ANN ARBOR, Mich. (AP) — michigan star quarterback JJ McCarthy He sits on the field, his back against the padded goal post, legs crossed, hands clasped in his lap, eyes closed. Two hours before kickoff, it’s time for meditation.
This week especially Sign stealing story After cornering the 3rd place Wolverines, they will face off against their arch-rival and 2nd place. Ohio Coming up to Saturday — McCarthy said his routine has been extremely helpful.
“It’s about staying focused on the present moment and what you can control,” McCarthy explained. “I work hard every day to make sure that I continue to adhere to the discipline of meditation. It brings a lot to the table.”
Coach McCarthy leads the Wolverines (11-0, 8-0 Big Ten) to a home game against the Buckeyes (11-0, 8-0) with the winner earning a berth in the conference championship game. , and will almost secure the right to participate. On to the College Football Playoff.
McCarthy has always led the way since childhood.
He was raised 15 miles west of Chicago by his parents, and along with his older sister, he was raised to treat everyone with respect and firmness. It kept him humble and set him up for a series of positive encounters with his friends and strangers.
“One day when he was 4 years old, I picked him up from daycare and he said to me on the playground, ‘Hey, guys, if we do this together, we can do this.’ It was so cool.’ Listen to me as a parent,” Megan McCarthy recalled. “JJ has always been a kid who drew people to you with his natural kindness. It’s just part of who he is. There’s no denying that.
“I’m so proud that as he gets older, he understands the power he has to normalize the importance of mental health.”
McCarthy studied mindfulness at Nazareth Academy in his hometown of La Grange Park, Illinois, where he won a state title with three trips to the championship game. He spent his 2020 senior season at IMG Academy in Florida, often staying in his room without much interaction due to pandemic restrictions.
“I was experiencing my first bout of depression,” McCarthy said. “I was obsessed with finding ways to improve my mental health and improve my overall well-being. Meditation was one of the biggest things that kept coming up. So I thought, ‘I’m going to do this. I was like, “Let’s try it.”
It’s now part of his daily routine. McCarthy spends 20 to 30 minutes meditating every morning, and on game days, after the bus arrives at the stadium, he meditates for 10 to 15 minutes before warming up with his teammates, he said. .
Once settled under the goal post, McCarthy performs breathing techniques such as holding his nose and closing the moon. He also takes a deep breath to expand his lungs with air and exhales through his nose.
Most people leave him alone and walk in the end zone in front of him or well behind the goalposts. But Purdue’s assistant coach interrupted McCarthy’s practice before Michigan’s final home game by patting him on the shoulder, shaking his hand and saying a few words.
“I think he was trying to get inside my head,” McCarthy said after the game.
It didn’t work.
McCarthy completed 24 of 37 yards for a season-high 335 yards in a 41-13 win over the Boilermakers.Since then, with the coach jim harbaugh Although hampered by suspensions and an undisclosed injury, the Wolverines’ passing game is largely built on two road wins.
He didn’t throw a pass in the second half of the win against the No. 1 player at the time. Penn State went 7-of-8 for 60 yards in the first half. He went 12 of 23 for 141 yards with an interception in the seven-point win over Maryland.
“Last week was a little tough, but now I’m in great shape,” McCarthy emphasized. “The treatment was great. Yes, I’m ready.”
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