There aren't many guys who have played football as long as Danny McManus. Five years at FSU, one year with the Kansas City Chiefs, and an astounding 17 seasons in the Canadian Football league. All told, McManus played a game he loved for over two decades and in this day and age, that's unheard of.

His road to Florida State was a relatively easy one. In 1983, the quarterback from Hollywood, Florida was down to just Pittsburgh and Florida State. In the end, he chose Bobby Bowden over his family, and that didn't set well with a few members of the McManus clan.

"That was a tough one because my brother was a football coach at Pitt, I had to tell him that I wasn't going to his school," said McManus.

"It was pretty much when you get the invite to come up there, you have it in your mind that this is the place I want to go, but once you step on campus it's a done deal. Not really the football program, just the campus in general."

It also didn't hurt that the 'Noles had Bobby Bowden recruiting McManus. While it would be nice to for him to play for his brother, it's hard to say no to the winningest coach in college football history.

"The first time I saw him was in his office, it was like, what am I doing here in his office," said McManus. "You always hear about his track record, but to be in his office with him, I remember it was a Saturday morning. I was nervous to walk into the office. I don't remember what he said or what I said.

"He had conversations with my mom and them, and then Burt Reynolds had a conversation with them. When those guys talk to your parents, it's a done deal."

The ironic part is that Florida State saw McManus play by accident. The 'Noles were in Miami to play the 'Canes and the coaching staff was in Hollywood to watch someone else. That's when they spotted their next quarterback.

"They were in town when they were playing Miami, they were recruiting someone else on my team," McManus said. "Luckily I had a good game and got on their radar. It was a right place, right time."

From 1983-1987, McManus played at FSU. He took a redshirt in '83, but went on to be named the Seminoles offensive MVP in 1986. In '87, the dynamic signal-caller led the 'Noles to an 11-1 record throwing for 375 yards and three touchdowns in a Fiesta Bowl victory against Nebraska.

From there, it was on to the NFL. Back in those days, the draft never ended, and McManus was selected in the 11th round by Kansas City. For one season, the former 'Nole was a third string quarterback for the Chiefs, never taking an official snap. He spent all of the 1989 season trying to catch on in the league, but never could.

That's when the next chapter of his life began, the one that would set the course for the next 17 years. In 1990, McManus decided to give the Canadian Football League a chance, signing with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. And over the next 17 years, he would play in Winnipeg, BC, Edmonton, and Hamilton. All told, his all-time CFL passing yardage and seasons played are second only to Damon Allen, brother of Marcus Allen. McManus would throw for over 50,000 yards in his CFL career, making him one of the most famous football players in CFL history. And this is coming from a guy that didn't know much about the Canadian game at all.

"No, not at all. You have a lot of Canadians to visit the area (South Florida)," said McManus. "I knew about the Canadian game and read the newspapers. I read about the game.

"I thought it would be one or two contracts, three to six years and go from there. Use my degree from Florida State, but to be lucky enough to play 17 years.

"It's not that much different, the money is different, but the way of life, the way people go to work, it's no different than Florida. It's more of a hockey country; the US is football/baseball. But hockey is king in Canada. The game of football has been around well over 100 years, the way it's played is very fast paced, exciting."

But does that mean the South Florida native has become a hockey fan?

"I've seen hockey games, but to consider myself a hockey fan, no," McManus admitted. "I go. The game is fast, it's incredible what these guys can do."

After a short stint working for TSN on the television side, McManus decided that he should give radio a chance. So, he came up to Florida State to interview and audition for the color commentary job alongside of Gene Deckerhoff.

"I was up there this spring doing a radio audition with Gene Deckerhoff. That was fun to talk about football in the late 80's," said McManus. "It was fun to stop by and it's always nice to see those guys. I feel like a grandfather to some of those guys."

McManus didn't get the job, but he quickly landed on his feet. The Hamilton Tiger Cats called the former Seminole signal caller, asking him to be a part of their club. It was a quick decision for McManus.

"I joined the Hamilton Tiger Cats helping on the field with quarterbacks and scouting as well," said McManus. "It seemed like the next logical thing, I want to see the management side of football. Develop players for coaches to mold together. Coaching could be there. I talked to Coach Bowden about it letting him know I'm going to try this coaching thing out."

During the off-season, McManus and his family live in Venice, Florida. While it's not exactly down the street from Tallahassee, the 43 year old always makes time for his school and knows that they will be back among the nation's elite in no time.

"I think when you talk about major college football, Florida State is well known now," said McManus. "At the time, we were trying to get into the top 10. Now, week in and week out Florida State is a top notch football program."

Lee Gordon is an Anchor/Reporter at WCTV in Tallahassee. Prior to his return to the Capital City, Lee spent three years as a Sports Anchor/Reporter at WTEV-WAWS in Jacksonville and prior to that was Sports Director at WCTV from 2000-2004. Lee has worked for Warchant.com for 5 years and brings over a decade of experience to our staff.