Alvin Keith McCants was an American professional football player who was a linebacker for six seasons in the National Football League for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Houston Oilers, and the Arizona Cardinals from 1990 to 1995.
22 Facts About Keith McCants
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Keith McCants played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide, earning unanimous All-American honors in 1989.
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Keith McCants was selected by Tampa Bay in the first round of the 1990 NFL draft with the fourth overall pick.
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Additionally, McCants was named to the 1986 Alabama Sports Writers Association's Super 12 team, composed of the top 12 high school football players in the state.
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Keith McCants was on the school's basketball team, and helped lead them to the state tournament both his freshman and senior year.
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Keith McCants was a member of the 1990 Sugar Bowl team and was named the National Defensive Player of the Year in 1989 by CBS.
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In 1988 as a sophomore, Keith McCants finished second on the team with 78 tackles, second only to Derrick Thomas.
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The Tide ended the season with a win against Army in the 1988 Sun Bowl, in which Keith McCants had a game-high 13 tackles.
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Additionally, it was the second straight Iron Bowl in which Keith McCants led the Tide in tackles, combining for 35 total between the 1988 and 1989 matchups.
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The February 12,1990, issue of Sports Illustrated ran an article that focused on Keith McCants titled "The Young and the Restless", that profiled his and other college juniors' eventually successful attempts to declare for the NFL Draft before their senior season, a then-uncommon practice.
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Keith McCants was for a time expected to be the first player selected in the 1990 NFL draft, but the Atlanta Falcons backed off due to rumors of knee trouble and allegations that his family had been paid money by a sports agent while he was still in college.
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In 1993 while with the Houston Oilers, Keith McCants stepped in to separate Buddy Ryan and Kevin Gilbride when Ryan punched Gilbride in the face following an Oilers fumble.
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In 1995 Keith McCants scored his second NFL touchdown, on a fumble recovery against the Seattle Seahawks.
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Keith McCants interviewed guests Cornelius Bennett, Robert Jones, Stylez G White, George Teague, Willie Anderson, Kato Kaelin and Ron Jeremy.
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Keith McCants was an avid scuba diver, having dived all around the coast of Florida and the Caribbean.
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Keith McCants died of an apparent drug overdose on September 2,2021, aged 53.
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Keith McCants appeared in the 2012 episode Broke, part of ESPN's 30 for 30 series of sports documentaries.
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Keith McCants was a semi-frequent guest on HuffPost Live, having appeared on the program five times.
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Keith McCants was the guest for the September 21,2012, episode of Dan Lebatard is Highly Questionable.
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In December 2012, Keith McCants appeared on Tailgating with Kato, Kato Kaelin's sports-themed television talk show.
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Keith McCants appeared on WALA-TV Fox 10 a number of times, with segments including "The Interview" and "Studio 10".
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Keith McCants was featured in sportswriter Gregg Easterbrook's book The King of Sports: Football's Impact on America released in October 2013.