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PRO: In a
move to bolster the receiving corps with another big play threat, the
Cowboys traded a third round draft pick in the 2000 NFL Draft to Seattle
for James McKnight on June 24, 1999. The move never had time to pay
dividends as McKnight suffered a season-ending knee injury during a
scrimmage four days before the preseasonr. Following a year of
rehabilitation, he will team with Joey Galloway and Raghib Ismail this
season to give Dallas one of the most explosive wide receiving units in
the league. McKnight came to Dallas with a career 18.6 yards-per-catch
average on 63 receptions after starting his NFL career as an undrafted
rookie free agent in 1994. While seeing mostly special teams action during
his first three years, he began to come into his own as a receiver in his
fourth season while continuing to make contributions on special teams,
recording 54 special team tackles in 60 career games.
1999: McKnight had
everyone excited about his big-play potential during the first weeks of
training camp, only to suffer a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his
left knee during the Blue-White Scrimmage on Aug. 5. He underwent surgery
on Aug. 26 and was placed on reserve/injured on Aug. 27, spending the
season rehabilitating the knee.
1998: McKnight finished
the year with 21 catches for 346 yards and two touchdowns as the Seahawks
third receiver. In the seasonr at Philadelphia (9/6), he converted a
first down with a 28-yard catch. He totaled two catches for 26 yards
against Arizona (9/13) and again against Washington (9/20). After totaling
three receptions for 36 yards over the next three weeks – at Pittsburgh
(9/27), at Kansas City (10/4) and against Denver (10/11) – he missed the
game against Oakland (11/1) with a hip pointer. Two weeks later at Oakland
(11/15), he caught three passes for 66 yards. He again totaled three
receptions the next week at Dallas (11/22), this time for 32 yards and a
touchdown. He tied a career-high with five receptions against Tennessee
(11/29) for 113 yards, including a 59-yard touchdown, to mark his second
career 100-yard receiving game. He totaled two catches for 19 yards
against Indianapolis (12/20) before missing the season finale at Denver
(12/27) with the flu.
1997: After missing the
first four games of the season with a knee injury suffered at Cincinnati
(8/22) in the preseason finale, McKnight played in the remaining 12 games,
starting five, and finished with 34 catches for 637 yards (18.7 avg.) and
six touchdowns, all career-high totals. He averaged 38.5 yards on his six
touchdown catches. He registered a 54-yard touchdown at Kansas City
(9/28), and he caught four passes for 100 yards and a touchdown against
Oakland (10/26), marking his first career 100-yard receiving game. Against
the Raiders, he teamed with Galloway (seven catches for 117 yards) to
become the third pair of receivers in Seahawks history to top 100 yards in
the same game. McKnight caught a 34-yard touchdown pass on fourth down to
tie the game at New Orleans (11/16) with 1:40 remaining. He had a
career-high five catches against Atlanta (11/30), and he scored on a
60-yard reception at Baltimore (12/7).
1996: McKnight saw action
in 16 games as a reserve wide receiver and special teams performer. He
finished second on the team with 25 special team tackles, including four
against San Diego (10/27). His only reception of the year went for 73
yards at Detroit (11/17), and he returned a kickoff 55 yards at Oakland
(12/22) to set up a Seattle touchdown.
1995: McKnight played in
all 16 games, recording six receptions for 91 yards, while contributing 14
special team tackles. His top performance came against San Diego (10/22)
when he totaled two receptions for 35 yards.
1994: After signing as an
undrafted free agent on April 29, he was released following training camp
and immediately signed to Seattle’s practice squad. He spent the first
10 games of the season on the practice squad before being activated Nov.
19. He turned his only reception of the year into a 25-yard touchdown
against Cleveland (12/24).
COLLEGE: McKnight
finished his Liberty career with 114 receptions for 1,948 yards (17.1
avg.) and 17 touchdowns. He caught 39 passes for 812 yards and eight
scores as a senior after totaling 50 catches for 711 yards and five
touchdowns as a junior. He left Liberty having totaled eight 100-yard
games.
PERSONAL: McKnight
lettered in football, basketball and track at Apopka, FL, High School. He
took his final courses over the last few off seasons and received his
degree in administration of justice from Liberty in June, 2000. McKnight
served as a celebrity escort in the 2000 Children’s Cancer Fund Fashion
Show, which raised nearly $400,000 for pediatric oncology research. He
also participated as a celebrity coach in the club’s Let Us Play! Sports
Camp for Girls. McKnight has a son, David, and is married to Mikki.
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