Terry McDaniel

Terence Lee McDaniel (born February 8, 1965) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), mostly with the Los Angeles/Oakland Raiders. He played college football for the Tennessee Volunteers football, and was selected in the first round of the 1988 NFL draft with the ninth overall pick.

A five-time Pro Bowl selection from 1992 to 1996, McDaniel had 35 career interceptions for 667 yards and 6 touchdowns. His five interceptions returned for touchdowns over his career with the Raiders are a team record. His 34 interceptions are the third-highest in franchise history, and his 624 return yards are the second-highest.

Early life

A native of Mansfield, Ohio, McDaniel attended Saginaw High School in Saginaw, Michigan, where he played football and ran track. In football, he played both wide receiver and running back.

College career

McDaniel signed with the University of Tennessee in 1983 to play football and run track. Initially a wide receiver, he redshirted during his first year. During the 1984 season, he appeared in every game except the season opener, caught one pass for 19 yards, and returned 5 kickoffs for a total of 59 yards. He had 3 tackles as part of the kickoff return coverage unit.

Just before the start of the 1985 season, McDaniel switched to cornerback. In the first quarter of Tennessee's 30–0 shutout of Vanderbilt on November 30, Commodore tailback Carl Woods broke loose and ran 65 yards for what would have been a touchdown, but was chased down and tackled by McDaniel at the Tennessee 15-yard line. McDaniel had 3 tackles and an interception in Tennessee's 35–7 victory over Miami in the 1986 Sugar Bowl. including one in which he chased down running back Brent Fullwood to prevent what would have been a 96-yard touchdown run.

During his senior season in 1987, McDaniel registered 57 tackles (38 solo), 2 interceptions and a team-leading 8 broken-up passes. In the Vols' win over Mississippi State, McDaniel prevented another long touchdown run when he chased down and stopped Bulldog running back Hank Phillips at the Tennessee 15-yard line. His hit on Phillips jarred the ball loose, and it was recovered by Vol linebacker Darrin Miller. He was named All-SEC and 2nd-team All-American. He also received Academic All-SEC honors. His career totals at Tennessee included 146 tackles (97 solo), 11 passes broken up, and 6 interceptions. and was ranked the number two cornerback by The Sporting News. He was selected by the Los Angeles Raiders in first round (ninth overall pick) of the 1988 NFL draft. He missed most of his rookie year with a broken leg,

His five interceptions returned for touchdowns over his career with the Raiders are a team record. His 34 interceptions are the third-highest in franchise history, and his 624 return yards are the second-highest. He was selected for the Pro Bowl five times, every year from 1992 to 1996.

McDaniel's best season statistically was the 1994 season, in which he had seven interceptions. In the Raiders' 48–16 win over Denver on September 18, 1994, McDaniel intercepted a pass from John Elway and returned it 15 yards for a touchdown. In the team's 21–17 win over New England on October 9, 1994, McDaniel intercepted three passes from Patriots quarterback Drew Bledsoe, one of which he returned for a touchdown, and one of which set up the go-ahead touchdown.

McDaniel missed three games during the 1997 season due to a knee injury, and was released by the Raiders prior to the 1998 season. He played his final NFL season that year as a member of the Seattle Seahawks. His career statistics include 35 interceptions for 667 yards and six touchdowns.

NFL career statistics Year Team GP Int Yards TD Sacks FF 1988 LA 2 0 0 0 0.0 0 1989 LA 16 3 21 0 1.0 0 1990 LA 16 3 20 0 2.0 0 1991 LA 16 0 0 0 0.0 0 1992 LA 16 4 180 0 0.0 0 1993 LA 16 5 87 1 0.0 0 1994 LA 16 7 103 2 0.0 0 1995 OAK 16 6 46 1 0.0 0 1996 OAK 16 5 150 1 0.0 0 1997 OAK 13 1 17 0 0.0 0 1998 SEA 9 1 43 1 0.0 0 Career 152 35 667 6 3.0 0

Post-playing career

After his final season in the NFL, McDaniel returned to Knoxville, Tennessee, with his wife and children. He has since become active in the city's Children of God Ministries church. McDaniel's son, Isaiah, joined the Tennessee squad as a preferred walk-on in 2014.