273:
After college, McIlhenny opted not to continue a career in professional sports. He told UPI in 1982, "I really don't think I would want to stay in the game as a coach. ... Oh, maybe I might coach my kids or be a YMCA coach. But football takes a lot out of you. It is a grind. I get too wrapped up in
250:
As Kevin
Sherrington, sports writer for The Dallas Morning News observed in a January 2015 analysis of the 1982 Mustangs, "Lance McIlhenny had more than a little to do with the success. He became SMU’s starting quarterback midway through his freshman year. Not because he was big or fast or could
274:
it. My mom will be the first to tell you that". He worked for several commercial real estate firms in the Dallas area, including Jones Lang LaSalle, The
Staubach Company, CASE Commercial Real Estate, Cresa Partners and CBRE, where he was a first vice president.
251:
throw a pass through your earhole. What he was, was a mechanic. Nobody south of the Red River ran the option better. He learned it at the foot of Frank Bevers at
Highland Park, where R.C. Slocum, then a Texas A&M assistant, recruited him for the Aggies."
510:
217:
in passing efficiency with a 133 rating. Slocum told
Sherrington, McIlhenny “understood option football. ... He had two great running backs at SMU, but he’s the one who made it all go”.
333:
111:
928:
503:
135:
131:
206:, combined with blue chip running back Charles Waggoner, were nicknamed the "Pony Express" for their running attack; with McIlhenny leading the offense.
496:
933:
938:
354:
900:
612:
417:
244:
240:
210:
591:
191:
159:
760:
203:
704:
267:
239:
history, finishing with a career record of 34-5-1. He played a key role in the
Mustangs two SWC Championships (
225:
221:
459:
291:
483:
680:
923:
519:
163:
71:
312:
396:
375:
236:
214:
167:
127:
93:
183:
151:
817:
884:
838:
643:
438:
224:, number-four-ranked SMU and McIlhenny (a senior), played against the number-six-ranked
876:
794:
732:
688:
199:
917:
892:
488:
263:
672:
659:
651:
604:
575:
567:
87:
825:
781:
768:
620:
559:
546:
533:
187:
179:
155:
355:"If Lance McIlhenny and Dan Marino were not both college football quarterbacks"
583:
229:
186:
history. As a freshman, he did not begin the 1980 season as the starter at
99:
334:"What could have been? Pony Express of '82 might have made history"
492:
254:
In 2013, he was inducted into the SMU Athletics Hall of Fame.
195:
178:
McIlhenny is considered to be one of the greatest option
190:, but was promoted during the seventh game against the
235:
McIlhenny is the winningest quarterback in school and
418:"SMU Athletics Hall of Fame Honors Lance McIlhenny"
117:
107:
80:
65:
60:
52:
44:
39:
31:
26:
397:"SMU announces 2013 Athletics Hall Of Fame class"
504:
8:
21:
511:
497:
489:
20:
929:Players of American football from Dallas
460:"Counting down the 25 greatest Mustangs"
313:"Talking 'Excess' with the Pony Express"
292:"Counting down the 25 greatest Mustangs"
283:
7:
521:SMU Mustangs starting quarterbacks
376:"Remembering the 1983 Cotton Bowl"
27:SMU Mustangs – No. 11
14:
232:in his final game. SMU won, 7-3.
48:5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
25:
934:American football quarterbacks
1:
939:SMU Mustangs football players
160:Southern Methodist University
150:is a former American college
16:American football quarterback
118:Career highlights and awards
856:Garrett Krstich (2014–2015)
955:
528:
122:
722:Dan Freiburger (1990–92)
633:Danny Thomas (1963–1964)
268:National Football League
226:University of Pittsburgh
56:190 lb (86 kg)
812:Justin Willis (2006–08)
861:Matt Davis (2014–2016)
846:Neal Burcham (2013–14)
833:J. J. McDermott (2011)
667:Keith Bobo (1972–1973)
866:Ben Hicks (2016–2018)
755:Mark Humble (1995–96)
750:Chris James (1994–95)
599:Charlie Arnold (1956)
439:"Don McIlhenny Stats"
871:William Brown (2018)
851:Kolney Cassel (2014)
807:Jared Romo (2004–05)
776:David Page (2000–01)
712:Bobby Watters (1986)
484:SMU Hall of Fame bio
237:Southwest Conference
215:Southwest Conference
168:Southwest Conference
40:Personal information
745:Derek Canine (1995)
717:Mike Romo (1989–91)
628:Don Campbell (1962)
541:John Sprague (1935)
192:University of Texas
94:Cotton Bowl Classic
23:
802:Tony Eckert (2004)
789:Tate Wallis (2002)
740:Mark Eldred (1993)
735:(1993–94, 1996–97)
554:Frank Payne (1946)
112:Highland Park (TX)
911:
910:
184:NCAA Division I-A
154:player who was a
145:
144:
946:
904:
896:
888:
880:
872:
867:
862:
857:
852:
847:
842:
834:
829:
821:
818:Bo Levi Mitchell
813:
808:
803:
798:
790:
785:
777:
772:
764:
756:
751:
746:
741:
736:
728:
727:Todd Ritz (1991)
723:
718:
713:
708:
700:
692:
684:
676:
668:
663:
655:
647:
639:
638:Mac White (1965)
634:
629:
624:
616:
608:
600:
595:
587:
579:
571:
563:
555:
550:
542:
537:
522:
513:
506:
499:
490:
471:
470:
468:
466:
456:
450:
449:
447:
445:
435:
429:
428:
426:
424:
414:
408:
407:
405:
403:
393:
387:
386:
384:
382:
372:
366:
365:
363:
361:
351:
345:
344:
342:
340:
330:
324:
323:
321:
319:
309:
303:
302:
300:
298:
288:
222:1983 Cotton Bowl
148:Lance McIlhenny
24:
954:
953:
949:
948:
947:
945:
944:
943:
914:
913:
912:
907:
899:
891:
885:Tanner Mordecai
883:
875:
870:
865:
860:
855:
850:
845:
839:Garrett Gilbert
837:
832:
824:
816:
811:
806:
801:
793:
788:
780:
775:
767:
759:
754:
749:
744:
739:
731:
726:
721:
716:
711:
703:
697:Lance McIlhenny
695:
687:
679:
671:
666:
658:
650:
644:Mike Livingston
642:
637:
632:
627:
619:
611:
603:
598:
590:
582:
574:
566:
558:
553:
545:
540:
532:
524:
520:
517:
480:
475:
474:
464:
462:
458:
457:
453:
443:
441:
437:
436:
432:
422:
420:
416:
415:
411:
401:
399:
395:
394:
390:
380:
378:
374:
373:
369:
359:
357:
353:
352:
348:
338:
336:
332:
331:
327:
317:
315:
311:
310:
306:
296:
294:
290:
289:
285:
280:
260:
176:
170:championships.
141:
22:Lance McIlhenny
17:
12:
11:
5:
952:
950:
942:
941:
936:
931:
926:
916:
915:
909:
908:
906:
905:
903:(2023–present)
901:Kevin Jennings
897:
889:
881:
877:Shane Buechele
873:
868:
863:
858:
853:
848:
843:
835:
830:
822:
814:
809:
804:
799:
795:Richard Bartel
791:
786:
778:
773:
765:
757:
752:
747:
742:
737:
733:Ramon Flanigan
729:
724:
719:
714:
709:
701:
693:
689:Jim Bob Taylor
685:
677:
669:
664:
656:
648:
640:
635:
630:
625:
617:
609:
601:
596:
588:
580:
572:
564:
556:
551:
543:
538:
529:
526:
525:
518:
516:
515:
508:
501:
493:
487:
486:
479:
478:External links
476:
473:
472:
451:
430:
409:
388:
367:
346:
325:
304:
282:
281:
279:
276:
266:played in the
259:
256:
200:Eric Dickerson
198:running backs
175:
172:
143:
142:
140:
139:
126:3× First-team
123:
120:
119:
115:
114:
109:
105:
104:
103:
102:
96:
90:
82:
78:
77:
76:
75:
67:
63:
62:
61:Career history
58:
57:
54:
50:
49:
46:
42:
41:
37:
36:
33:
29:
28:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
951:
940:
937:
935:
932:
930:
927:
925:
924:Living people
922:
921:
919:
902:
898:
894:
893:Preston Stone
890:
886:
882:
878:
874:
869:
864:
859:
854:
849:
844:
840:
836:
831:
827:
823:
819:
815:
810:
805:
800:
796:
792:
787:
783:
779:
774:
770:
766:
762:
761:Chris Sanders
758:
753:
748:
743:
738:
734:
730:
725:
720:
715:
710:
706:
702:
698:
694:
690:
686:
682:
678:
674:
670:
665:
661:
657:
653:
649:
645:
641:
636:
631:
626:
622:
618:
614:
613:Frank Jackson
610:
606:
602:
597:
593:
589:
585:
581:
577:
573:
569:
565:
561:
557:
552:
548:
544:
539:
535:
531:
530:
527:
523:
514:
509:
507:
502:
500:
495:
494:
491:
485:
482:
481:
477:
461:
455:
452:
440:
434:
431:
419:
413:
410:
398:
392:
389:
377:
371:
368:
356:
350:
347:
335:
329:
326:
314:
308:
305:
293:
287:
284:
277:
275:
271:
269:
265:
264:Don McIlhenny
258:Personal life
257:
255:
252:
248:
246:
242:
238:
233:
231:
227:
223:
218:
216:
213:, he led the
212:
207:
205:
201:
197:
193:
189:
185:
181:
173:
171:
169:
165:
162:. He led the
161:
157:
153:
149:
137:
133:
129:
125:
124:
121:
116:
113:
110:
106:
101:
97:
95:
91:
89:
85:
84:
83:
79:
73:
70:
69:
68:
64:
59:
55:
51:
47:
43:
38:
34:
30:
19:
696:
673:Ricky Wesson
660:Gary Hammond
652:Chuck Hixson
605:Don Meredith
576:Jerry Norton
568:Fred Benners
465:February 19,
463:. Retrieved
454:
442:. Retrieved
433:
423:February 19,
421:. Retrieved
412:
400:. Retrieved
391:
381:February 19,
379:. Retrieved
370:
360:February 19,
358:. Retrieved
349:
337:. Retrieved
328:
316:. Retrieved
307:
295:. Retrieved
286:
272:
261:
253:
249:
234:
219:
208:
180:quarterbacks
177:
164:SMU Mustangs
147:
146:
88:Holiday Bowl
18:
895:(2022–2024)
887:(2021–2022)
879:(2019–2020)
826:Kyle Padron
782:Kelan Luker
771:(1998–2000)
769:Josh McCown
683:(1977–1980)
675:(1974–1976)
646:(1966–1967)
621:Jerry Rhome
607:(1957–1959)
586:(1953–1954)
570:(1949–1951)
562:(1947–1948)
560:Gil Johnson
547:Doak Walker
534:Gerald Mann
444:October 27,
402:October 27,
339:October 27,
318:October 27,
297:October 27,
262:His father
204:Craig James
188:quarterback
156:quarterback
108:High school
74:(1980–1983)
35:Quarterback
918:Categories
592:John Roach
584:Duane Nutt
278:References
230:Dan Marino
81:Bowl games
841:(2012–13)
828:(2009–11)
820:(2008–09)
797:(2002–03)
763:(1997–98)
707:(1984–85)
699:(1980–83)
681:Mike Ford
654:(1968–70)
536:(1926–27)
194:. Future
174:Biography
705:Don King
152:football
100:Sun Bowl
32:Position
220:In the
166:to two
130:(1981,
128:All-SWC
66:College
784:(2001)
691:(1979)
662:(1971)
623:(1961)
615:(1960)
594:(1955)
578:(1952)
549:(1945)
53:Weight
45:Height
98:1983
92:1982
86:1980
467:2016
446:2015
425:2016
404:2015
383:2016
362:2016
341:2015
320:2015
299:2015
245:1982
241:1981
228:and
211:1982
202:and
158:for
136:1983
132:1982
247:).
209:In
196:NFL
182:in
72:SMU
920::
270:.
243:,
134:,
512:e
505:t
498:v
469:.
448:.
427:.
406:.
385:.
364:.
343:.
322:.
301:.
138:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.