Former SU Standout Don McPherson Named Walter Camp Football Foundation 2000 Alumnus of the Year
1/19/2001 10:44:18 AM | Football
McPherson, who was the runner-up in the Heisman Trophy voting to Tim Brown of Notre Dame, is employed today as the associate director of Athletes Helping Athletes, Inc. (AHA), a community-based, non-profit organization headquartered at Adelphi University. He teaches courses in "Leadership Development" and "Sports and Civility" at Adelphi. In addition, McPherson is a college football analyst for ESPN.
McPherson's accomplishments at quarterback for the Orangemen are evident in the SU record book. In 1987 he set three school records that still stand, including single-season passing efficiency (164.3), most yards per completion (18.1), most touchdowns in one season (22, tied by Donovan McNabb in 1998). He is the third-leading passer in SU history with 5,812 yards to his credit.
McPherson played professional football for seven years, including three years with the Philadelphia Eagles (1988-89, 1991) and one with the Houston Oilers (1990). He played for three seasons with the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the CFL (1992-94).
As program coordinator of AHA's Student-Athlete Leadership Program, McPherson has trained thousands of high school student-athletes in motivational speaking and group work dynamics. By using sports as an educational tool, student-athletes learn to teach, using their personal experiences as motivating examples for young people. AHA is used in high schools in Long Island, N.Y., Queens, N.Y., Hartford, Conn., throughout New Jersey and in schools in Canada.
In addition, McPherson serves as co-director of the Athletes in Services to America program at Northeastern University's Center for the Study of Sports in Society. The program's goal is to train former college student-athletes to set up community service programs in their communities and conduct workshops in conflict resolution, cultural diversity, gender violence prevention and academic tutoring.
McPherson serves on the board of directors of the Nassau County Sports Commission. In April 2000, on behalf of the sports commission, he created the John Mackey Award, which is given to the nation's most outstanding collegiate tight end.
McPherson formerly served as Director of Sports in Society's Mentors in Violence Prevention Program, which is designed to encourage men to take a proactive position in the effort to stop men's violence against women. The program has been presented at 80 high schools in New York, Massachusetts and Connecticut, as well as at 50 colleges and universities. It is an integrated component of the NCAA's CHAMPS/Lifeskills program.
McPhersons SU Career Statistics
| Passing | Games | Comp | Att | Pct. | Yds | Yds/Att | TDs | Int | Yds/Game |
| 1983 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .000 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| 1984 | 5 | 11 | 29 | .379 | 175 | 6.0 | 0 | 3 | 35.0 |
| 1985 | 11 | 85 | 159 | .535 | 1469 | 9.2 | 12 | 5 | 133.5 |
| 1986 | 11 | 142 | 269 | .528 | 1827 | 6.8 | 12 | 7 | 166.1 |
| 1987 | 11 | 129 | 229 | .563 | 2341 | 10.2 | 22 | 11 | 212.8 |
| Totals | 39 | 367 | 687 | .534 | 5812 | 8.5 | 46 | 26 | 149.0 |
