The sensation that something was missing from his life was overwhelming.
Walking the halls at Red Bank Catholic as a member of both the volleyball and basketball programs still left Emmett McNamara longing for something he had left behind.
Though he has recently emerged as one of the top football players in the Shore Conference and state of New Jersey, McNamara had walked away from the game in middle school.
In a climate of concussion safety, and NFL players garnering headlines due to risks of long-term health issues, McNamara hung up his cleats to preserve the safety of others.
“I just got too big,” said the Caseys senior. “I sized out of AYF pretty early on.”
It’s easy to see why, as the two-way lineman currently stands 6’7 and weighs upward of 260 pounds.
It’s physical stature, multi-sport athleticism and projectability that immediately drew the attention of NCAA Division I coaches around the country a season ago, when McNamara decided to strap the pads back on, filling that void.
“Something was definitely missing from my life,” said McNamara. “I felt it for a long time. I really enjoyed playing volleyball and basketball. But it wasn’t what I was meant to do. And honestly I wasn’t very good at either. Something was missing. And it was football.”
McNamara can still recall his return to summer training camp, where his time spent away from the game was obvious once he stepped onto the turf.
“I was just trying to work my way up the depth chart and earn a starting job at that point… because I really had no idea what I was doing. It had been such a long time. That’s why I feel like I owe everything to my teammates and coaches. They really put in the time with me to make sure I caught up and learned what I needed to. They were a huge influence on where I am today.”
Where he is today is a defensive force coming off the edge for a Red Bank Catholic program that has rolled to consecutive victories over Class B North foes Middletown South and Middletown North to open the new year.
McNamara also stands as one of the few Shore Conference competitors to enter the season committed to a collegiate program, as the senior recently unveiled that he would be bound for the ACC and the University of Virginia next fall.
Despite the bright future ahead of him, McNamara is focused on the process at Red Bank Catholic and the program’s ultimate goal of getting back to the state championship stage.
“It’s great to be receiving some recognition, but it’s not about me, it’s about the success of this program,” McNamara said. “Right now I’m focused on the process. We have a goal, but to achieve that goal we have to take care of what’s in front of us week to week. We can’t look ahead, and I know that we’ve developed enough trust in one another that we won’t get caught up in the hype… just like the guy next to me, I’m focused on my job and the task at hand today.”
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