Paul McDonald (American football)

Paul Brian McDonald (born February 23, 1958) is a former American football quarterback in the National Football League. He was the Cleveland Browns starting quarterback in 1984.

College career
McDonald was a 1979 All-American at the University of Southern California; the 1978 team won a share of the national championship.

In 1978 he threw for 1,690 yards with 19 TD vs 7 INT. He followed that up by throwing for 2,223 yards with 18 TD vs 6 INT in 1979.

Professional career
A left-handed thrower, he played professional football in the NFL for the Cleveland Browns and the Dallas Cowboys. After replacing Brian Sipe late in the strike-shortened 1982 season, McDonald started for the Browns in the first round of the playoffs, ultimately losing to the Oakland Raiders 27-10.

Post-NFL
McDonald now does radio color commentary for USC Trojans football games and lives in Newport Beach, California. He has won several awards for being the best radio color analyst given yearly by the prestigious Southern California Sports Broadcasters Association.

Personal
His son Mike McDonald was the third string quarterback during the USC Trojans' 2005 season.