Josh McCown, who quarterbacked Sam Houston State to the 2001 Southland Conference championship and the FCS playoff quarterfinals, has been named as the National Football Conference's offensive player of the week.

Now playing for Chicago in the NFL, McCown was responsible for five touchdowns on Monday night as he led the Bears to a 45-28 win over the Dallas Cowboys.

The victory was crucial for Chicago's hopes of making it to the playoffs this season. Other than their final possession when they took a knee to run out the clock, the Bears scored every time they had the ball on Monday.

McCown completed 27-of-36 passes for 348 yards and four touchdowns. He also ran for a touchdown and is the first Bears quarterback ever to have a hand in five touchdowns in a single game without throwing an interception.

McCown has played well since Jay Cutler was knocked out of the lineup with a sprained ankle, completing 70 percent of his passes while throwing nine touchdowns and one interception.

 It's been a remarkable run for a 34-year-old journeyman quarterback who has never stopped referring to himself as Cutler's backup while lighting up opposing defenses.

McCown earned All-America honors and finished seventh in the Walter Payton Award voting in 2001 as Sam Houston's quarterback. He was named as Southland Conference “Player of the Year” and was a first team all-league selection.

While leading the Bearkats to the 2001 Southland title, McCown completed 259 of 429 passes for 3,481 yards and 32 touchdowns.

In the 2002 NFL draft, McCown was a third round pick of the Arizona Cardinals – Sam Houston's highest draft pick ever. He played for the Cardinals from 2002 to 2005, then for the Lions in 2006, the Raiders in 2007, and the Panthers in 2008-09.

McCown was inducted into the Sam Houston sports Hall of Honor last winter,