Was Jim McMahon the Johnny Manziel of his day?

[Mars]

Jim McMahon set 70 NCAA records while at BYU (a totally unheard of number), passed for 84 touchdowns, and starred in history's greatest bowl game, the "Miracle Bowl' comeback win against SMU, one of the best teams that money could buy- literally. He went on get drafted in the 1st round, play for 6 NFL teams, and help win 2 Super Bowls. One time, he won 25 NFL games in a row for the Chicago Bears. Of course, I grew up in California and didn't go to BYU until long after his college playing days were already over, so I never saw him play live in person, and never even set foot on campus the same time he was there as a student. Afterwards, I heard stories about "the Punky QB" drinking beer at BYU, mooning helicopters, and chewing tobacco during an interview (yes, I own and have read "And They Came To Pass"). When Brandon Davies was suspended, McMahon told the papers that kids should do what he did- "Find girls who kept their mouths shut." In an article about trying to graduate from BYU he mentioned that he's always been "smart enough to get somebody else to do my homework." I also read that he's now divorced.

That being said, everyone who knows him seems to love him, and I always hear about him being active and involved in various charitable organizations. Maybe he just needed to mature with age like all of the rest of us. Maybe Manziel will be the same 30 years from now.

Anyone have some insight about what it was like having him represent BYU back in the day? He was obviously a great player, and is still a fan favorite, but I feel conflicted about how he has represented the University off of the field (I think that's a fair statement).

[SpiffCoug]

I don't know. Did Jim McMahon's dad not want to golfing with him because of his temper tantrums while on the course?

McMahon seemed to care more about the game than the off-the-field stuff. He just wanted to win. Manziel wants to be famous too.

[Cougarbib]

Jim has his detractors. I have heard all of what you put in your post and more. Chicago Tribune had a nice photo of Jim in New Orleans at Super Bowl captioned -Jim McMahon with woman - not his wife. There were rumors about Jim crashing a golf cart through a plate glass window at a local golf course and one about him swinging from the Lanai (balcony) on a Hawaii hotel room to drop to the Lanai of a teammate the next level down. Stories about sending his wife for beer in Provo to avoid being recognized himself.

Not sure how much of this us true. But he was irreverent, cocky, unrepentant, and and trouble prone at best. Probably still resembles much of that.

Nevertheless, BYU recruited him and kept him here for 5 years and he is part of the fabric of BYU Football for better or worse.

In case you cannot tell, I am a huge fan of McMahon the football player. He should make the Hall of Fame and his Jersey should be retired.

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[scott715]

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This is when I was that age and my dad was a counselor in the bishopric giving a lesson. There were probably ten kids in there, a few of which, I was appalled to learn, didn't know anything about McMahon.

First he wheeled in one of those gigantic TV / VCR carts.

Then he asked the class to think for a minute about whether they had ever given up on something that mattered to them because it seemed too hard or even impossible. Then he hit play on the video - it's been too long since I've watched the 1980 Holiday Bowl in sequence for me to remember where it occurs but it's somewhere around the four minute mark of the fourth quarter with BYU down by at least a couple of TDs with a 4th and 10.

Lavell sends out the punting team, effectively conceding a loss. McMahon refuses to leave the field. In fact - if I remember it correctly - stands with his hands on his hips staring at Lavell who is then forced to call a TO. In the TO Lavell agrees to go for it, McMahon hits someone (I think Clay Brown) with an 11 yard completion. And the rest is history.

My dad then wrote on the board -

"IF it really matters and you have a fighting chance -
- never give up
- never concede
- never punt"

Things went on from there to get interesting as one of the kids asked a very tricky question along the lines of "but if the coach is the guy in charge shouldn't the QB trust the coach and do what he says?"

My dad handled it well - as he always has - and said (this one stuck with me) - "sometimes even the most courageous and best leaders need to get support and courage from the people they are leading - sometimes in a difficult moment your dad, your older brother, or later in life maybe even your bishop will need you next to them to be strong and to give them hope."

So yeah what I'm saying I guess is that I know Jim McMahon is true and I'm pretty much just high-fiving confused strangers over the completion of his degree.

[Stirfry]

Anyone have some insight about what it was like having him represent BYU back in the day? He was obviously a great player, and is still a fan favorite, but I feel conflicted about how he has represented the University off of the field (I think that's a fair statement).

I think McMahon said it best himself. I think he said this in a SI article on having his name retired and being put in BYU's hall of fame but I can't find it. The best I can find is this cougarboard link:

Mcmahons reply was - "...of course they used me, but I used them also. I needed a school to show off my talent and they were the program to do that and they needed a guy to win. I did that."

reporter - "do you regret going to BYU..."

Mcmahon - "absolutley not, they taught me everything about football and what I know about life right now. I would do it the same all over again."

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