think he would be great at it, but for having to learn what he has had to learn in his
college career, my hat is off to him. That’s difficult. So I think if he can go to
some place where he can stay for several years and stay in that same system, I think he is
going to be really good."
He has also been criticized for having a jerk in his delivery, not stepping into his
throws and playing against weak competition.
Ferguson does not argue that McCown has a jerk in his delivery at times.
"His delivery is not the same every time, but I think some of it is because he
will sit and hold the ball, and then all of a sudden, it’s like a rattlesnake
striking you — that arm is moving in a hurry. He fires it in there," Ferguson
said. "But as far as when things work just like we draw it up, it’s more of a
natural, smooth throw. As far as accuracy, I really haven’t noticed much
difference."
Because McCown would hold onto the ball until the last second before getting blasted by
oncoming rushers, Ferguson acknowledged that he developed a habit of not stepping into his
throws, but he sees it as an advantage rather than a weakness.
"If there is a negative on him, he doesn’t always get his feet set,"
Ferguson said. "But I also think that is one of his greatest strengths because he can
be off-balance with bad footwork and throw a rocket. As a coach, whoever gets him, we
worked hard on his footwork, trying to make sure that his feet were set, that he had a
good base when he threw. But when he wasn’t that way — and there are certain
times in the game when you are not going to be, such as rush situations when it is time to
get rid of the football — he can throw it off-balance, off his back foot."
As far as the criticism of playing against weak competition, Ferguson was somewhat
offended. He acknowledged that the Bearkats do not have as much depth as many Division I-A
counterparts, but mentioned that Sam Houston State currently has more pro prospects than
SMU. He also pointed to the number of small-school players on NFL rosters and the fact
that McCown played three years against Division I-A competition at SMU.
According to an NFL scout at the combine, McCown opened some eyes with his performance.
After David Carr and Harrington, the scout said it is a toss-up between McCown,
Illinois’ Kurt Kittner, Tulane’s Patrick Ramsey, Stanford’s Randy Fasani
and LSU’s Rohan Davey as to who will be selected next. The scout said that it’s
possible McCown’s potential can sneak him up the draft board.
"I really like him. I think McCown is very interesting because of his
upside," the scout said. "He can be that leader that turns out to be a really
good quarterback. I think he has some good ability. He has a pretty good arm, is fairly
accurate and has good size. He has some mobility. He’s a really good athlete. His
numbers at the combine were exceptional for a quarterback. His three-cone and shuttle were
very good. We were just like ‘Wowww!’ He’s very flexible and athletic. And
he’s just a young kid learning. So I think he has a huge upside."
NFL personnel are not the only people whose respect McCown is trying to earn. He says
he tried to earn the respect of his teammates by pushing himself to improve in the weight
room, where he came within five pounds of setting a school record by power-cleaning 350
pounds.
"I enjoy exercising, not only because it is good for you physically, especially at
quarterback to keep you on the field as far as injuries go, but I think it’s just
good to get in (the weight room) because people have this conception of quarterbacks as
prima donnas who don’t want to do anything but play and get all the publicity,"
McCown said. "For me, I always thought getting in there and working hard in the
weight room helps you earn the respect of your teammates, especially something like
cleaning 350. If you could get in there and lift with a lot of the linemen strength-wise,
you earn their respect. It translates to communication on the field — when you speak,
they listen. So I definitely feel like the weight room is a big key for me as far as
earning respect."
Ferguson said he also earned it by appreciating his teammates.
"You watch him in the weight room, he’s encouraging his other
teammates," Ferguson said. "On the field, he was not a guy who was going to get
on his receivers. He encouraged them quite a bit if they dropped a ball, telling them,
‘everything is fine, I’m coming right back to you.’ Little things like that
he was excellent on. I can only remember one time when he kind of raised his voice to a
guy, and I think it was extremely appropriate at the time. The guy was supposed to be the
primary receiver and his route was poorly run, but it was not an outrageous outburst. He
just got on him a little bit, corrected him, the same thing I probably would have done. He
just beat me to it. I think he can do that because no one out there is going to work
harder. I mean they couldn’t look at him and say, ‘You’re not working
hard.’ As long as he was doing those types of things, I was fine with it. I
don’t want him, and I don’t think any coach wants him, to just be irate, but I
have never, ever heard him get on a lineman — not one time. I mean, he took
some shots too."
In the short time he has been at Sam Houston State, McCown has won Ferguson’s
respect. After sitting in on coaches meetings in the mornings, McCown would depart for
class. A short while later, Ferguson said McCown would be back with his lunch in hand,
asking more questions in his humble, Southern drawl.
If the blonde-haired, blue-eyed quarterback does not have success in the NFL, he should
be able to find work at Sam Houston State or wherever Ferguson may be coaching. While he
said he has never discussed offering McCown a coaching position, Ferguson certainly
wouldn’t hesitate to add him to his staff.
"I know whenever he gets through with the NFL, I’d like to hire him,"
Ferguson said. "He can come in and coach quarterbacks. He can coach anything.
He’s going to study and do that. He’s going to be an excellent coach. Wherever
I’m at, if we have an opportunity, we are going to hire him, because he is a good
Christian man. He would represent anybody well, would never embarrass them. He comes from
a good family — a very athletic family."
Q&A with McCown
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