NFF National Scholar-Athletes
A two-year starter at quarterback under College Football Hall of Fame coach Bobby Bowden at Florida State, Danny Kanell led the Seminoles to a 20-3-1 record, two ACC titles and victories in the 1995 Sugar Bowl and 1996 Orange Bowl while engraving himself in the Florida State record books as one of the greatest quarterbacks in school history. He holds school records for single-game pass attempts (67), single-game completions (41), single-season games of 300+ yards (7) and consecutive games of 300+ yards (3). Kanell completed 529-of-851 passes for 6,372 yards and 57 touchdowns in his Seminole career. A Second Team All-American and two-time First Team All-ACC selection, he was named the 1995 ACC Player of the Year after leading the conference in passing yards (2,957), passing touchdowns (32) and pass efficiency (145.5). In 1994 and 1995, he ranked in the top-10 nationally in nearly every passing category. A star in the classroom as well, Kanell compiled a 3.2 GPA in business administration and was twice named to the ACC Honor Roll.
Kanell was selected in the fourth round (130th overall) of the 1996 NFL Draft by the New York Giants and earned the starting role for the Giants for the 1997 season. He threw for 1,740 yards and 11 touchdowns, leading New York to an NFC East title. Kanell served as the team’s starting quarterback again in 1998, throwing for 1,603 yards and 11 touchdowns. He finished his NFL career with two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons and one with the Denver Broncos. Kanell completed 491-of-956 passes for 5,129 yards and 31 touchdowns in his professional career.
Kanell is now a college football analyst for ESPN, and beginning in 2015 he will handle pregame, halftime and postgame reporting for ESPN’s college football coverage on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays along with 1994 NFF National Scholar-Athlete Joey Galloway. He was also named the co-host of ESPN Radio’s new show Russillo + Kanell, joining veteran radio host Ryan Russillo. The three-hour show broadcasts daily from 1-4 p.m. ET with a simulcast on ESPNews.
