Q&A: Former Maryland QB Scott McBrien
1/26/2017 12:00:00 AM | Football, Terrapin Athletics
COLLEGE PARK, Md. --
UMterps.com recently caught up with legendary Maryland quarterback Scott McBrien, who is currently a member of the Maryland Sports Radio Network and published his first book: Terrapin Tales. The MVP of the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl and Toyota Gator Bowl, McBrien shared excerpts from his book and his thoughts on head coach DJ Durkin's first season at the helm.
Q: Outside of analyzing the Terps on Saturdays, what are you up to these days?
A: “I'm actually in business development for a network technology master agency, which is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. The name of the company is Converged Network Services Group. I'm pretty much a network consultant if you will. I know that's confusing and pretty broad. All that means is I go into businesses and do a bill breakdown and analysis of their whole network. That's what I've been up to for the last seven years.”
Q: What made you write your book, Terrapin Tales?
A: “I've always had the idea of writing a book to pretty much document my upbringing, my career and my playing days. First, I really wanted to do it for family - or my kids and grandkids to read one day. That's kind of how the idea really started. My grandparents unfortunately died when I was at a young age and I never was able to talk to them and discuss their upbringing. But my Grandpa was a pretty big athlete in the area and played some semipro ball with the Washington Senators. I always wanted to have that discussion with him. Just about his playing days and what got him started and what his baseball days were like and I never really had that opportunity. I kind of just wanted to document everything for my kids and grandkids to read one day.
"The second reason was just an opportunity to give back. Not only to give back to youth kids and to high school and college kids but to give back to parents as well. A lot of parents out there, especially in this area, have kids that are going through some of the same things I went through from grade school to maybe not being happy in their current grade school or not being happy with their current team situation. Having to transfer or applying to high schools and maybe a high school isn't working out or a coach isn't playing them. Then, going through the recruiting process and what it's like to not have maybe as many offers as you'd like. Or maybe going to a school that might not be the best fit and then going through that bump in the road again and having to transfer. This book can kind of relate to many different kids in many different age levels and a lot of parents out there as well, especially in this area.
"Going to the University of Maryland was the best decision I ever made for life after football."
- Scott McBrien
"Three, I wrote it to let everybody in this area to know: stay home! I wanted to go to Maryland out of high school but unfortunately I didn't have that opportunity. So, I had to go up to Morgantown and play there for a couple years. Finally, I was given that opportunity by Coach Friedgen and it was the best thing that every happened to me. Me getting run out of Morgantown was the best thing that ever happened to me because just the relationships that you build. Especially after college. This is the business capital of the world. If I had stayed in Morgantown or any other place for that matter, I would not have been able to open the doors that I opened. It's a way for me to just tell these kids in this area, you might be recruited by some other schools out there but if you want the opportunity to stay home, it's 100% the best decision you'll ever make.
"Maryland is going to give you every opportunity to succeed, both on the field and off the field. I just can't tell you how many guys that I grew up with, that I played with that were star athletes at their schools that are from this area, and then they come back here and nobody knows them. It's unfortunate, but nobody knows them. It's hard for them to really get on their feet to start their business career because they don't really have as many relationships in this area. They can't open up as many doors. Just from the simple fact that they didn't go to a local school and build so many relationships. A lot of people in this area weren't able to see them play. That was the third reason I really wrote the book. It came out great, a lot of people enjoyed it. It's an easy simple read. It came out great.”
Q: Any specific messages in the book?
"I wanted to tell my story and give everyone an idea of what I went through. To let everyone know that life isn't easy. If it was easy, then everybody would do it. But there are a lot of bumps in the road and it's just a matter of how you take these bumps on. You take it with a smile and move on. Everything happens for a reason. Just like I said in the book, at the time that it happened (leaving West Virginia), I thought it was the end of the world and the world was over. It just turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me in any situation of any level."
Q: Are there any funny excerpts from the book of your time at Maryland?
A: “Yeah, I was a baseball player growing up. I hated football, I really did. I didn't like the contact, didn't like the pads. I didn't like anything about it really. I was a baseball player. Lefty pitcher, switch hitter, played center field. I thought I was going to be a major leaguer growing up. It just didn't work out that way. I got looped into playing football. I did it because my friends were playing and it was something else to do and I said I'd give it a try. I wanted to quit so many times. Thank God I surrounded myself with family and friends and so many great people that didn't allow me to quit. If I did quit one of the many times I wanted to, I wouldn't be where I am today. It's just funny. I was a baseball player at heart and then I ended up playing football somehow, some way.”
Q: What are your thoughts on Coach Durkin's first season?
A: “It was great. I love Coach Durkin. I love everything that he's about. The energy that he brings to the team. He's a guy that you want to be around. For me, I'd love to play for a guy like that. He brings that intensity to everything that he does. Whether it's in the weight room, watching film, on the field. He doesn't let guys go through the motions. As a coach, if you start to let guys just go through the motions, that's where you start to lose the locker room, lose football games, and the fire starts to go out. He will not let that happen. He's going to win. Hands down. No excuses about it. He's going to build this team up to where it needs to be and he's going to win. I can't wait for next year already.”
