Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy impacted by Baker
Chris Smith
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KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Having shed his green and gold tracksuit for the black-tie event, Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy looked comfortable - even acclimated to the fame.
An exclusive interview with McCarthy
It's a good thing, too, because rarely does winning the NFC Coach of the Year promote anonymity.
One quick glance around the elegant Century Ballroom in the Westin Crown Center Hotel, the site for the 2008 National Football League 101 Awards, and it was apparent the event was designed for football's elite. Along with McCarthy, the evening's headlining award winners featured the likes of Tom Brady, Brett Favre, Bob Sanders, Patrick Kerney and Bill Belichick.
And while it's no secret McCarthy's efforts on the frozen tundra are why he has recently found himself in such choice company, he was quick to point out that the road to Lambeau Field - a pigskin temple with more history than the Smithsonian - went through Liston Stadium.
"Baker was a changing point in my life," McCarthy said. "As an inner-city kid that bounced around some after high school, coming to the Midwest and Charlie Richard's football program - a great program - that was big for me."
A 1987 Baker graduate, McCarthy spent his two years at Baker battling in the trenches from the tight end position for 'Cats' coach Charlie Richard. Perhaps foreshadowing his future of leading, he also served as team captain for the 1986 squad that finished as the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics national runner-up, Baker's highest finish in the history of the program.
On March 8, nearly 21 years later, the 101 Awards brought McCarthy back to Kansas City to be recognized for the remarkable rejuvenation he engineered for the Packers franchise. In just his second year at the helm, McCarthy compiled a 13-3 record and led Green Bay's storied squad all the way to the NFC Championship game. This was quite an improvement from the 4-12 team he inherited in 2005.
"I'm extremely humbled to receive this award," McCarthy told reporters at the pre-show press conference. "This year still hasn't totally sunk in yet."
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