It was an unfortunate day for the fans of the Cleveland Browns and the New England Patriots on September 10, as Bob McKay, an NFL veteran and a College Football Hall of Famer, passed away at the age of 78 after playing nine years in the NFL as an offensive tackle.
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Born on December 27, 1947, in Crane, Texas, McKay was a 6-foot-6, 245-pound lineman who was in demand during the 1970 NFL Draft, being picked No. 21 overall. While he initially came as a tackle, he would also play on both sides of the guard position in his NFL career.
“Bob McKay was accomplished in everything he did, from his remarkable football career to his professional life, but nothing meant more to him than his family,” said NFF President & CEO Steve Hatchell. “He was a gentle giant and simply one of those people you loved being around. More than a great football player, Bob was a great person and a good friend. We will miss him dearly, and our thoughts and prayers are with Donna and the entire McKay family.”
While he played with the Browns for six years, also reaching the playoffs twice with them in the 1971 and 1972 seasons, he lost the first game of both his postseason appearances.
He was then sent to the Patriots, who were already struggling after a 3-11 regular-season record and the loss of their Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback, Jim Plunkett. But with McKay and other players like tight end Russ Francis and quarterback Steve Grogan, the record flipped to 11-3, as the 1976 Patriots were “the best Patriots team to never get to the Super Bowl,” as stated by then-radio voice for the Patriots, late Gil Santos, with the team losing 24-21 to the Oakland Raiders.
McKay would go on to play two more seasons for the Patriots, with the team reaching the playoffs one more time in 1978, though McKay did not play in the Division round, with the Patriots losing 31-14 to the Houston Oilers.
While having 71 starts in 105 games in the NFL surely made McKay a veteran, it was his collegiate career that really got engraved in the minds of everyone. McKay was part of the iconic “Wishbone” offense of the Texas Longhorns that was put in place by the legendary coach Darell Royal, making that team one of the most dominant teams in college football history.
He led his team to a perfect 11-0 record, also winning the National Championship in 1969. The 1969 team outscored their opponents by 435-119. The team that Royal built gave McKay the first-team All-American honor and the Texas Athletics Hall of Honor in the class of 1990.
McKay and the Wishbone offense were central to the system Royal built, with Texas Athletics noting that “McKay and the ‘Wishbone’ were synonymous” in its news release.
He was also popular among his teammates, especially his “Wishbone” offense partners, who also spoke about him during his Hall of Fame induction.
Bob McKay was a legend for Texas and his teammates
Due to his excellent run with the Longhorns in 1969, the National Football Foundation announced McKay as the 19th Longhorn player to be inducted into its College Football Hall of Fame in October 2017. While McKay was pleased with the honor, he took the opportunity to acknowledge his teammates, stating that all of them did the work and that “there were ten other guys doing the same thing.”
The right halfback in the “Wishbone” offense, Ted Koy, mentioned that McKay “was a great leader,” and that he never tried to “intimidate anybody” despite his big stature, and the running backs knew that if they “just followed” his advice, they were heading in the right direction.
One of McKay’s most special friendships was with his college team’s QB, the late James Street, who also nicknamed McKay “Big ‘un.” Street’s son, Huston, spoke on the occasion of the honor, emphasizing their friendship and saying that “those two guys had a tremendous amount of love for each other.”
Although McKay was a professional football player, he was a kind-hearted person off the field, as he later demonstrated through his work with the NFL Children’s Benefit and CASH of Austin.
McKay’s legacy was truly remarkable, especially his time with the Longhorns, and he was also truly loved by his teammates. McKay is survived by his wife, 50-year-old Donna; their two children, Jill (Scott) and Josh (Katie); eight cherished grandchildren; and brothers Don (Kathy) and Mike.