As promised, former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb did a Reddit AMA session last week. McNabb didn't say anything too revealing, but it's worth checking out. Here are some of the highlights. If you're not into reading, you can watch the video featuring some of his answers above this post.
How does McNabb think he'll be remembered?
"Personally, I can’t care less how history judges me. When you go through life, there's no need for you to ever look back and wonder what one man or what one woman may think of the things that you have accomplished, or maybe things you haven't accomplished. It's really all on self confidence and being secure in yourself. We all have hurdles, we all have obstacles that we're faced with. But really it's all on you and how you're able to overcome those adversities.
For me, when I played for my 13 year career, the numbers speak for itself. You can go and get DVDs, cause back in the day it was VHS, then they had some old dude spinning some thing with the prompter, but the footage is there. Film never lies. It was a lot of fun when I played."
McNabb's perspective on Doug Pederson
"He was a mentor to me. Doug ended up being the backup for Brett Favre for I think 8 to 9 years, so I got a little tutoring, so to speak, in the West Coast offense, how to be a professional quarterback, how to prepare, different approaches, what Brett did (good and bad) and I tried to add that, obviously, to my preparation each and every day.
Now, Doug has been on the journey now of being a high school coach, quality control guy, quarterback coach, offensive coordinator and now a head coach. I think what he brings is a fresh mind, a different approach. Andy Reid has kinda tutored him throughout this process, and we'll see what he can do on his own."
Does McNabb feel like he's Hall of Fame QB?
"Yes I feel like I'm a hall of famer. My numbers speak for themselves. Over a decade of play for Philadelphia there were only two quarterbacks that had the winning percentage that I do and my numbers obviously rate among the top, or better than some of the quarterbacks that are in the Hall of Fame at this particular time. Do I have a vote? No. Will I be heartbroken if I don't get in at any given time? Nope. I played the game because I love the game. The competitive nature, the attitude, the approach. No one can ever take any of that away from me."
Did McNabb puke?
"No, I didn't puke. It's unfortunate that we still talk about this 11 years after playing in the Super Bowl. But, no. That did not happen and hopefully we can stop talking about it. Once again, go watch the game tape."
Best season?
"It's easy to say that my best season was the Super Bowl run, when you look at it statistically.
I probably would say 2008. A lot of ups and downs, adversities. I was benched in the Baltimore game, and after the benching went on a run. We went on a run and I believe we won the NFC East and ended up playing in the NFC Championship game against the Arizona Cardinals in Glendale, Arizona. Which, I still to this day think it was a patched interference call that was not called, but I'm not going to be pissed off about it, at all."
Welcome to the NFL moment?
"My first "welcome to the NFL" moment was when my name was called at Radio City Music Hall in New York. I was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles and I was booed."
"Hello!"
Has McNabb ever met Rush Limbaugh?
"Absolutely not.
Do I care to speak to him? Absolutely not.
Do I care for him? Absolutely not.
The trifecta."
Most underrated Eagles pass catcher?
"Unless you're a Philadelphia fan or obviously you've seen our team play against your favorite team, Chad Lewis. Chad Lewis was one of those tight ends that I knew was secure to catch. May not give me the yards after the catch, but that was my man. Every quarterback should have a security blanket, and the majority of times it's their tight end."
What it's like calling games
"Dick Stockton is a professional. He's a big time talent and has been doing it for years. It was an honor for me to work with him. He led me right into the broadcast the way that most colored guys are supposed to do.
For me, calling games was a lot of fun. It was easy because I kind of put myself back behind center. Just kind of explaining to the viewers, to the fans of what the quarterback is seeing, what he's thinking, what to expect from a defense on a third down or maybe a second down, things to look forward to in the next couple plays. That's what fans want to hear. They want to hear that what Ben Roethlisberger or Peyton Manning are doing on the sideline. What's he doing now in the huddle? What is he saying? Why did they go after that linebacker or safety.
So, I'll be back, as Arnold would say."
Favorite sandwich?
"My favorite sandwich, as I say "sammich" — that's the hood talk — is bologna and cheese, with mayo. Put that in the microwave for 10 seconds. Eat that."
Hot dogs = not a sandwich
"I believe that a hotdog is not a sandwich. A hotdog is a hotdog. I'm from Chicago where we enjoy our Polish sausages. For those who don't know, it's not an Italian sausage, it's not a ball frank — it's a Polish sausage. So a hotdog is a hotdog. The question is, do you put ketchup on your hotdog? Hmm...think about that!"
Can the Super Bowl end in a tie?
"Hahaha. Nice one. We're still bringing up the tie. I wasn't the only one who didn't know. That was a regular season game, sillies.
Can it end in a tie? You tell me."
Will 5 always love you?
"5 will always love you. And I know you keep bringing it up because the microphone cut off on me in my retirement speech, but 5 will always love you."