Virgen: McCarthy continues to inspire
On the football field, Kyle McCarthy has known to give it his all. Away from the game, he has also learned to live each moment to the fullest.
McCarthy hesitated a bit for fear of sounding too dramatic after speaking to the Notre Dame Club of Orange County Tuesday at Newport Rib Company in Costa Mesa. But McCarthy, a former Notre Dame standout and former pro football player, has experienced a whirlwind of emotions since July. That was when he was diagnosed with testicular cancer.
He felt grateful to share his story to a group of Notre Dame alumni and fans for about an hour.
There were different reasons he was able to beat cancer. One of the reasons was family, the Notre Dame family.
He received a clean bill of health in November and since the 28-year-old who lives in Laguna Beach says he is ready to turn to the page in the next chapter of his life. Sharing his story and talking about all things Fighting Irish turned out to be a great way to move on.
“I had been thinking what I was going to be talking about,” McCarthy told the group. “I don’t know a whole bunch. I know about myself. I know a lot about Notre Dame. I know a lot about football.”
The group of alumni and fans laughed after that statement. But there was nothing to laugh about back in July.
He had been working as a graduate assistant for the Notre Dame football team shortly after his NFL dream was cut short because of knee injuries. He had played as a defensive back for the Broncos, Chiefs and Raiders.
He didn’t have the type of success he had while at Notre Dame, where he was a team captain. As it turned out going back to South Bend was helpful while enduring treatments for his cancer.
He said he was shocked to learn he was diagnosed with cancer, and had to receive treatments. He never thought cancer could come into his life after all those years of success in football while in high school at Cardinal Mooney in Youngstown, Ohio and then at Notre Dame.
Not too long after being diagnosed with testicular cancer, he soon became an inspiration for the Notre Dame football players.
“During the treatments there were times that it was a little bit tough, but to get a clean of bill of heath from the doctors was definitely a relief,” McCarthy said. “I feel blessed to have an opportunity to go through that experience and learned what I have learned and meet the people I’ve met. I’m humbled with the experience and I want to do the most with the rest of my life.”
In February, McCarthy made a career change. He left the Notre Dame football team to work for Athletes First, the sports agency based in Laguna Hills.
When he was asked to speak to the Notre Dame Club of Orange County, he jumped at the chance. The school is a special place to him and the football program means the world to him.
When he spoke about Notre Dame with great fondness many people in the group nodded as though feeling the same.
They could also be inspired by McCarthy’s life-changing experience.
“I learned you need to enjoy your time in life,” McCarthy said. “As a former professional athlete and a young kid, being told you have cancer is not something you anticipate or expect. To be able to enjoy and make the most of every situation is certainly hard. But I learned that when it all gets too hectic to take a step back and be grateful for what I have and enjoy my life.”