Athlete of the Week: 10 questions with Jackson McCarey, New Trier football

Jackson McCarey is a senior running back and defensive back for the Trevians. He is the team’s rushing leader and had 140 yards and a touchdown against Glenbrook South on Oct. 13. McCarey also plays baseball for New Trier.

1.) Do you have pregame rituals or superstitions?

Really the only thing I do before a game is drink one or two Liquid IV’s and on gameday eat one banana. I prepare by watching film. It’s pretty relaxed and not too much going on.

2. What do you hope to do next year?

I hopefully can find a spot on a roster on a college tam. That is my main hope, find somewhere I can play that has a great coaching staff and atmosphere. I’m in the process right now, figuring it out, seeing who will offer me a spot.

3. Have you always been a running back?

I have been a running back and defensive back all my years at New Trier. A little bit of quarterback. I didn’t play any form of tackle (before New Trier). Just a little flag football. I always played soccer and baseball and fell in love with football as a freshman.

4. You have had a lot of big runs. Which one is your favorite?

I would say my favorite is tied between the one in our first home game this year. I had a 73-yard run in one of the first few plays. That was awesome. So either that or when I was a sophomore, it was our homecoming and I had an 87-yard run. The crowd was massive and it was awesome.

5. Who is your favorite athlete?

I think right now my favorite is Tyreek Hill (WR — Miami Dolphins). He’s a tremendous athlete and really funny online.

6. What is your favorite thing to do off the field?

I really enjoy spending time with my friends and family whether we’re watching a football game or hanging out.

7. If you could play another sport what would it be?

I’d want to play hockey. I love our New Trier Green. It’s a cool team and a great team. I like going to the outdoor rink in the winter with friends. I wish I started earlier. It’s hard to catch up skating.

8. If you are in Walgreens with a couple of bucks, what are you buying?

Probably a pack of gummy worms or I’ve started to like these strawberry puff gummies. I’d get some sort of candy.

9. What is something people don’t know about you?

I was home schooled in fourth grade. My family we took a road trip around United States, camping a bunch. We lived in van at a couple of national parks. It was cool. Really fun.

10. Can you summarize your senior season so far?

For the team, we’ve had a rough season. We haven’t played to our potential or how we wanted to play. We are powering through, having fun together. We want to go out in our last week and have fun. I feel I’ve had a good season and had a lot of fun with my teammate and I hope to go out with a bang on Friday

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