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Calvin McCarty

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Calvin McCarty

Calvin McCarty (born November 2, 1984) is an American former professional football fullback who played in the Canadian Football League (CFL). He played as a tailback until 2014, when he became the starting fullback for the Edmonton Eskimos. McCarty was known for being able to fill many roles at his position, with TSN sportscaster Chris Schultz noting in 2010 that he is a "multi-purpose running back who catches the ball extremely well, blocks well and runs well". He is a Grey Cup champion after winning with the Edmonton Eskimos in 2015. He has also served as the running backs coach for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats.

Prior to being drafted by the Eskimos in the fourth round of the 2007 CFL draft, McCarty played high school football for the St. Thomas More Knights, where he broke multiple school records. He later played college football for the Western Washington Vikings. With the Vikings, McCarty developed into a dual threat, being used heavily as a rusher and receiver. McCarty spent the majority of his professional career with the Eskimos.

McCarty played high school football for the St. Thomas More Knights in Burnaby, British Columbia beginning in 1998, playing as both a running back and middle linebacker on the Grade 8 team. He quickly became a key player on the team, including rushing for 185 yards and four touchdowns while adding 10 defensive tackles in the Grade 8 provincial semi-finals on November 24 against the Handsworth Royals. For that performance, he was named "Star of the Week" by The Vancouver Sun. The Knights went on to defeat the Vancouver College Fighting Irish 48–0 in the Grade 8 B.C. championship game, where McCarty scored another three touchdowns.

The following year, McCarty joined the senior team at St. Thomas More, skipping the junior team entirely. He continued in his role as a running back while switching to the secondary defensively. Despite being a rare Grade 9 player on the senior team, he was one of the Knights' two leading rushers that year. McCarty scored a touchdown in the AAA B.C. championship game, helping the Knights win their first senior title as they beat the Pinetree T-Wolves 29–6. While K.C. Steele, the Knights' coach, has a policy of not recording player statistics, it is estimated that McCarty finished 1999 with over 1,000 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns.

In 2000, McCarty played a significant role in the Knights' rushing and return game. He rushed for 150 yards and three touchdowns against the Burnaby Central Wildcats in the annual Burnaby Bowl, adding two punt returns for touchdowns. By the end of October, the Knights had compiled a perfect 6–0 record, and defensive coordinator and former CFL defensive back Lou Deslauriers called McCarty "the best player for his age and talent that we've ever had at our school". He recorded 238 yards and four consecutive touchdowns with only 23 carries in the Knights' 46–12 victory over the W. J. Mouat Hawks in the AAA championship game. For his role in earning the Knights their second AAA title, McCarty was named the game's MVP, becoming the youngest player to earn this award.

McCarty remained a presence on the field for the Knights in 2001, expanding his role by playing some snaps as a fullback. He rushed for 160 yards in that year's Burnaby Bowl, including three touchdowns as a halfback and one as a fullback. McCarty had another notable performance in a 67–7 blowout against the South Delta Sun Devils, running for 200 yards and three touchdowns. He also showed himself to be a capable receiver, including making five catches for 66 yards in a match against the Holy Cross Crusaders. McCarty also finished that game with 110 yards and two touchdowns on only three carries. Despite giving up only 19 points during the entire regular season, the Knights lost 32–26 in the quarter-finals of the playoffs against the Centennial Centaurs after McCarty was stopped one yard away from the endzone on the last play of the game.

As a senior, McCarty recorded 2,400 yards and scored 33 touchdowns in just nine games, averaging 266.7 yards and over three touchdowns per game. He ran for 380 yards and three touchdowns in a 21–20 loss against the W. J. Mouat Hawks in the quarter-finals of the AAA playoffs. He was named the 2002 Provincial Player of the Year for his performance and finished his four-year AAA career at St. Thomas More with 84 touchdowns, breaking a school record.

McCarty played basketball and baseball during high school as well. He lettered in basketball with the Knights. At the 2001 Big League World Series, McCarty played for Team Canada as a shortstop and center fielder, helping the team to third place in the international competition. Despite being skilled as a baseball player, McCarty chose football over professional baseball due to the physicality of the former sport.

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