7/5/2019 football Edit

Catching up with ... Shawn McCarthy

In 1991, McCarthy booted a 93-yard punt. To this day, it's the third longest in NFL annals.

Tom Dienhart • BoilerUpload

GoldandBlack.com, Associate Editor

Purdue has had few better punters in its history than Shawn McCarthy.

A native of Fremont, Ohio, McCarthy arrived in West Lafayette in 1986 in the final Leon Burtnett recruiting class that also included Jeff George.

It didn't take McCarthy long to make an impact, as he punted from the day he walked on campus en route to becoming an All-American as a senior in 1989 when he averaged 44.6 yards on 69 punts. That 44.6-yard single-season average ranks No. 2 in school history. McCarthy is still No. 1 in Purdue annals in career punts (273) and single-season punts (79 in 1988). He is No. 5 in career average (41.2 yards), and he led Purdue in punting each of his four seasons.

He also played a little quarterback while in West Lafayette. At 6-6, McCarthy was one of the tallest signal-callers in school history. He was one of Purdue's primary quarterbacks in 1987--along with Doug Downing--hitting 98-of-177 passes (55.4 percent) for a team-high 1,088 yards with five TDs and 11 interceptions.

McCarthy was selected in the 12th round of the 1990 NFL draft by the Falcons and eventually earned a spot with the Patriots, where he punted in 1991 and 1992. He averaged 40.7 yards on 169 punts during his two-year NFL run.

GoldandBlack.com talked recently with the 51-year-old McCarthy.

GoldandBlack.com: How did you end up at Purdue?

McCarthy: My grandfather played for Ohio State. So I always had it in my mind that that was where I was gonna go. I went to camps there, I grew up close to Michigan, so the Ohio State-Michigan rivalry was right in your face.

I was practice punting before a game vs. Marion near Columbus, and there was a guy watching me. I threw a TD pass at the end of the game to win it. The next morning, I was on the Ohio State sideline for the Purdue game in Columbus (in 1985). I was watching warmups when I heard: "Way to pull that one out last night, McCarthy." And I turned around and it was (Purdue assistant) coach Willard Wells. He was the one that had watched me the night before. I got home, and my sister said Coach Wells had called. Up until that point, I never really thought of going anywhere else but Ohio State. Coach Wells was fun to talk to. He said funny things that we called “Wells-isms.”

I had a horrible visit at Ohio State. I went to Purdue, and it was like all the pieces fit together. Leon Burtnett was fun to talk to, and Joe Tiller was there, as well. He was from Toledo, and I was from Fremont nearby. I felt at home. I had a chance to play right away at Purdue, and that’s what I wanted.

GoldandBlack.com: Do you remember the first time you got into a game as a QB?

McCarthy: I played my freshman year against Michigan State in the fourth quarter near the end. I drove the team down the field and I threw an interception as we got close to the end zone. I had about two plays under my belt before the defense realized the punter was quarterbacking. Then, they sent the house.

GoldandBlack.com: Did you like playing quarterback?

McCarthy: I probably sold myself short as a quarterback. I knew if I was gonna make it at the next level, it would be as a punter. As a QB, I couldn’t out run anyone. I started eight games at Purdue. Against Wisconsin (in 1987), I threw for 333 yards (20-of-31 passing) and three touchdowns (49-14 homecoming win). But when I got blitzed, if I didn’t have an immediate escape, I was done. I had the arm, but not the wheels.

GoldandBlack.com: What are you best memories?

McCarthy: There are two highlights. One was that game vs. Wisconsin on Halloween in a big win to get us back on line. As a punter, it was vs. Illinois my senior year. I had seven or eight punts for 51.2-yard average. I hung the ball high, and they couldn’t return it. My punting game was there that day. It was toward the end of my senior year and probably helped me get All-American status.

GoldandBlack.com: What do you remember from when you got drafted?

McCarthy: I was drafted by Atlanta. One of the reasons I was drafted was because of Coach (Purdue defensive line coach Bill) Kollar. He was at Purdue when I was there but was with the Falcons then. He talked them into drafting me in the 12th round. I did well at the Combine and had good workouts for teams. So I was confident in the fact I would at least get picked up by someone. I was sitting in my dorm working on my final graphics design project and the phone rang. The first call was from the 49ers, who wanted to sign me if I wasn’t drafted. Twenty, thirty minutes later, the phone rang and it was Coach Kollar. He told me that they just drafted. I went down there and tried way too hard. I wasn’t consistent enough to make the team. I got cut and was picked up a week later by the Eagles. (Former Purdue assistant) Al Roberts was coaching there, and he knew me. I didn’t make the Eagles. I waited a year and kept working out.

GoldandBlack.com: How did you end up in New England?

McCarthy: I called the Patriots and got a tryout. And I had the tryout of my life. They also tried me out as a quarterback. I went to camp, and worked out a bit with the QBs. One day, I was out throwing and completed 10 or 11 in a row to the running backs. Coach (Dick) MacPherson walked up to me, put his hat on my head and said: “Welcome to the team.” That was neat.

GoldandBlack.com: What do you recall about your 93-yard punt?

McCarthy: It is still the third-longest punt in NFL history. It was a cold, windy, snowy day in Buffalo. I had my back against the end zone. It all happened so fast. The snap felt like it went through my hands. The ball hit me in the stomach and I got the ball out quickly. I hit it perfectly and it got up in the wind. It was a lazy spiral. I began to jog down field and I saw the return man turn and start to run. I went: "Wow." I saw it hit. The return man gave up on it. And one of our guys ran by the ball and met it at the goal line to down it. I remember raising my arms. My special teams coach was so excited, he could barley talk. It didn’t dawn on me how far it went until the announcer said something over the PA. I said: "Holy cow, that was 93 yards!"

GoldandBlack.com: How did you get involved with golf?

McCarthy: I didn’t know what I wanted to do when I retired. I moved to the Carolinas because my wife at the time had a job. I was in sporting goods. I was at a driving range one day and a guy came up to me and said: "Where do you play?" He said I had a nice swing and should look to get into the business. He was an assistant pro at club. We met up later to play, and he told me about a new club opening in South Carolina. I met the head pro, who was from Michigan. We talked. He hired me. The rest is history. I began to play in tournaments. I took the playing test and went through the schooling part. I got my Class A in August of 2000 and have been a Class A member ever since. I still get to compete, which I like. I do local tourneys and section events. I am still involved in sports. I enjoy that. There are a lot of similarities to golf and punting. It’s all sweet spot and tempo.

GoldandBlack.com: Where do you work now?

McCarthy: I am at Aspen Valley Golf Club in Flagstaff. I have been here five years. I was at a club in Payson (Arizona) called Chaparral Pines for 10 years. They had a buyout, so I was out of golf a bit and began to coach. I coached high school football a bit out here in Arizona. Then, I got this opportunity in Flagstaff. I have been a golf pro since 1994. My handicap is .7.

GoldandBlack.com: How is your family life?

McCarthy: I am on my second marriage. I was a little young the first time. Between me and my current wife, we have five kids and five grand kids. Life is good.

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