"I Made My Dad Proud Today"

Josiah McLaurin’s father, Robert “Todd” McLaurin, and cousin, Kirk, were killed in an automobile accident in New York on Aug. 24. 

Exactly one week later, the Maryland football freshman running back made his collegiate debut in the fourth quarter of its 50-7 win over UConn at SECU Stadium. What happened next at the 9:26 mark was something McLaurin will never forget. 

McLaurin’s teammates surrounded him to celebrate, showcasing their support. As he returned to the sideline, he looked up and pointed to the sky. At that moment, McLaurin was thinking about his family members. He honored them in the best way possible, scoring his first career touchdown.   

“It meant a lot to me,” McLaurin said, holding back tears after the game. “I had a pretty hard week, and football is the only place I get where I’m mentally free, and I don’t have to think about anything but what I’m doing on the field. That touchdown meant a lot to me, man. That was for my dad. I know it meant a lot to me and my family. I made my dad proud today. I just wish he was here to see it.”   

McLaurin scored on a 24-yard swing pass from Cameron Edge. On his way to the endzone, he scampered past several UConn defenders to cap off a nine-play, 80-yard scoring drive. According to Locksley, the play McLaurin scored on was specifically designed for him. 

“We actually put that play in for him expecting that hopefully it would do what it did for him and get the touchdown on the play,” Locksley said. “That's why you saw all the players on the team so excited. They all knew what he went through that week. We all kind of rallied around him.” 

McLaurin’s teammate, Dante Trader Jr., awarded him a game ball in the locker room for scoring his first touchdown and showing perseverance. Throughout the week leading up to the game, another teammate, Robert Smith, took McLaurin under his wing. Smith, a junior wide receiver and leader for the Terps, understood his pain. He lost his mother to cancer. 

Maryland rallied around McLaurin and his tragedy while he rallied behind his teammates for support. The tragedy brought him closer to his teammates. Coming from the small town of Clinton, N.C., McLaurin was homesick most of the summer. 

However, Locksley says McLaurin didn’t want to leave the team and its facility after the game.

“He wanted to stay here with us, which meant the world to us because that means that he's adopted us pretty quickly,” Locksley said.

The team's rallying behind McLaurin and being there for him is part of a larger initiative that Locksley introduced in 2024. Every player is given a teammate to check in with and maintain a relationship with each week. Smith was McLaurin’s assigned teammate. However, the entire team was there for him on Sunday. 

“I think one speaks to the type of team we have,” said running back Nolan Ray. “Everybody was there for him, supporting him, loving on him, but then for him to stay here with us and play that game, it's special.” 

Quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. watched from the sidelines as McLaurin scored the touchdown. He described him as a tough kid who everyone in the program loves. 

“Josiah is one of the toughest human beings I've been around, and to encounter that and witness it in first person [was special],” Edwards said. “The decision he made to stay here all week was good for him, but I think it was better for all of us just to be around him. … We love Josiah.”