Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

JJ McCarthy emphasizes on the importance of meditation as he hopes to become a huge role model for kids

Originally posted on FirstSportz
By Pratyusha Srivastava | Last updated 4/25/24

JJ McCarthy may not be leading in individual stats in the 2024 NFL draft, but there’s hardly any other quarterback who won as many games as him in their college tenure. The Michigan quarterback knows how to get the best out of his team and he doesn’t hold back from prioritizing their best interest– that’s what makes him a true leader.

Speaking of prioritizing the athlete’s best interest and well-being, the Michigan stellar quarterback has been among the best advocates of mental health. Given, that he has well suffered from depression at one phase of his life, McCarthy knows how crucial it is to take care of your mental health alongside your physical.

The only thing that helped McCarthy overcome his depression was meditation. And that’s also the biggest attributor to his success as a quarterback. He has a definite meditation routine which brings him clarity and mindfulness ahead of games, given it has become an integral part of McCarthy’s life.

For me, personally, I meditate before the game just to really get my mindset into that calmness, that emptiness where I can allow things to happen and I can react from a higher perspective instead of reacting out just straight impulse. JJ McCarthy said

"When I feel like I'm not in the right headspace or I'm thinking too far in the future or the past, I really just focus on my breath and that starts to connect me to the present moment." @jjmccarthy09

Our Voices » https://t.co/dPBFics4cr pic.twitter.com/G4Zx05MjHG
— Michigan Football (@UMichFootball) October 10, 2023

Meditation has helped the 21-year-old signal-caller become a leader of the Wolverines for the past three seasons. With a clear mind, McCarthy has stepped on the football field, and the power of meditation is well reflected in his 27-1 winning record.

How JJ McCarthy wants to impact young minds?

As a leader, McCarthy hasn’t only focused on his personal well-being but also advocated for prioritizing mental health among the athletes. While talking about how meditation helps him bring clarity and mindfulness, the young quarterback also shared how he wants to be a role model for the young kids.

I want to promote the practice to the rest of the world. I wanna be able to have, you know, kids who look up to me, see that and be like, ‘Hey, let me try this out’ and see it for themselves. JJ McCarthy added

McCarthy has been open about his struggle with depression, especially what helped him overcome it. Today, the quarterback has a 30-40 minute meditation routine which helps him to connect with the present moment, instead of letting his mind wander around at crucial times.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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