ST. LOUIS, Mo- He didn’t get a Sophomore season on the football field the way he expected it, but East St. Louis Offensive Tackle Miles McVay is still getting recognition for the work he’s done off the field.
The Chicago Bears this week named McVay one of nine Community High School All-Star award winners for 2020 for making a positive impact on the community. Despite the challenges brought by a canceled high school football season, McVay has thrived off the field.
He was involved in food drives in Dellwood and Ferguson and also volunteers with the Demetrious Johnson Foundation and the North Side Community School in St. Louis. At the same time, he’s excelling academically.
“Academics have always been important my whole life. Without education I wouldn’t be able to play football,” he told FOX2. “If I don’t maintain at least a 3.5 or higher, I won’t be able to play football but I have a 3.7 right now, trying to earn a 4.0.”
At his father’s urging, McVay worked to replace the football reps he would have taken on the field for the Flyers by participating in football camps and combines around the country. It meant traveling to Florida, California, Utah and Nebraska.
“We tried to keep like a regular routine. So let’s say a camp was like a gameday. So I trained throughout the week and maybe once a month we go to a camp so it’s like having a game every other week. We started doing that to keep a regular schedule so that was kind of my season,” he said.
McVay already has the attention of college programs. He’s been offered by Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, and Arizona State, among others.
