Coach Bobby Hall

Gardner Minshew came off the bench for the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday and beat the Dallas Cowboys in overtime. A few years ago, he spent five months living in an old prison bus. By choice. Here is the whole thing. Minshew grew up in Brandon, Mississippi. He broke his high school's passing records, and almost nobody recruited him. So he took the long way. Troy. Then a junior college, Northwest Mississippi, where he won a national title. Then East Carolina, mostly as a backup, though he did set a school record with 52 completions in one game. Alabama offered him a spot as a backup quarterback and a future job as a graduate assistant coach. Then Mike Leach called from Washington State with a simpler pitch. "Do you want to be a backup at Alabama or lead the nation in passing?" Minshew picked Washington State, and he led the nation in passing. He threw for 4,480 yards, grew a famous mustache and finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting. The Jacksonville Jaguars took him in the sixth round. Since then, he has played for six teams. Most of the time, he has been the backup. So one offseason, he went all in. He bought an old bus that used to transport inmates and fixed it up himself. Orange couch. Shag throw pillows. Flowery bedspreads from the seventies. Old album covers on the walls. He parked it next to the gym where he trained in Florida and lived in it for five months. Wake up, walk to the gym, work, sleep, repeat. When he reported to camp, he put the bus up for sale. Asking price, $25,000. He wrote about what those months taught him. If you have a dream to chase, things to learn and people to love, you do not need much else. Now he is in Arizona, still chasing it. On Sunday in Dallas, the Cardinals were stuck. He came in for Jacoby Brissett late in the third quarter, with Arizona behind 17 to 3. Minshew led touchdown drives on his first four possessions. The last one ended when he hit Michael Wilson for a 13 yard touchdown with 6 seconds left to tie it at 30. In overtime, Chad Ryland hit a 42 yard field goal to win it 33 to 30. Minshew finished 17 of 23 for 188 yards and three touchdowns, off the bench. The next day, the Cardinals named him their starter. Here is the honest part. Minshew is a journeyman. He has bounced around the league for years, and one great comeback does not make a season. But he has been counted out at every level, from high school to the pros. And he keeps finding his way back onto the field, even if he has to live in a bus to do it. For more stories like this, follow us on any platform @thesportsontap