McNabb a class act in the face of adversity

Donovan McNabb is one tranquil human being.

He displays the calmness of a loveable teddy bear in the face of adversity and criticism. And he’s had plenty of it.

McNabb was greeted with a soothing chorus of boos the day he was drafted in the first round by the Philadelphia Eagles back in 1999, and all he did was show off that signature million-dollar smile of his. Even though he somewhat won over the Philly fans with his Pro Bowl quarterback play, the 32-year-old has yet to escape constant criticism.

On the verge of winning a possible Super Bowl appearance, he endured criticism from his own teammate and the league’s biggest mouth, Terrell Owens.

What did McNabb do?

He coolly smiled into cameras and explained how he would play his game and that it was a non-issue.

McNabb has suffered three major injuries during the course of his career, only to come back to play at a high level after each of them.

Then there was the statement he made on HBO that black quarterbacks face greater scrutiny than white quarterbacks. When asked about it by USA Today, he did not back down from his comments.

“It’s just reality. It’s something that I’ve been a part of and other quarterbacks before and after me have been a part of,” he said. “Did I expect any backlash? Yeah. Everything I say, I expect backlash from it.”

Whether you agreed with his statement or not, you can’t help but respect the man for standing behind what he said.

Fast forward to this past Sunday when McNabb was again staring adversity in the face. In weeks prior to Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals, McNabb had been benched in favor of second-year gunslinger and former University of Houston standout Kevin Kolb.

The move came at a time when McNabb was listed in the top 10 of almost all quarterback statistical categories. You can probably guess what McNabb did in retaliation.

Nothing.

He was very polite with his comments and was careful not to say anything that would cause any more controversy. Oh, and he did smile almost every time on camera.

But Sunday, Eagles coach Andy Reid had a sudden change of heart. He decided to place McNabb back into the starting lineup.

Good idea, Andy.

McNabb put on a clinic, throwing four touchdowns while completing 27-of-39 passes for 260 yards. After the game, Reid told the NFL Network how he felt about McNabb’s performance.

“He blocked everything out and went about his business,” Reid said. “It’s a credit to him and the type of guy he is.”

Did you expect anything less? Donovan McNabb is truly a class act.

Sure, he might have being fibbing when he said everything has been fine between him and the Eagles and that he wants to be there. But we can all learn a thing or two from McNabb.

In a world where players are often eager to say something bad about their teams as soon as things go awry, talk about how they should be playing or getting more money, McNabb keeps his composure through everything.

The latest benching controversy brought about questions involving McNabb’s future with the Eagles. When asked about it by NFL Network, he once again smiled and said, “I think my future in Philly is bright.”