Randall Cornell McDaniel (born December 19, 1964) is an American former

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

player who played as a

guard Guard or guards may refer to: Professional occupations * Bodyguard, who protects an individual from personal assault * Crossing guard, who stops traffic so pedestrians can cross the street * Lifeguard, who rescues people from drowning * Prison gu ...

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 majo ...

(NFL).

Early career

McDaniel played high school football and ran track at Agua Fria High School in

Avondale, Arizona Avondale is a city in Maricopa County, Arizona, United States, adjacent to Phoenix. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 89,334, up from 76,238 in 2010 and 35,883 in 2000. Avondale, incorporated in 1946, has experienced rap ...

, then played college football at

Arizona State University Arizona State University (Arizona State or ASU) is a public research university in the Phoenix metropolitan area. Founded in 1885 by the 13th Arizona Territorial Legislature, ASU is one of the largest public universities by enrollment in the ...

, where he participated in the school's first ever Rose Bowl appearance in 1987. In recognition of his Rose Bowl accomplishments, McDaniel was inducted into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame in 2018. He was joined by fellow Sun Devil Curley Culp on August 3, 2013 as the only

Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, , the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of professional football, including players, coa ...

members to be born in the state of

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...

Professional career

Also a standout athlete, McDaniel still holds the fastest

100-meter dash 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 ...

time ever among

offensive linemen In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numb ...

in the NFL at 10.64 seconds, setting this record as a high school senior in a state meet, electronically timed. He recorded a PR of 50.04 seconds in the

400-meter dash The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor running track, it is on ...

. In the throwing events, he got top-throws of 16.76 meters in the

shot put The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. The shot put competition for men has been a part of the modern Olympics since their revival in 1896, and women's c ...

and 47.42 meters in the discus. He also benched 435, inclined 380, dead lifted 660, and squatted 650 in competition. In addition, he was timed at 4.6 seconds in the

40-yard dash The 40-yard dash is a sprint covering . It is primarily run to evaluate the speed and acceleration of American football players by scouts, particularly for the NFL Draft but also for collegiate recruiting. A player's recorded time can have a h ...

and had a one step vertical leap of 37 inches at just 9% body fat. He began his pro career being drafted by 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 ...

in the

1988 NFL Draft The 1988 NFL draft was the procedure by which National Football League teams selected amateur college football players. It is officially known as the NFL Annual Player Selection Meeting. The draft was held April 24–25, 1988, at the Marriot Ma ...

. He started every Vikings regular-season game from 1990-99, as well as a record 11 consecutive Pro Bowls. He is widely recognized as one of the greatest and most versatile

ever to play the game. He started in 12 consecutive Pro Bowls (1989–2000), tied with

Champ Bailey Roland "Champ" Bailey Jr. (born June 22, 1978) is an American former professional football player who was a cornerback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs, where he earned consensus All-Am ...

and

Will Shields Will Herthie Shields (born September 15, 1971) is an American former professional football player who was an offensive guard in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons. He played college football for the Nebraska Cornhuskers, earnin ...

for the most Pro Bowls played. He also started 202 consecutive games in his career.
/ref> During his time with the Minnesota Vikings, he occasionally would play fullback in short-yardage and goal-line situations. He was released on February 10, 2000 as part of a salary-cap move. He eventually signed with 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 ...

on a three-year, $6M contract. He played two seasons there before retiring. On February 27, 2002, he signed a one-day contract to retire with Vikings. When he played for Tampa Bay, in 2000, he became the oldest player in the NFL to score his first touchdown reception at 36 years, 282 days old.

Legacy

During the 2006 season, McDaniel was inducted into the Minnesota Vikings "Ring of Honor". McDaniel was inducted into the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame in 2008. McDaniel was also inducted into the

on January 31, 2009. McDaniel's bust, sculpted by

Scott Myers Scott Myers (born 1958, USA) is an American painter and sculptor who lives and works in Texas. He graduated Texas A&M University in 1984 with a doctorate in veterinary medicine. He studied sculpture throughout Italy focusing on Florence, Veni ...

, was unveiled at the Enshrinement Ceremony on August 8, 2009. A multi-use sports center was built in Randall's hometown of Avondale in 2010 and was named in his honor (Randall McDaniel Sports Complex). After 13 years of volunteering in schools, McDaniel said that he had been working in public schools since retirement.

Minnesota Wild The Minnesota Wild are a professional ice hockey team based in Saint Paul, Minnesota. The Wild competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference and play their home games at the Xcel Ener ...

defenseman Dakota Mermis is his nephew.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McDaniel, Randall 1964 births Living people People from Avondale, Arizona Sportspeople from the Phoenix metropolitan area Players of American football from Arizona American football offensive guards Arizona State Sun Devils football players All-American college football players College Football Hall of Fame inductees Minnesota Vikings players Tampa Bay Buccaneers players National Conference Pro Bowl players Pro Football Hall of Fame inductees