JJ McCarthy downplays Heisman candidacy: 'I could care less about that'
JJ McCarthy is on a special tear after lighting up Michigan State during a 49-0 rout Saturday night. Despite not playing late in that game, McCarthy hit a new career-high with 4 passing touchdowns.
Coming out of Week 8, the star quarterback for Michigan has vaulted to the top spot for the Heisman odds. Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. slipped from the top spot after struggling heavily vs. Arizona State.
While being the current favorite for the Heisman Trophy is a big honor, McCarthy downplayed the significance. During a Monday press conference, McCarthy said his focus is simply on championships.
“It’s a tremendous honor, but at the end of the day, I could care less about that. I don’t really care about trophies; I care about championships,” said McCarthy. “And that’s the same thing that this entire team cares about. So it’s tremendous honor but we’re gonna still focus on our goals and getting better every single day.”
McCarthy went on to claim he keeps things “very simple” with his focus to avoid getting caught up by the hype:
“Keep it very simple. Very simple. Focus on my day-to-day wins that I’m trying to accomplish every single day like getting in the cold tub or having that bone broth that I have every single morning,” McCarthy said. “Little stuff like that to keep things in perspective for me and just head down focused on getting better.”
While some QBs might have bigger numbers than McCarthy, it is hard to find a player who has been more efficient. McCarthy has completed 78% of his passes through 8 games with 21 total touchdowns and just 3 interceptions. He also has not finished many games on the field, often giving way to backups in the second half.
