Life Is More Than Just Football for McInally

When Pat McInally isn’t searching for the ultimate in hang time, he’s looking for the perfect transition for his column or taping segments for WKRC in Cincinnati.

Much has transpired since the guy they called “Stork” left Villa Park High School as a member of the class of ’71. He spurned several athletic scholarship offers and went to Harvard, where there is no such thing as a free ride. He got his degree in U.S. History from the most Ivy League of schools, and managed to squeeze in a little time to play football. As a wide receiver, he became the first Harvard All-American since 1941.

At Harvard, he took classes from professors John Kenneth Galbraith and B.F. Skinner. After college, he went up against the likes of Mean Joe Greene and Jack Tatum.

McInally is in his 10th season as a punter/wide receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals. He also is in his third year of writing a syndicated sports column, “Pat Answers For Kids,” which runs in more than 100 newspapers. In the off season, he does sports-related features for ABC’s Cincinnati affiliate, WKRC-TV.

McInally left Harvard with considerably more career options than the average college player. Harvard grads generally fare well in the job market. And there always was the possibility of post-graduate work. But the Bengals made him their fourth-round draft choice in 1975, and after sitting out most of his rookie season with a broken leg, he decided football was for him. McInally said it was the leg injury, suffered in the 1975 College All-Star game, that helped him reach his decision.

“That gave me a year to acclimate myself to pro football and the Cincinnati area,” he said. “I wasn’t sure I wanted to be a professional football player. And with that kind of attitude, I probably wouldn’t have been very successful.”

McInally went on to become one of the National Football League’s best punters. He led the NFL in punting in 1976 (43.1 yard average) and 1978 (45.4). He entered this season with an average of 41.9 yards per kick. He also has 57 career receptions for 809 yards and 5 touchdowns.

Through it all, he’s found time to launch careers he hopes will continue when he retires from football.

“In the last few years, as I’ve done more off the field, I’ve enjoyed football more,” he said. “I know now that I can make my livelihood outside of football, so I enjoy playing it more.

“It’s a great occupation. Six months off . . . that’s tough to beat.”

But McInally is hardly a man of leisure. The television work keeps him busy in the spring and summer months, and the column is a year-round venture.

In his column, McInally answers questions sent to him by young athletes and concerned parents. He estimates that about one-third of the questions he receives pertain to physical aspects of sport; drills that can be done to improve, the dangers and/or merits of youth football. Other questions are more philosophical.

Pat Answers For Us:

Q: Today’s sports sections are filled with headlines of baseball players’ testifying of their involvement with drugs, football players holding out for bigger contracts, and college athletes being paid for their services. What ever happened to the days when athletes were regarded as heroes?

Pat answers: “I tend to dwell on the positive, but not in the naive sense. There are a lot of athletes out there who are heroes; who do a lot of good work in the community. It’s a shame that a small percentage (who don’t) get more of the publicity, but that’s the nature of the world, I guess.

“With the kind of disclosure or investigative journalism that is popular now, the anti-hero has become predominant (in the media). There are a lot of athletes who are wonderful people and great role models. Unfortunately, a lot are not. And they seem to get all of the attention.”

Q: Does a professional athlete have an obligation to set an example for kids?

Pat answers: “I certainly feel an athlete has that responsibility, particularly on a professional level. That’s part of the job. Another thing to remember is part of how athletes behave off the field affects their performance on it.”

Q: Of the scandals currently plaguing sports, which do you find particularly distressing?

Pat answers: “I think the most discouraging thing happening right now is disclosures of college athletes being paid under the table. I think it’s an indictment of our entire system--from the university president to the alumni to coaches--which really worries me.

“Never mind that it’s against NCAA regulations, it’s unreported income and it’s illegal. I think kids get off to a bad start when they go into college and start taking money illegally. That will lead to some character flaws that will show up in professionals. It just stands to reason.”

Q: What do you say to parents who encourage their children to excel in athletics so they can earn scholarships and receive free educations?

Pat answers: “They don’t receive an education, they receive a scholarship. There’s a big difference. I think the whole scholarship thing has backfired.

“Unless our educational system changes drastically, the whole system is going to topple. Sports were just supposed to add something to one’s education. They weren’t supposed to be the education.”

Q: A college education is a major expense. What’s a parent to do?

Pat answers: “I was very fortunate. My parents spent a lot of money to send me to Harvard. It was very important to them to see that I developed as more than an athlete. That parental responsibility has become more and more important.

“I don’t think priorities have necessarily changed. I think they’ve been forgotten.”