Mcgarrell makes his gamble count
Holy Names product lands football scholarship at Northern Illinois
With the COVID -19 pandemic raging and shutting down most sports, Cyrus Mcgarrell could simply have accepted the reality.
Mcgarrell dreamed of earning an NCAA scholarship, but missed much of his senior high school football season with the Holy Names Knights with a broken collarbone.
“A lot of kids would have said, `That's it, I'm going to play in Canada and stay here and do my thing,' but that wasn't his plan and he went and took care of business and took a shot,” Knights head coach Rob Mcintyre said.
It was late spring, when the writing was on the wall that the virus wasn't going to allow for a WECSSAA football season, that Mcgarrell made the decision to head south and attend Clearwater Academy International in Florida.
“My dream was always to play Division I, but I had no film to send out to coaches,” the 18-yearold Mcgarrell said. “I decided to go to Clearwater because I knew someone who went there and it produces tons of D1 talent. I knew if I went, that I'd get my chance.”
For the 6-foot-2, 175-pound cornerback, who also played receiver and returned kicks in high school, the gamble paid off when he secured a scholarship from Northern Illinois University.
“Definitely a year full of risks, but it paid off in the end,” said Mcgarrell, who has enrolled early and will attend classes starting this month at the school in Dekalb, Ill. “A lot of players don't get this opportunity and I'm blessed and grateful for where I am, but I'm also a firm believer that hard work pays off.”
But nothing was easy for Mcgarrell and that included a spot on the CAI roster as the pandemic had players lining up for a place to play.
“There was a process,” Mcgarrell said. “Clearwater wasn't taking more guys. They had their guys. It's an internationals school and there were kids from Canada, England and Israel. It's kind of a team of kids from around the world.
“They weren't sure if they were going to take another defensive back. I had to interview with the coach (Jesse Chinchar) and he liked me and brought me in as the last guy. I was lucky to get in there and get the starting spot right away.”
He made friends over time, but started by having to quarantine because of the pandemic. With the virus everywhere, he also had to take precautions to ensure he stayed safe.
“It was tough for a bit,” Mcgarrell said. “You had to quarantine for two weeks, so it was just sitting around with no family. Once I got to meet the guys and the routine of school, things got better. I knew what I had to do to stay safe and kept my distance and stayed away from people that went out because I wanted to go for a scholarship.”
A hamstring injury forced him to miss the team's opening game, but he returned the following week and moved into the starting role for the final eight games. He finished with 42 tackles, including 17 solo tackles, forced two fumbles and recovered three fumbles.
Mcgarrell first heard from Northern Illinois in October. However, because the NCAA extended player eligibility an extra year due to the pandemic, the program's 2020-21 class was full.
“They didn't offer me a scholarship right away,” Mcgarrell said. “They offered me a walk on for '2021 and would put me on a scholarship in '21-22.”
While he considered the offer, Mcgarrell heard back from the school a month later and this time things had changed.
“Near the end of November, the Thursday before our last game, the head coach (at Northern Illinois) started texting me and the defensive co-ordinator to be ready and then the coach called to say they had a full-ride scholarship,” Mcgarrell
said. “I think it was because I had ability to come early (in January) and try to make a difference.”
It was a long and winding journey, but Mcintyre said Mcgarrell should be proud of his accomplishment.
“He's obviously a motivated kid,” Mcintyre said. “Athletically, he's a good athlete. He runs well, but his desire was the next level.
“You know how you have those guys that look back 30 years and say, `I wish I would have?' He can look back and never have to say it.”