Wane Keith McGarity (born September 30, 1976) is a former
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team wi ...
wide receiver and
return specialist
A return specialist or kick returner is a player on the special teams unit of a gridiron football team who specializes in returning punts and kickoffs. There are few players who are exclusively return specialists; most also play another position ...
in the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
and
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
for the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...
,
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
,
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a professional Canadian football team based in Calgary, Alberta. The Stampeders compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The club plays its home games at McMahon Stadium and are the third-o ...
and
Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a professional Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Blue Bombers compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West division. They play their home games at IG Fie ...
. He was drafted by the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...
in the fourth round of the
1999 NFL Draft. He played
college football at the
University of Texas
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
.
Early years
McGarity attended
Tom C. Clark High School. As a junior, he was the starter at
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball,
and block. Ther ...
, registering 890 rushing yards before suffering a torn
anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of a pair of cruciate ligament
Cruciate ligaments (also cruciform ligaments) are pairs of ligaments arranged like a letter X. They occur in several joints of the body, such as the knee joint and th ...
in his right knee. As a senior, he rushed for 1,606 yards and 22
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Amer ...
s on 233 carries.
He was a three-time district champion in the
100 metres
The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been conteste ...
, qualifying twice for the state finals.
College career
McGarity accepted a football scholarship from the
University of Texas
The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin, UT, or Texas) is a public research university in Austin, Texas. It was founded in 1883 and is the oldest institution in the University of Texas System. With 40,916 undergraduate students, 11,075 ...
. In 1994, he was declared a medical
redshirt
Redshirt, Red Shirt, or Redshirts may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Red Shirts'' (film), a 1952 film about Anita Garibaldi by Franco Rossi
* Redshirt (stock character), originally derived from ''Star Trek'', a stock character who dies soon after ...
, after tearing the
anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of a pair of cruciate ligament
Cruciate ligaments (also cruciform ligaments) are pairs of ligaments arranged like a letter X. They occur in several joints of the body, such as the knee joint and th ...
in his right knee.
As a freshman, he appeared in every game as a backup
running back
A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball,
and block. Ther ...
. As a sophomore, he was converted into a
wide receiver, posting 18 receptions for 318 yards (17.7 average) and 4
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Amer ...
s.
As a junior, he tore the
anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of a pair of cruciate ligament
Cruciate ligaments (also cruciform ligaments) are pairs of ligaments arranged like a letter X. They occur in several joints of the body, such as the knee joint and th ...
in his left knee, during the third game of the season against
Rice University
William Marsh Rice University (Rice University) is a private research university in Houston, Texas. It is on a 300-acre campus near the Houston Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center. Rice is ranked among the top universities ...
. He opened the year by tallying 5 receptions for 105 yards against
Rutgers University
Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's College, and was ...
. He finished with 10 receptions for 169 yards and one touchdown.
McGarity blossomed as a fifth-year senior, compiling 58 receptions (school record) for 1,087 yards (school record) with an 18.7 average (school record) and 9 receiving
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Amer ...
s (second in school history), including making the longest reception (97 yards) in school history against the
University of Oklahoma
, mottoeng = "For the benefit of the Citizen and the State"
, type = Public research university
, established =
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $2.7billion (2021)
, pr ...
. He recorded the most
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Amer ...
receptions in one game in school history, having 4 against
Texas Tech
Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...
.
He totaled 95 receptions (sixth in school history), 1,687 receiving yards (third in school history), 14
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Amer ...
s (third in school history) and most 100-yard receiving games in one season (7 in 1998).
Professional career
Dallas Cowboys
McGarity was selected by the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divi ...
in the fourth round (118th pick overall) of the
1999 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he appeared only in 5 games because of injuries and being declared inactive. Following
Michael Irvin
Michael Jerome Irvin (born March 5, 1966) is an American sports commentator and former professional football wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). In 2007, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fa ...
's career-ending neck injury against the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
, McGarity had his first professional receptions in the fifth game against the
New York Giants, making 3 catches for 36 yards, before dislocating his right shoulder. He would miss the next 4 contests. He made his first career start in the twelfth game against the
New England Patriots in place of an injured
Ernie Mills
Ernest Lee Mills, III (born October 28, 1968) is an American former American football wide receiver in the National Football League for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at the Universit ...
, making him the first rookie to start at wide receiver for the Cowboys since
Kevin Williams in 1993. McGarity had 3 receptions for 31 yards against the Patriots. He fractured his right ring finger in practice and was placed on the
injured reserve list
The injured reserve list ( IR list) is a designation used in North American professional sports leagues for athletes who suffer injuries and become unable to play. The exact name of the list varies by league; it is known as "injured reserve" in th ...
on December 10, missing the last 4 games.
In , he was the NFC's third (eighth in the
NFL) leading punt returner with an 11.8-yard average. He was one of only 2 players in the league to return 2 punts for
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Amer ...
s in the season, becoming the fifth player in team history to accomplish that feat. He became the third player in
NFL history to return a punt for a touchdown against the same opponent in different games during the same season. He also played as a
slot wide receiver, tying for fourth on the team with 25 receptions for 250 yards.
McGarity showed flashes of his big play ability, scoring on a reverse of 22 yards and on punt returns of 59 and 64 yards, with both of his scores on returns coming against the
Arizona Cardinals in separate games. After
Raghib Ismail
Raghib Ramadian "Rocket" Ismail (born November 18, 1969) is an American former American and Canadian football wide receiver and kick returner. He played college football at Notre Dame before moving on to both the Canadian Football League (CFL) ...
sustained a torn right ACL in the overtime loss against the
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team play ...
in the ninth game, McGarity was forced to see extended time at wide receiver, making 3 receptions for 19 yards, including a third down catch in overtime to convert a first down, while averaging 12.3 yards on three punt returns. In the win against the
Cincinnati Bengals, he was second on the team with 4 receptions for 51 yards, including a career-long 25-yard catch and the first two rushing attempts of his career that produced 15 yards.
Against the
Baltimore Ravens
The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays it ...
, he led the team with a career-high of 6 receptions that gained 40 yards. The next contest against the
Minnesota Vikings
The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansi ...
on Thanksgiving Day, he had 5 receptions for 54 yards and 2 punts returns for 20 yards. Against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The cl ...
, he led the team with a career-high 59 receiving yards on four receptions. In the fourteenth game against the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
, he had a big influence on all of the team's 12 first half points, returning the first two punts 33 and 27 yards, to set the offense up at the opponent's 25 and 30-yard lines, while scoring his first career offensive touchdown with a 22-yard end around run to put the Cowboys ahead for good at 12-7.
In , he appeared in 3 games (one start), making 6 receptions for 45 yards, one touchdown and 6 punt returns for 38 yards. McGarity was passed on the depth chart by
Reggie Swinton and was waived on October 3.
New Orleans Saints
On October 24, , he signed as a
free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
with the
New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
. He was released on October 27. He was re-signed on October 30. After appearing in 9 games, he wasn't re-signed at the end of the season.
Calgary Stampeders (CFL)
On September 25, , he was signed by the
Calgary Stampeders
The Calgary Stampeders are a professional Canadian football team based in Calgary, Alberta. The Stampeders compete in the West Division of the Canadian Football League (CFL). The club plays its home games at McMahon Stadium and are the third-o ...
of the
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
. He tallied 15 receptions for 205 yards and 2 touchdowns in five games. He also had 9 kickoff returns for 212 yards and 12 punt returns for 66 yards.
In , he was the West Division's top
special teams
In American football, the specific role that a player takes on the field is referred to as their "position". Under the modern rules of American football, both teams are allowed 11 players on the field at one time and have "unlimited free substitu ...
player and was named to the
CFL All-Star team. He finished with 55 receptions for 799 yards and 6
touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Amer ...
s. He had 663 yards and two touchdowns on punt returns and 248 yards and one touchdown on a missed field goal. He also tallied 399 kickoff return yards.
[
In , he collected 47 receptions for 599 yards, 3 receiving ]touchdown
A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Amer ...
s, 41 punts for 360 yards and 27 kickoffs for 583 yards in 15 games. He wasn't re-signed after the season.[
]
Winnipeg Blue Bombers (CFL)
On February 17, , he signed as a free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers
The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are a professional Canadian football team based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Blue Bombers compete in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as a member club of the league's West division. They play their home games at IG Fie ...
. He was released on August 3, after playing in 6 games.
Personal life
McGarity worked at H-E-B
H-E-B Grocery Company, LP, is an American privately held supermarket chain based in San Antonio, Texas, with more than 340 stores throughout the U.S. state of Texas, as well as in northeast Mexico. The company also operates Central Market, an ...
as a health and wellness program manager. He also has two daughters Danica and DaMia and is married to Jessica McGarity.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:McGarity, Wane
1976 births
Living people
Players of American football from San Antonio
Players of Canadian football from San Antonio
American football wide receivers
American football return specialists
Canadian football wide receivers
Texas Longhorns football players
Dallas Cowboys players
New Orleans Saints players
Calgary Stampeders players
Winnipeg Blue Bombers players