All About J.J. McCarthy's Parents, Dad Jim and Mom Megan

J.J. McCarthy's parents passed down their athletic skills and passion to give back

J.J. McCarthy's parents, Jim and Megan McCarthy, have been mainstays at his football games.

In 2024, the University of Michigan quarterback guided the Wolverines to their first College Football Playoff national title since the playoff system was instituted for the 2014 season, helping reestablish the team as one of the top programs in college football.

His dad and mom have been along for the ride, often seen cheering from the stands during televised games. As a young child, they knew their energetic son had a future in sports.

“From 2 to 7, he was a maniac,” Jim told the Chicago Tribune in 2019. “He was thick when younger, like a bowling ball. He’d throw balls through mirrors by mistake, break lamps. He was a sweet kid but would always test the waters. At school he was antsy. The teachers reeled him in, God bless them.”

When he decided to forgo his senior season and enter the 2024 NFL draft, J.J. penned an emotional note thanking several people in his life, including Jim and Megan.

“I am so blessed to be surrounded by the greatest, most supportive, and loving parents in the world,” he wrote. “Mom and Dad, thank you for all you have done for me and our family.”

From their athletic backgrounds to driving 26 hours to support their son, here's everything to know about J.J. McCarthy's parents, Jim and Megan McCarthy.

They have three children

Besides J.J., Jim and Megan have two daughters, Caitlin and Morgan.

In 2022, Caitlin graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with a degree in computer science and minors in business and math.

While there, she received an award for her leadership and work with the University of Nebraska Dance Marathon, an organization dedicated to raising funds and awareness for the Children’s Hospital and Medical Center in Omaha.

According to her LinkedIn profile, Caitlin is now a technology consultant at EY in the Chicago area.

Meanwhile, her younger daughter, Morgan, is a college freshman after graduating high school in the fall of 2023.

J.J.'s dad Jim was a football player

Athletic genes run in the McCarthy family: Jim was a two-sport athlete at Riverside-Brookfield High School, where he played baseball and football. He excelled as a running back and continued his sports prowess at Lake Park College as captain of the football team.

In an interview with The News-Gazette in 2019, J.J. spoke about the effort he puts into developing his skills and also acknowledged the physical gifts inherited from his family.

“There are a couple of natural abilities I got from my parents. But there’s a lot of stuff I worked really hard on," he told the outlet. "I found my weaknesses and did everything I could to make those weaknesses turn into great tendencies.”

Jim continued to stay close to the sport as the director of the Lyons Football Club in Illinois. Though it doesn't appear he's still involved in its mission, the group gives kids from Brookfield, Riverside, North Riverside and other nearby towns a chance to cheer and play football.

Boys in grades two through eight are eligible to participate in the football program, while girls in grades one through eight can participate in cheerleading.

J.J.'s mom Megan was a figure skater

J.J. has exhibited toughness on the field at his position, which he attributes to his time as a hockey player.

"That was actually my first love," he told the Detroit Free Press in 2022. "I started when I was like 5 years old and I had to make a really big decision on if I was going to stick with the hockey route or the football route.”

The star athlete’s passion for hockey comes from his mom, Megan, who was a competitive figure skater in her youth and who introduced her only son to ice skating.

According to the Chicago Tribune, she put J.J. in skates as a toddler, and though he enjoyed the sport, he ended up being torn about leaving his home in Illinois to train in Quebec, Canada.

After J.J. decided to stay put, he quit hockey and Megan “cried for like two weeks," Jim recalled to the newspaper. The budding football player also shared that it wasn't an easy choice.

“I miss hockey so much just because of the team aspect,” J.J. told The News-Gazette. “I loved the contact in hockey. I’m not going to lie. Hockey is such an awesome sport.”

Jim and Megan hold managerial positions at their respective jobs

According to his LinkedIn, Jim has been the president at J.E. McCarthy & Associates since 1999. The company focuses on “Printing Logistics Management for printers and advertising companies. Co-Pal, Co-Mail, and total logistics management all under one roof.”

It is unclear if Megan is still employed with the company, but she is listed as a senior project manager at healthcare staffing agency Medix Staffing Solutions.

J.J.'s parents are philanthropists

Jim and Megan spearheaded fundraising efforts in their hometown of La Grange, Ill., for the St. Baldrick's Foundation for Children with Cancer, according to the Chicago Tribune.

In recognition of their work organizing fundraisers like "Wiggin' Out" and the Just Irish Enough Parade to benefit local organizations in La Grange, the couple were also presented with the Spirit of the YMCA Award in 2013.

“It’s just been an inspiration to be involved,” Jim said in an interview with the Chicago Tribune in 2015. “We’ve had great volunteers and great kids all doing it for the right reasons, to walk in solidarity with kids with cancer.”

It turns out that the apple didn't fall far from the tree: In the summer of 2021, just weeks before he made his debut at the University of Michigan, J.J. revealed his intention to donate funds he earned through his Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals to charities in his two hometowns, including the C.S. Mott’s Children’s Hospital of Ann Arbor and Lurie’s Children’s Hospital of Chicago.

The quarterback also launched the JJ For the Kids Foundation in 2022 to benefit children's hospitals throughout the United States and internationally.

Jim was a proud dad and shared the announcement on Instagram with the caption, “Could not be happier! Purpose > Fame.”

They are supportive of J.J.

The McCarthy family has been known to go the extra mile for J.J.

When the University of Michigan was set to face Texas Christian University (TCU) in the College Football Playoff semifinal in Arizona for a berth in the National Championship game, the family wound up with a longer commute than expected.

After their Chicago to Phoenix flight was one of the thousands canceled by Southwest Airlines in December 2022, the next best option was a 26-hour drive — which they did.

“I looked at my kids, I looked at the weather, and I’m like, ‘OK, we can do this,’ ” Jim recalled in an interview with The Detroit News. “My girls were the inspiration of it all. They said, ‘You’re absolutely right; we’re doing this. We’ve gotta go support our brother.’ ”

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