McGrath looking at a bright future

Eric McGrath of Lynn is doing what most college seniors do as graduation nears and life starts knocking on the door. He’s weighing his options and deciding on his next move.If McGrath’s success at Trinity College is any indicator of what lies ahead, the Lynn Classical graduate should be just fine. Although his final college football season ended a few months ago, the accolades are still rolling in. The senior captain recently added a few new pieces of hardware to an already impressive collection by being named the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Northeast Player of the Year and the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Offensive Player of the Year. He’s also the 2008 Boston Globe Gold Helmet Player of the Year for NCAA Divisions 2 and 3.Although in the past, McGrath would already be gearing up for the college baseball season, that won’t be the case this spring. After helping his team to an NCAA Division 3 National Championship last year, McGrath has chosen to forego his final baseball season.”I opted not to play due to some injuries,” he said, adding he’s had a blister problem on his throwing hand the last few years.”I’m kind of looking at it like I’m retiring due to injuries,” he said.McGrath will have plenty to keep himself busy with over the next few months. The economics major has been interviewing for jobs and has an internship lined up with a commercial real estate firm.Although football and baseball have opened many doors for McGrath, he’s not sure what role either will play in his future. McGrath said he’s staying in shape and if any opportunities to continue playing football came his way, he would consider them, but he’s not counting on anything.”If someone came knocking at the door, I’d be open to it, but I don’t have any real expectations it will happen,” he said.McGrath said if the right career opportunity presents itself, that would be great. He’s also considering graduate school and possibly getting into coaching football at the college level, beginning as a graduate assistant. McGrath also expressed interest in coaching at the high school level, maybe even coming back to Lynn to coach if his career allows it.McGrath said over the last four years “you go from thinking you’re going to be the starting quarterback for the Patriots someday to realizing that it’s more likely you’ll be signing checks than throwing a football around.”It’s a reality. There’s nothing wrong with having those dreams. Sports have given me so many opportunities, but you realize that you’re not always going to be that star athlete. You have to bring more to the table than that,” he said.McGrath attributes his college success, both in athletics and in the classroom, to many different people.”I have a lot of people to thank, starting at Lynn Classical,” he said. “I had a great foundation there. There were a lot of people in that building who helped me – teachers, coaches, friends and teammates.”He said his parents, Sharon and Pat McGrath, also played a huge role.”I’ve had a blast,” McGrath said about his college experience. “I’m looking forward to seeing what the next chapter of my life will bring.”McGrath said although it’s nice to get recognition for some of the individual things he’s accomplished, the thing he’s most proud of is how his team went out on top after losing a lot of seniors to gradation last year.McGrath’s football numbers were impressive. The Bantams posted an 8-0 record this fall and have gone undefeated in four of the last six seasons, compiling a 44-4 record during that span.Trinity, which finished ranked No. 1 in New England and is ranked No. 9 in the ECAC/Lambert Meadowlands Poll, and climbed as high as No. 23 in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division III National Poll, completed the 11th perfect season in school history with a 38-14 win over the Wesleyan University Cardinals on Nov. 8.McGrath was also named to the New England Football Writers Division II/III All-S