I still remember the feeling …that quiet frustration of being a junior stuck on JV while everyone else moved up. I had worked so hard for years, sacrificing time with friends, weekends, and after-school hours. Even during the pandemic, when practices were canceled and motivation was hard to find, I still trained. I stayed committed because I loved the sport and believed my moment would come. But...
When I was younger, I bought a shirt at a dance competition that said, “If dance were easy, it’d be called football.” I wore it almost everyday proudly avoiding washing it whenever I could so I could show off to everyone at school. Just like other athletes at school got to wear their own jerseys or rep their favorite player, my shirt was a reminder that dance deserved to be taken seriously. ...
J.J. McCarthy’s journey to the NFL is nothing short of remarkable. With talent and determination, he carved his path towards the NFL, with a standout performance within his first game, cementing history as the first player to have three touchdowns within the 4th quarter in their first game. Born on January 20, 2003, in Evanston, Illinois, J.J. McCarthy grew up in La Grange Park. At an early...