SPRINGDALE -- Many defensive backs would feel fortunate to have 12 interceptions in their career.
Craig McKee had that many in one year.
Springdale Hall Of Fame Inductees
Inductee^Graduation Year
Jerry Delozier^1953
Jerry Brewer^1958
Ron Baker^1963
Rick Fine^1979
Afton Scott^1984
Craig McKee^1991
Aaron Adams^1992
Paige Farrell-Rollins^2004
Meagan Pless^2004
Bill Carter^Meritorious Service
It came in 1989 when Springdale went 13-1 and captured the state championship in Class AAAA. McKee was a junior that year on a team heavy with seniors.
His 12 interceptions is tied for third on the all-time list in Arkansas prep history behind Larry Wooldridge, who had 15 interceptions for North Little Rock in 1964.
McKee played baseball in college, first at Crowder (Mo.) Community College, then at Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas when it was still Southwest Texas State.
"We played Texas my junior year and beat them," McKee said. "Being from Arkansas, that made it even more pleasurable."
McKee will have some more fun in early August when he is inducted into the Springdale Hall of Fame. The 1991 graduate was all-state for two two years in football and one year in baseball.
"Craig was a great athlete who played football and baseball," said David McGinnis, former head baseball coach and assistant football coach at Springdale. "He played on the state championship team in football and he was on our first baseball team in 1990. He was a shortstop, a good hitter, and he was our first all-state baseball player."
Springdale's only loss in 1989 was to Jefferson City, Mo., which had a 71-game winning streak in the 1950s and 60s and finished as state runners-up in 1989. The Bulldogs were led on offense by Clint Brewer, who rushed for 1,363 yards, and offensive lineman Mike Jones. Craig Foringer made all-state as a defensive back for the Bulldogs, who beat Pine Bluff and Fort Smith Northside in consecutive games.
"We knew during two-a-days during August we were going to be pretty good," McKee said. "We were very well coached and we had an unbelievable senior class that year. As a junior who played a lot, I was happy to be a part of it."
Springdale beat Northside again 21-7 in the state championship game to hand the Grizzlies their only two losses on the season. The Bulldogs were hit hard by graduation and finished 5-4-1 in 1990 when McKee switched from wingback/defensive back to quarterback.
"We lost a lot of talent from that state championship team," McKee said.
McKee, now 41, is a product manager for Tyson Foods and lives in Bentonville with his wife and two kids. He stays active in sports by helping coach his sons, who are 13 and 10 years old.
"I'm a hitting coach for my son's 10-year-old team," McKee said. "I used to play a lot of golf, but this is more enjoyable helping the kids."
Sports on 07/18/2014