Pat McInally
Encyclopedia
John Patrick "Pat" McInally (born May 7, 1953 in Villa Park
, California
), is a former punter
and wide receiver
for the National Football League
's Cincinnati Bengals
from 1976 to 1985.
, where he wore uniform number 84. Due to a broken leg he suffered in the College All-Star Game
at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers
(who are still the Bengals' division
rivals), McInally missed his entire rookie year. This injury, coupled with a decrease in popularity, led to the cancellation of the game after the 1976 event. He was drafted in the 5th round of the 1975 NFL draft.
's practice of drafting intelligent players was, arguably, exemplified by the selection of Pat McInally, who scored the only verified perfect score on the Wonderlic Test
, an intelligence test which was developed in the early 1970s that is given to prospective players by the NFL to judge their aptitude for adapting to certain situations.
According to McInally, "it really did seem like an easy test at the time. One of the reasons I did so well is because I didn't think it mattered. So I think I didn't feel any pressure at all. It was more of a lark, and that's when you do your best. If I took it 100 times I'd probably never do that again." McInally claims it hurt rather than enhanced his position in the draft because "coaches and front-office guys don't like extremes one way or the other, but particularly not on the high side. I think they think guys who are intelligent will challenge authority too much."
and a Super Bowl
, both of which he did in the 1981 season.
Due to suffering a series of concussions, the 6'-7", 210 pound McInally, who led the nation in receiving as a collegian in 1973, punted exclusively in the latter stage of his professional career. He finished his career with 700 punts for 29,307 yards, an average of 41.9 yards per punt. He also caught 57 passes for 808 yards and 5 touchdowns.
series of action figures circa 1986, the final year of his career, and pitched the idea to Kenner, a leading producer of toys. They agreed to develop it and the line became a top-seller. Kenner was later sold to Hasbro
. McInally himself was not included in the Starting Lineup line until a 10th anniversary figure of him was released in 1997. "SLUs," as collectors call the figures, were discontinued after the 2001 Major League Baseball season
.
After his retirement, the royalties Pat McInally received from Kenner provided income and also allowed him to work in youth sports and that led to the founding of Good Sports For Life, an organization that, according to McInally: "is dedicated to working with partners to improve youth sports by promoting meaningful participation, improved performance, personal growth, and creating positive experiences for the thirty-seven million kids playing sports today." He writes regular columns on behalf of the organization that appear on NFL.com.
In 2006 the Wonderlic Company named Pat McInally its director of marketing and testing to help student athletes prepare for the SAT
.
He is also a children's book collector, and in 2009 he was reported to have sold at auction for $115,000 a rare edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
, which had been given to the real Alice (Alice Liddell
).
In February 2011, it was announced that Pat McInally signed as the head varsity football coach at Brethren Christian Junior/Senior High School
in Huntington Beach
, California
.
He has two children, Jack and Abby, with his wife Leslie.
Villa Park, California
Villa Park is a city in northern Orange County, California, near and surrounded by the City of Orange, and close to Anaheim Hills, that incorporated in 1962. As of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 5,812, down from 5,999 at the 2000 census, achieving the status of the smallest city in...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
), is a former punter
Punter (football position)
A punter in American or Canadian football is a special teams player who receives the snapped ball directly from the line of scrimmage and then punts the football to the opposing team so as to limit any field position advantage. This generally happens on a fourth down in American football and a...
and wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
for the National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati Bengals
The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
from 1976 to 1985.
Early career
He attended Harvard UniversityHarvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
, where he wore uniform number 84. Due to a broken leg he suffered in the College All-Star Game
College All-Star Game
The Chicago Charities College All-Star Game was a preseason American football game played annually from 1934 to 1976 between the National Football League champions and a team of star college seniors from the previous year...
at the hands of the Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional football team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The team currently belongs to the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . Founded in , the Steelers are the oldest franchise in the AFC...
(who are still the Bengals' division
AFC North
The American Football Conference North Division, or AFC North, is a division of the National Football League's American Football Conference. It was created prior to the 1967 season as the NFL Century Division when the NFL split into four divisions...
rivals), McInally missed his entire rookie year. This injury, coupled with a decrease in popularity, led to the cancellation of the game after the 1976 event. He was drafted in the 5th round of the 1975 NFL draft.
Perfect Wonderlic Score
Paul BrownPaul Brown
Paul Eugene Brown was a coach in American football and a major figure in the development of the National Football League...
's practice of drafting intelligent players was, arguably, exemplified by the selection of Pat McInally, who scored the only verified perfect score on the Wonderlic Test
Wonderlic Test
The Wonderlic Cognitive Ability Test is a twelve-minute, fifty-question test used to assess the aptitude of prospective employees for learning and problem-solving in a range of occupations. The test was developed by industrial psychologist Eldon F. Wonderlic...
, an intelligence test which was developed in the early 1970s that is given to prospective players by the NFL to judge their aptitude for adapting to certain situations.
According to McInally, "it really did seem like an easy test at the time. One of the reasons I did so well is because I didn't think it mattered. So I think I didn't feel any pressure at all. It was more of a lark, and that's when you do your best. If I took it 100 times I'd probably never do that again." McInally claims it hurt rather than enhanced his position in the draft because "coaches and front-office guys don't like extremes one way or the other, but particularly not on the high side. I think they think guys who are intelligent will challenge authority too much."
Cincinnati Bengals
McInally served as the Bengals punter from 1976 to 1985, and also saw some playing time as a receiver on offense during the first half of his career. He led the league in net yards per punt in 1977(36.4) and in punting average in 1978 (43.1) and 1981 (45.4). He also has the distinction of being the first Harvard graduate ever to play in a pro bowlPro Bowl
In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the all-star game of the National Football League . Since the merger with the rival American Football League in 1970, it has been officially called the AFC–NFC Pro Bowl, matching the top players in the American Football Conference against those...
and a Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
, both of which he did in the 1981 season.
Due to suffering a series of concussions, the 6'-7", 210 pound McInally, who led the nation in receiving as a collegian in 1973, punted exclusively in the latter stage of his professional career. He finished his career with 700 punts for 29,307 yards, an average of 41.9 yards per punt. He also caught 57 passes for 808 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Life after football
Pat McInally conceived the Starting LineupStarting Lineup (toy line)
Starting Lineup was a brand of action figures produced from 1988 to 2001, first by Kenner and later by Hasbro. They were conceived by Pat McInally, himself a former professional American football player with the Cincinnati Bengals, in 1986...
series of action figures circa 1986, the final year of his career, and pitched the idea to Kenner, a leading producer of toys. They agreed to develop it and the line became a top-seller. Kenner was later sold to Hasbro
Hasbro
Hasbro is a multinational toy and boardgame company from the United States of America. It is one of the largest toy makers in the world. The corporate headquarters is located in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, United States...
. McInally himself was not included in the Starting Lineup line until a 10th anniversary figure of him was released in 1997. "SLUs," as collectors call the figures, were discontinued after the 2001 Major League Baseball season
2001 Major League Baseball season
The Major League Baseball season finished with the Arizona Diamondbacks defeating the New York Yankees in a Game 7 of the 2001 World Series. The attacks of September 11 pushed the end of the regular-season from September 30 to October 7. Because of that, the World Series was not completed until...
.
After his retirement, the royalties Pat McInally received from Kenner provided income and also allowed him to work in youth sports and that led to the founding of Good Sports For Life, an organization that, according to McInally: "is dedicated to working with partners to improve youth sports by promoting meaningful participation, improved performance, personal growth, and creating positive experiences for the thirty-seven million kids playing sports today." He writes regular columns on behalf of the organization that appear on NFL.com.
In 2006 the Wonderlic Company named Pat McInally its director of marketing and testing to help student athletes prepare for the SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
.
He is also a children's book collector, and in 2009 he was reported to have sold at auction for $115,000 a rare edition of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Lewis Carroll
Charles Lutwidge Dodgson , better known by the pseudonym Lewis Carroll , was an English author, mathematician, logician, Anglican deacon and photographer. His most famous writings are Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and its sequel Through the Looking-Glass, as well as the poems "The Hunting of the...
, which had been given to the real Alice (Alice Liddell
Alice Liddell
Alice Pleasance Liddell , known for most of her adult life by her married name, Alice Hargreaves, inspired the children's classic Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, whose protagonist Alice is said to be named after her.-Biography:...
).
In February 2011, it was announced that Pat McInally signed as the head varsity football coach at Brethren Christian Junior/Senior High School
Brethren Christian Junior/Senior High School
Brethren Christian is a private Christian high school located at Huntington Beach, California. It is situated on a site leased from the Huntington Beach School District, formerly the site of Gisler Middle School...
in Huntington Beach
Huntington Beach, California
Huntington Beach is a seaside city in Orange County in Southern California. According to the 2010 census, the city population was 189,992; making it the largest beach city in Orange County in terms of population...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
He has two children, Jack and Abby, with his wife Leslie.
