Late Vikings Scout Kevin McCabe Memorialized with Scholarship
Josh Frey
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On September 3rd, 2022, longtime Minnesota Vikings scout Kevin McCabe passed away far too early at the age of 59 following a battle with leukemia. He spent the final 20 years of his life scouting for the Vikings and is survived by his wife Anne and three children: Katherine, Keenan, and Torin.
Keenan currently plays football at The College of Idaho as a defensive back. Because of that connection, the college has decided to honor the McCabe family by creating a football scholarship in Kevin’s name, which was announced at his memorial service on Saturday, January 14th in Woodford, California.
C of I offered this statement regarding the scholarship:
The Kevin McCabe Memorial Scholarship was created to honor a man who spent his life playing, coaching, scouting, and growing the game of Football. McCabe was a devoted husband, proud father, loyal friend, conscientious mentor and Incredible ambassador for the game of football who consistently brought an uplifting, positive and gracious spirit to everyone he connected with on a daily basis.
McCabe was a Superbowl Champion 28-year NFL Scout who spent the past 20 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings and 8 with the St. Louis Rams (1994-2001). He is a native of Pasadena, California, graduated and lettered from Princeton University, and began his career coaching at his alma mater Muir High School, with stints at Canyon HS in Santa Clarita and Pomona-Pitzer College as well.
He was a living example of how we should treat one another with respect and dignity while also dedicating his life to his family, friends and to the game so many have grown to love.
On September 3, 2022, Kevin McCabe passed away after a courageous multi-year battle with leukemia and is survived by his Loving Wife Anne, his daughter Katherine and his sons Torin and Keenan (College of Idaho Class of 2025).
In the immediate aftermath of McCabe’s passing, members of the Vikings organization offered their thoughts as well. Even though general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah had very limited time with the Vikings scout, his words say it all regarding McCabe’s work ethic and everything he meant to the Vikings organization in the two decades that he spent in Minnesota:
“Kevin exuded a passion for life, family and the game of football. Even in the short amount of time I was able to spend with Kevin, I knew he was a proud father, devoted husband, fiercely loyal friend, jolly spirit, empathetic listener and an all-around great guy. Throughout his battle with cancer, Kevin’s positivity was unwavering, which I found to be extremely admirable.”
Kwesi Adofo-Mensah on Kevin McCabe
Thoughts and prayers go out to the McCabe family as they continue to navigate life following Kevin’s passing.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. He also earned minors in History, Human Biology, and Journalism. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys marathon training, gaming, or rooting for his hometown Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. For more of his opinions, check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.