National Football Foundation

Widely regarded as one of the top offensive lineman in the nation, Yale's Ed McCarthy has also excelled academically by tackling the rigors of an Ivy League curriculum with aplomb.

A history major, McCarthy has twice earned First Team Academic All-League honors and ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District recognition. 

Showing immense versatility, McCarthy has started games at center, offensive guard and offensive tackle in his career. In the 2006 pre-season, he was a Division I-AA First Team All-America selection and named the top Division I-AA offensive tackle in the nation by The Sports Network. A looming presence at 6-foot-5, 305 pounds, McCarthy earned First Team All-Conference honors in 2005 and Second Team recognition in 2004. In 2003, he became the first offensive lineman in Ivy League history to claim a major award when he was named Rookie of the Year. 

Dedicated to his community, McCarthy contributes more than 40 hours of community service each year, including work in the Benefits Unit to help poor and mentally ill individuals obtain social security and Medicare benefits. Recently, he served as an intern for the Bridgeport Pubic Defender's Office and the New Haven Legal Assistance, providing counsel for accused criminals who cannot afford their own attorney. McCarthy becomes the ninth National Scholar-Athlete for the Bulldogs and the first since 2001 honoree Peter Lee. 

McCarthy earned his J.D. from Yale and is currently a fellow for the Immigrant Justice Corps, which recruits lawyers and college graduates and partners them with New York City’s leading non-profit legal services providers and community-based organizations to offer a broad range of immigration assistance.