Danny McManus

Danny McManus (born June 17, 1965) is a former professional American football and Canadian football quarterback who passed for over 53,000 yards in seventeen seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL).

He currently serves as the assistant general manager and director for U.S. scouting for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

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.

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.

McManus spent four seasons at Florida State University, from 1984 to 1987, coached by Bobby Bowden (McManus also went to Florida State in 1983, but was redshirted).

In the driving snow at Ivor Wynne Stadium, the Toronto Argonauts defeated Edmonton in the 84th Grey Cup 43–37.

He 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.

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 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, he 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 in the eleventh round by the Kansas City Chiefs.

McManus was drafted by the Chiefs in the 11th round of the 1988 NFL Draft.

He made the Chiefs out of training camp, and spent his first, and only, National Football League season on the bench as the third quarterback.

McManus saw no action and was released during 1989's training camp.

He spent all of 1989 trying to catch on with another NFL team but was unsuccessful.

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.

The Blue Bombers of the era were in the middle of a mini-dynasty, where they won two Grey Cups in three years.

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.

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.

He made his second Grey Cup appearance in 1992, again coming in for a relief stint.

After the Grey Cup, he left Winnipeg as a free agent and ended up signing with the BC Lions, and started three games in 1993 when starting quarterback Danny Barrett was injured.

For 1994, McManus was again the backup, this time to Kent Austin.

However, fate would give him 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 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.

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, he was second in the league in passing yardage for 1996, this time behind Doug Flutie, with 4,425 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 19 interceptions.

He 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.

As of 2007, his all-time CFL passing yardage is third most next to Damon Allen and Anthony Calvillo.

He worked as a color commentator for TSN's CFL broadcasts, having previously appeared as a guest analyst on the CFL on CBC late in his playing career.

On December 2, 2013, he was named the assistant general manager and director of U.S. scouting for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Previous to that, he served as the director of scouting for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.