Bonus quotes from Brett McDermott.
In today's Sports section, you'll find a lengthy interview with former Mansfield High and Holy Cross wide receiver Brett McDermott, who was signed by the Indianapolis Colts as an undrafted rookie free agent in April. It was a joy to write; Brett's a good, hard-working kid and everyone to whom I've chatted about his signing wishes him nothing but the best as he heads back to Indy (actually, the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Ind., the Colts' training camp) to try to make the team.
Not even the most dyed-in-the-wool Patriots' fans are begrudging Brett's new affiliation with one of their favorite team's most hated rivals. "At least it wasn't the Jets," one fellow told me. And whether you love or hate Peyton Manning as a fan, you have to understand that as a football player, it's a rare privilege to be able to play toss with a quarterback of his stature. Brett's living the dream.
You can see the story in our Web listings or click here to go directly to it.
What were the qualities that helped you succeed in the next step up from Mansfield High to Holy Cross?
I definitely think that it was the ability to catch on to things quickly there. We put a new offense in going into my sophomore year, and I think I picked up on that well enough to put myself into a starting position my sophomore year. I really think that was a pretty big turning point for me. Freshman year I was on special teams, I was on kickoffs and punt returns, but sophomore year was the first time I had a real shot at offense. I was lucky enough to be able to perform and hold that spot another two years.
How would you describe the experience at Holy Cross?
To sum it up, great experiences with great guys. The kids I met on my college team were some of the best kids I ever met in my life. It was a great experience and a different kind of success than Mansfield. In Mansfield, we didn’t lose many games. From my sophomore year to my senior year, I think we were 32-1-1. At Holy Cross, our last three seasons we were 7-4. It’s a little different range of success, but we were trying to turn around that program. It was a harder pill to swallow, but with the guys on our team and our coaches, it was a very positive experience. I couldn’t say a bad word about it. I loved my time at Holy Cross and while I’m disappointed that it’s over, I’m happy for the opportunity that I have now.
You must be proud of having been a part of turning the Crusaders' fortunes around.
It's just that we felt, and I think the majority of teams feel it at the beginning of the season, that we were always, 'OK, this is our year to actually win a championship.' In all three years, my sophomore year through my senior year, there was a game in there where, if we won that game, we had a clear march to the championship. We fell short each time, but it was a learning experience, and hopefully the seniors this year have gone through that enough that they can get over the hump. It is a good foundation that we set. We just hope that we finally put the last block in place for a championship.
Not even the most dyed-in-the-wool Patriots' fans are begrudging Brett's new affiliation with one of their favorite team's most hated rivals. "At least it wasn't the Jets," one fellow told me. And whether you love or hate Peyton Manning as a fan, you have to understand that as a football player, it's a rare privilege to be able to play toss with a quarterback of his stature. Brett's living the dream.
You can see the story in our Web listings or click here to go directly to it.
What were the qualities that helped you succeed in the next step up from Mansfield High to Holy Cross?
I definitely think that it was the ability to catch on to things quickly there. We put a new offense in going into my sophomore year, and I think I picked up on that well enough to put myself into a starting position my sophomore year. I really think that was a pretty big turning point for me. Freshman year I was on special teams, I was on kickoffs and punt returns, but sophomore year was the first time I had a real shot at offense. I was lucky enough to be able to perform and hold that spot another two years.
How would you describe the experience at Holy Cross?
To sum it up, great experiences with great guys. The kids I met on my college team were some of the best kids I ever met in my life. It was a great experience and a different kind of success than Mansfield. In Mansfield, we didn’t lose many games. From my sophomore year to my senior year, I think we were 32-1-1. At Holy Cross, our last three seasons we were 7-4. It’s a little different range of success, but we were trying to turn around that program. It was a harder pill to swallow, but with the guys on our team and our coaches, it was a very positive experience. I couldn’t say a bad word about it. I loved my time at Holy Cross and while I’m disappointed that it’s over, I’m happy for the opportunity that I have now.
You must be proud of having been a part of turning the Crusaders' fortunes around.
It's just that we felt, and I think the majority of teams feel it at the beginning of the season, that we were always, 'OK, this is our year to actually win a championship.' In all three years, my sophomore year through my senior year, there was a game in there where, if we won that game, we had a clear march to the championship. We fell short each time, but it was a learning experience, and hopefully the seniors this year have gone through that enough that they can get over the hump. It is a good foundation that we set. We just hope that we finally put the last block in place for a championship.
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