McCarty remembers days as a builder at CU

Whether it's football or medicine, Eric McCarty has always made a difference for Colorado football.

He gained attention by winning the prestigious Denver Post Gold Helmet award while at Boulder High School (1982) before taking a chance as a highly-recruited player on a moribund program at CU under coach Bill McCartney.

McCarty played a significant role in helping McCartney achieve his goal of signing the outstanding in-state players, and once in the fold, the future linebacker fought and poured all he had into building the foundation of what would become a football power.

No Joe Ordinary, he was a Big Man on Campus, both in the classroom and on the field, earning the Dean Jacob Van Ek award for academic and athletic excellence, being named an Academic-All Big 8 four times, earning All-Big honors for his play at linebacker and in one of the most satisfying moments in Buffaloes' history, he played on the team that dismantled Nebraska in 1986, 20-10, CU's first victory over the Cornhuskers since 1967.

Today, McCarty is the Chief of Sports Medicine and Shoulder Surgery at the school, as well as the head team physician for CU and the University of Denver. He also is highly involved in treating high school athletes. McCarty took some time out from all those responsibilities to talk about his memories and the future of Buffs' football.

Black & Gold Breakdown: What do you remember about the status of the program when you were being recruited?

McCarty: You have to remember, I was from Boulder so I remember when Colorado had been pretty darn good. However, at the time I was being recruited, Colorado was pretty downtrodden but I knew they had good tradition and could be good again.

BGB: Why did you turn down offers from other great schools to attend CU?

McCarty: It was a number of things. Coach Mac, for one. I believed in what he was doing and what he was building. I remember he had all in-state recruits come in at the same time. We all bonded and thought if we all came, we could build something special.

BGB: What do you remember most about being a part of rebuilding this program?

McCarty: Times were tough. I was injured my first year, an MCL (knee). We won one game. We had a lot of things we had to persevere through. The next season we were 7-4 (before losing to Washington in the Freedom Bowl), which was exciting. Those times were challenging but Mac never let us give up. We felt like we were building something.

BGB: Do you see any similarities between what CU is going through now and the challenges you faced?

McCarty: There are some similarities. We lost close games at first, too. We just didn't quite get it. I see the way (coach Dan Hawkins) Hawk talks to the team. It's a lot like the way Mac talked to us. I think we will see this thing rise up again and be successful.

BGB: Your fondest memories on the field, Eric?

McCarty: The huge highlight was the Nebraska game we won in 1986. That was the year we started out 0-4. I think Nebraska was ranked No. 3 or something at the time. It was a terrific mark for the whole team.

BGB: How does a coach keep his team together and positive through rough times, like the Buffs are struggling through right now?

McCarty: It starts at the top. Hawk does a good job imparting things about what's going on in their lives. He's living the talk, he's a good example. I think they respect him, want to play for him and will listen to him. They are buying into what is going on.

You say, "we're going to be o.k., the trials and tribulations we're facing will make us stronger."

BGB: When did your interest in becoming a doctor begin?

McCarty: In high school. The human body always fascinated me. When I had injuries myself, my interest increased.

BGB: Being injured like you were, do you think that gives you a better perspective and allows you to relate to athletes?

McCarty: I really understand what they go through, having been an athlete, whether it's academics, sports or socially. I want to help them get better. It's a lot more than just the clinical part.

BGB: What about medicine is most satisfying for you?

McCarty: The satisfaction of getting to know people and help them do what they want to do. You're taking care of patients in a university setting and also trying to do things better through research. Being a university, that's certainly part of it. You are able to present research topics and be recognized for doing good work.

BGB: How did football help you in medicine, or in life?

McCarty: It will help you in business or whatever you do personally. You have to balance your time, the discipline required is tremendous, and there are highs and lows that go with it. As Hawk says, "that's life."

You have to have pride, be classy and keep coming no matter how many times you get beat.

Football also has helped in medical school, my studies, my family.

BGB: You've accomplished so much with the help of football. You earned a scholarship, became a decorated player, an accomplished doctor, and even found a girl on a game trip.

McCarty: How did you know that? That was about 10 years ago.

Without football, I would not have been in Alabama (the post-season Blue-Gray all-star classic) then, and wouldn't have met my wonderful wife (Miriam).

Football is such a game of life. It teaches you so much. You have to work as a team, set goals to achieve.

BGB: One final question, Eric. Is this program capable of becoming what it once was, with all the negative talk we hear of high academic standards and a lack of financial resources being too much to overcome?

McCarty: Absolutely. No doubt in my mind it will happen again.

Yes, to some degree, we are based in a arms race with facilities and that wasn't going on when McCartney did it (turned the program around).

Hawk will get guys here, attract them. He's already doing it. He's very persuasive and he's doing it the right way, like Mac did it.

It's not going to be very long before Colorado is back in the top 10, which brings people into the stadium, brings in money and maybe Colorado can be like some other schools and find those individual donors.