SOUTH ELGIN, Ill. — A few months ago, quarterback coach Greg Holcomb’s phone buzzed with a text message. It was J.J. McCarthy.
The Minnesota Vikings QB had briefly returned to his hometown and wanted to work out. Awesome, Holcomb responded. When?
McCarthy immediately typed back: How about 6 a.M.?
“I didn’t even question it,” Holcomb says.
Holcomb called a local indoor facility, Bo Jackson’s Elite Sports, and asked if they’d be willing to open that early. When he informed McCarthy that the plans were set, the 22-year-old QB made two more requests: bring Sam — Holcomb’s son and one of the best middle school quarterbacks in the country — and find some receivers. Done and done.
They’d been troubleshooting McCarthy’s mechanics together for more than a decade at this point. Holcomb learned long ago not to question whether the student would change. After winning a state title at nearby Nazareth Academy? Still the same guy. After playing at IMG Academy in Florida? Hungrier. After becoming the starter at Michigan? More driven.