Quick Facts
Biography
Kevin Joseph Sweeney (born November 16, 1963) is a former American football player, who played in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football for Fresno State University.
Early years
Sweeney attended Bullard High School, where he was a record-breaking quarterback.
He accepted a scholarship from Fresno State University to be coached by his father Jim Sweeney and replace at quarterback the graduated Jeff Tedford. He was a four-year starter, played in 46 contests and missed only one half of a game in his career, even playing as a senior with a left dislocated shoulder that required surgery at the end of the season.
As a sophomore, he passed for 3,259 yards and 20 touchdowns, leading the nation's highest scoring offense (39.1 points per game). The next year, he threw for 2,604 yards and 14 touchdowns, while helping his team finished as the only Division I unbeaten school (11-0-1). as a senior, he broke Doug Flutie's NCAA Division I record for passing yards in a career (10,623 yards). His number 9 jersey was retired by the school.
College statistics
- 1983: 166/334 for 2,359 yards with 16 TD vs 19 INT
- 1984: 227/421 for 3,259 yards with 20 TD vs 13 INT
- 1985: 177/295 for 2,604 yards with 14 TD vs 7 INT
- 1986: 160/284 for 2,363 yards with 15 TD vs 9 INT
- Olderman, Murray (November 7, 1986). "Family affair at Fresno State". Nevada Daily Mail. Nevada, Missouri. NEA. p. 10.
- http://www.nytimes.com/1986/12/17/sports/sports-people-sweeney-has-surgery.html
- http://articles.latimes.com/1986-11-23/sports/sp-12703_1_bulldogs
- http://www.nytimes.com/1986/11/23/sports/sweeney-tops-flutie-mark.html
Professional career
Dallas Cowboys
Sweeney was selected by the Dallas Cowboys in the seventh round (180th overall) of the 1987 NFL Draft, after dropping because of his height. He was waived on September 7.
After the players went on a strike on the third week of the 1987 season, those games were canceled (reducing the 16 game season to 15) and the NFL decided that the games would be played with replacement players. Sweeney was signed to be a part of the Dallas Cowboys replacement team, that was given the mock name "Rhinestone Cowboys" by the media. He became the third ever rookie quarterback to start for the Cowboys, following Don Meredith (1960) and Roger Staubach (1969). He was a popular player with the fans during those games; when Danny White took over the team for the third replacement team against the Washington Redskins, the crowd started chanting "We Want Sweeny, We Want Sweeny" when the team didn't perform well in the eventual 7-13 loss. He was kept on the roster for the rest of the year.
On November 6, 1988, he started the second half and passed for three touchdowns against the New York Giants. The next game, he was given the opportunity to start against the Minnesota Vikings, but lost 3-43 after completing just 10 of 28 passes for 93 yards, with 2 interceptions and 2 fumbles.
San Francisco 49ers
Sweeney signed with the San Francisco 49ers as a Plan B free agent in 1989. He was released before the start of the season.
Montreal Machine (WLAF)
In 1991, he signed with the Montreal Machine of the World League of American Football, where he was named the starter at quarterback.
Personal life
Sweeney is a senior vice president at Wells Fargo Bank.