Donald McPherson, Football, 1983-87
Quarterback
1987 All-American
The 1987 campaign was McPherson’s finest. The Maxwell Award winner as the college football player of the year and the Heisman Trophy runner-up, McPherson led the nation in passing efficiency with a Syracuse-record 164.3 rating. He set 22 Syracuse records, including the single-season marks for passing yards per game (212.8), touchdown passes (22), and most consecutive games with a touchdown pass (10). He won the Maxwell Award (most outstanding player), Davey O'Brien Award (most outstanding quarterback) and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award (most outstanding senior quarterback).
McPherson finished his Syracuse playing career in 1987 with the program’s all-time passing yards, completions and pass attempts records. After graduating, McPherson continued his football career with the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Oilers. McPherson was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008. In 2013, Syracuse University honored McPherson by retiring his No. 9 jersey.
Upon retiring from pro football in 1994, McPherson joined Northeastern University’s Center for the Study of Sport in Society as director of Athletes in Service to America. During this time, McPherson turned his focus to the issue of “men’s violence against women,” as director of Sport in Society’s Mentors in Violence Prevention Program. In 2002, McPherson founded the Sports Leadership Institute at Adelphi University and served as its executive director. He was also an independent consultant and vice president of The Hopewell Group, Inc., a philanthropic advising and consulting company located in New York City.
Throughout his professional life, McPherson has used the power and appeal of sport to address complex social issues. Since 1995, McPherson has served as a national leader and advocate for the prevention of sexual and domestic violence. He has conducted workshops and lectures for more than 200 college campuses, community organizations and national sports and violence prevention organizations, and was a facilitator at the first NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Conference in 1997. His programs and lectures have reached more than one million people.
Throughout his professional life, McPherson has used the power and appeal of sport to address complex social issues. Since 1995, McPherson has served as a national leader and advocate for the prevention of sexual and domestic violence. He has conducted workshops and lectures for more than 200 college campuses, community organizations and national sports and violence prevention organizations, and was a facilitator at the first NCAA Student-Athlete Leadership Conference in 1997. His programs and lectures have reached more than one million people.
McPherson has worked as a college football analyst for ESPN, BET and NBC and currently provides regular expert analysis on XM Satellite Radio. In 2000, while a board member of the Nassau County Sports Commission, McPherson created the John Mackey Award, which recognizes college football’s most outstanding tight end.
He has served in a consulting and advisory capacity for several national organizations and currently sits on the board of directors of the Family and Children’s Association, Stop It Now! and the Ms. Foundation for Women.
| McPherson's Career Passing Statistics | ||||||
|
Comp. |
Attempts |
Pct. |
Yards |
TDs |
Int. |
|
| 1983 |
0 |
1 |
.000 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 1984 |
11 |
29 |
.379 |
175 |
0 |
3 |
| 1985 |
85 |
159 |
.536 |
1,469 |
12 |
5 |
| 1986 |
142 |
269 |
.528 |
1,827 |
12 |
7 |
| 1987 |
129 |
229 |
.563 |
2,341 |
22 |
11 |
| Totals |
367 |
687 |
.534 |
5,812 |
46 |
26 |
| McPherson's Career Rushing Statistics | |||||
|
Carries |
Yards |
Avg. |
TDs |
Long |
|
| 1983 |
2 |
-2 |
-1.0 |
0 |
0 |
| 1984 |
34 |
42 |
1.2 |
0 |
18 |
| 1985 |
157 |
489 |
3.1 |
7 |
29 |
| 1986 |
191 |
523 |
2.7 |
6 |
31 |
| 1987 |
110 |
199 |
1.8 |
5 |
33 |
| Totals |
472 |
1,583 |
3.4 |
18 |
|
| McPherson's Total Offense Statistics | ||||
|
Plays |
Yards |
Avg. |
TDs |
|
| 1983 |
3 |
-2 |
-0.7 |
0 |
| 1984 |
63 |
201 |
3.2 |
0 |
| 1985 |
316 |
1,958 |
6.2 |
19 |
| 1986 |
460 |
2,350 |
5.1 |
18 |
| 1987 |
339 |
2,540 |
7.5 |
27 |
| Totals |
1,181 |
7,047 |
6.0 |
64 |
