Luke McCown is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for over a decade. He began his football career at Louisiana Tech University, where he played college football for four years. During his time at Louisiana Tech, McCown set several school records and was named the Western Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 2003.
McCown was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the fourth round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He spent his rookie season as a backup quarterback and did not see any playing time. In 2005, he was traded to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he spent the next four seasons. During his time with the Buccaneers, McCown served as a backup quarterback and started a total of nine games. He had a career-high 1,009 passing yards in 2007.
In 2009, McCown signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars as a free agent. He played in two games for the Jaguars that season, starting one of them. He was released by the Jaguars in 2010 and signed with the New Orleans Saints later that year. McCown spent the next four seasons with the Saints, serving as a backup quarterback and appearing in a total of nine games. He had a career-high 310 passing yards in a game against the Carolina Panthers in 2015.
McCown signed with the Atlanta Falcons in 2014 but was released before the start of the regular season. He signed with the New Orleans Saints again in 2015 but was released during the preseason. He signed with the Dallas Cowboys later that year and spent the next two seasons with the team. He appeared in one game for the Cowboys in 2016, completing three of five passes for 20 yards.
McCown announced his retirement from the NFL in 2019 after 13 seasons in the league. He finished his career with 2,370 passing yards, nine touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. He also rushed for 125 yards and two touchdowns. McCown was known for his strong arm and accuracy as a passer, as well as his ability to read defenses and make quick decisions.
Since retiring from football, McCown has become a high school football coach in Louisiana. He has also worked as a football analyst for various media outlets, including ESPN and the NFL Network. McCown is married and has four children.
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