Marshall McCarthy set school standards - twice

December 11, 2016

By John Johnson, Globe Correspondent

A lot of great football players have come through Mass Maritime Academy. On the defensive side of the ball, Marshall McCarthy might be one of the best ever. The 2013 graduate of Duxbury High just concluded his final season at the academy, where he earned Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors after recording 108 tackles in nine games, ranking 12th nationally in Division 3.

Marshall led the country in solo stops with 83 (9.2 per game), and became the first player in Mass Maritime history to post back-to-back 100-tackle campaigns. In just 19 career games, McCarthy registered 155 solo and 53 assisted stops, including a career-high 20 against UMass Dartmouth this season.

McCarthy transferred to Mass Maritime after one season at Stonehill. A senior captain at Duxbury High, McCarthy led the Green Dragons to a 37-1 record over three years and was named ESPN Boston Defensive Player of the Year as a senior.

Q: Looking back, what are your thoughts on your career being over?

A: It’s bittersweet. Football has given me so much, and I am grateful for being able to play this sport for 14 years. I will miss playing, but I am looking forward to having a lot more time to focus on my future coming out of MMA.

Q: Would you like to stay connected to the game of football?

A: At some point I’m going to find myself coaching football, whether it is at the youth or high school level.

Q: How was the Mass Maritime experience?

A: Going to school at Mass Maritime isn’t easy. The regimental aspect paired with the academics can be really challenging. Personally, having the regiment of cadets has really helped me with my academics to keep me focused on my studies. Coming to school here has been one of the best decisions I could have made.

Q: Do you have one highlight from your career at Mass Maritime or at Duxbury High?

A: Winning a state championship and playing at Gillette Stadium my junior year of high school was incredible and is something I’ll never forget.

Q: What would you say your strongest asset was on the field for Mass Maritime?

A: My knowledge of the game. If you can understand what your coaches are teaching and how the opposing team is running their offense, you can put yourself into position to be successful.

Q: You won a Super Bowl at Duxbury. What are your thoughts on Duxbury’s controversial decision to rest all starters on Thanksgiving (a 53-0 loss to Marshfield) in preparation for the Super Bowl?

A: You can argue both sides of their decision, but only they know what was best for their players. I know that every year coach [coach Dave] Maimaron sets goals for the team to achieve, and that winning at Gillette is the ultimate goal. They will do what is needed to in order to achieve that goal.

Q: Do you have a favorite athlete that you look up?

A: Some that come to mind are guys like Teddy Bruschi, Luke Kuechly, and Tom Brady. All three play or played the game with class while being exceptional players.

Q: What is the toughest aspect of being a student athlete at Mass Maritime?

A: The regiment of cadets, classes, practices, team [weight lifting sessions], and meetings all take up a lot of time. Football usually takes up about four hours during a typical weekday, so you need to manage your time accordingly.

Q: You set some individual records on tackles at Mass Maritime. What does it mean to graduate knowing you had such an impact on the program?

A: I hope that I raised the level of play on the defensive side of the ball. This is a great program and we compete with every team in the conference. As for the records, it feels great knowing that I went out with a bang and collected a few awards on the way.