Getty Sean McVay played college football but did not have an NFL career.
Sean McVay did not play in the NFL but is somewhat of an Atlanta high school football legend. McVay was a standout quarterback at Marist High School.
According to ESPN, McVay led the school to a state title in 2003, playing most of the championship game on a broken foot. McVay was the first player in program history to throw and run for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons.
Atlanta sportswriter Todd Holcomb believed McVay was one of the top high school players he saw in 2003. Holcomb spoke with ESPN about McVay’s outlook as a high school player.
“There were much better college prospects, but nobody had a greater impact on a high school football game than he did,” Holcomb explained to ESPN.
Despite McVay’s high school accolades, he was not highly recruited coming out of high school. Rivals rated McVay as a two-star recruit whose offers included Miami (Ohio), Duke, Navy and Tulane. McVay ultimately headed to Miami of Ohio where he transitioned to wide receiver instead of quarterback.
McVay put up modest numbers in college with his best season coming his sophomore year. McVay had 20 receptions for 198 yards, but was also involved on special teams. McVay had 11 kick returns for 223 yards during the same season.
Sean McVay Beat Out Calvin Johnson for the Georgia 4A Offensive Player of the Year Award
McVay’s high school accomplishments can be displayed by one simple fact. McVay beat out Calvin Johnson for the Georgia 4A Offensive Player of the Year award, per ESPN. Johnson would go on to have a legendary career at both Georgia Tech and with the Detroit Lions. McVay downplayed the award noting he was not the same caliber player that Johnson became.
“[The award] more of a team award than anything else, because there’s no doubt about it when you were just looking at the recruit,” McVay explained to ESPN. “He was a five-star receiver, he was special, and I was not of his caliber.”
McVay Took His First Coaching Job With the Tampa Bay Bucs Under Jon Gruden
McVay played three seasons at Miami of Ohio then graduated in 2008. According to SB Nation, McVay took a coaching assistant job with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers under Jon Gruden. A year later, McVay followed Gruden’s brother, Jay Gruden, to the UFL where he was the tight ends coach for the Florida Tuskers.
McVay’s fast track to becoming an NFL head coach began in 2010 when he became the Redskins’ assistant tight ends coach. McVay would later be promoted to be the Washington offensive coordinator, a role he would keep until he took the Rams head coaching job.
The Rams head coach may not have played pro football, but he made history as the youngest NFL head coach ever at 30 years old. McVay’s playing career was altered after sustaining an ankle injury his freshman season at Miami of Ohio.
“It’s one of those things where you look at the doctors and they’re like, ‘You can mess this up for the long term,'” McVay explained to ESPN. “You kind of had a realistic approach that you wanted to be involved in football, and that opportunity opened up.”