Michigan QB J.J. McCarthy gets pregame meditation in before CFP championship against Washington:
About three hours before beginning of the College Football Playoff national championship game against No. 2 Washington on Monday, Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy practiced his pregame meditation near the goal post, surrounded by a horde of cameras and videographers.
McCarthy closed his eyes for a few minutes while sitting cross-legged and without shoes behind the Michigan end zone. He wore his sweatshirt hood over his baseball cap, which was pulled low over his eyes.
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2024 College Football
At Nazareth Academy in his hometown of La Grange Park, Illinois, where he won a state title in three trips to the championship game, McCarthy was first exposed to mindfulness. Due to pandemic restrictions, he spent his final year in 2020 at IMG Academy in Florida, where he frequently stayed in his dorm alone and saw few people.
It's now a regular part of his day. McCarthy stated that he meditates for 20 to 30 minutes every morning. On game days, he meditates for 10 to 15 minutes after the bus pulls into the stadium, just before he warms up with his teammates.
