October 16, 1998

LOS ANGELES -- Ask UCLA senior quarterback Cade McNown what he would be doing if he did not have football and he is at loss for words.

"If and when I ever can't play the game, I'll think about it. But right now it's just been one of those things where I've given football my all," McNown explained.

Fortunately for UCLA, McNown's efforts have paid off. Against Tennessee last year, he set a personal best with 400 passing yards, the second-highest total in UCLA history. His 31 consecutive starts mark the longest streak ever by a Bruin T-formation quarterback.

He also holds school records for career completions (487), career passing yards (7,238) and career total offense (7,633).

And, of course, McNown is slated as one of this season's favorites to win the Heisman Trophy.

With such impressive statistics, he could have left for the NFL. But McNown enjoys college so much that he decided to stay for his fourth year.

"When I talk to a lot of guys, their advice is to enjoy college because it only happens once," he said. "The NFL is more of a business. It will be there in another year. I still feel like there's a lot that I've got to learn."

Certainly, McNown will be learning as much as he possibly can during his last year at UCLA. A football junkie, the senior can often be seen frequenting the football office, bombarding coaches with questions. He even watches tapes of opponents and the Bruins' offense during his spare time.

Sure he's obsessed, but there's more to McNown than just football. A devout Christian who enjoys reading theological books, he's not your typical jock.

"I think people should certainly know where I stand in terms of my faith," he said. "That's the most important thing to me. Football is second."

McNown credits his faith for helping him keep football and his fame in perspective. "The biggest thing to me when it comes to my faith is that I know there's a bigger picture than getting caught up in college football," he said. "I think a lot of people get into trouble when they think that the whole world revolves around football."

Mention all the magazines he has appeared in and McNown will be quick to reply that those magazines represent only a small portion of the rack. Talk to him about all the pressure he has to deal with and he will shrug it off.

"I've been chastised by people and the next minute I've been patted on the back," he said. "The more you see and experience this stuff, the more familiar it becomes and the less you're affected by it. The great thing is that I don't think anyone expects more out of me than I do."

After three years of playing for the Bruins, McNown knows firsthand what it takes to make it as a college athlete. "I see a lot of people go by the wayside because they can't just get up and do things whenever they want," McNown said. "I'd love to go on a week-long vacation out of nowhere but you can't do that because you have a commitment to give all you have, not only to the team, but to yourself."

Yet for all the sacrifice and commitment that being a college athlete requires, McNown would not give up his game or his fame for the world.

"There are obviously some drawbacks but I wouldn't trade it," he said. "I would never wish anything differently. I'm just a guy who's enjoying what he's doing."

No doubt Bruins fans enjoy what Cade McNown is doing as well.