A former Vanderbilt quarterback has a big dream...and some big mountains to climb to get there.
And now Johnathan McCrary is asking for help --for what could be possibly a second chance to make a dream come true.
McCrary played quarterback for the Vanderbilt Commodores in 2014 and 2015. He started 12 games before current quarterback Kyle Shurmur took over the job. He graduated Vanderbilt in just three years with a degree in sociology.
What football fans may not know is that McCrary's father, who played 10 years in the NFL, died of a heart attack during his last semester at Vandy--and it happened on the anniversary of his mother's death.
She died in a car accident when McCrary was 9.
Now playing football at Clark Atlanta University with his remaining two years of eligibility, he is working on his master's degree in school counseling and working multiple jobs: teaching part-time and coaching kids t-ball and soccer.
McCrary recently received an invitation to the HBCU Spirit of America bowl, which organizers say is a chance to play in front of pro scouts. He is eager to go.
"My dream is to play football to the NFL," said McCrary. "This bowl that I got invited to there's definitely gonna be NFL, CFL scouts. There's definitely going to be an opportunity to show the world what I really can do."
The opportunity to participate in this combine comes with a hefty $650 registration fee, which McCrary doesn't have. "I just don't have the support. I don't have parents. The only person really supporting me is my sister, and she's already working 2 or 3 jobs."
McCrary has opened a GoFundMe page, which you can find here. for registration to the January 10-14th Spirit of America Bowl.
