NFL<\/a> draft pick got a phone call from Wayne Gretzky during a virtual press conference after he was drafted 10th overall by the team on Thursday.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMcMarthy apologized to the press as he declined \u201cThe Great One\u2019s\u2019\u2019 call.
\n
\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOh wow, that\u2019s Wayne Gretzky,\u201d McCarthy said in a video posted by the Vikings. \u201cI’m sorry about that…Hockey guy 101 and I\u2019m going to the hockey state.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The former Michigan quarterback explained that the Hockey Hall of Famer is friends with his off the field marketing agent. Gretzky FaceTimed McCarthy after Michigan\u2019s National Championship win in January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJust being able to sit there and to be witness to the greatness that is spreading his appreciation to what I was able to do and what I was able to represent meant so much,\u201d McCarthy told reporters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGrowing up, he was one of my G.O.A.T.S. and on my Mount Rushmore. I give so much credit to him because he inspired me so much.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On Friday, Gretzky congratulated McCarthy and referred to him as a \u201cwonderful young man\u2019\u2019 during the NHL on TNT\u2019s pregame show.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
McCarthy grew up playing hockey in Illinois and said the sport was his first love.
\n
\n
He gave up hockey in freshman year of high school to pursue football.
\n
<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTo go to a state that lives, breathes and eats hockey and football, it\u2019s just a perfect fit,\u201d He said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
J.J. McCarthy met his match in the \u201cState of Hockey.\u2019\u2019 The Minnesota Vikings NFL draft pick got a phone call from Wayne Gretzky during a virtual press conference after he was drafted 10th overall by the team on Thursday. McMarthy apologized to the press as he declined \u201cThe Great One\u2019s\u2019\u2019 call. \u201cOh wow, that\u2019s Wayne Gretzky,\u201d McCarthy said in a video posted by the Vikings. \u201cI’m sorry about that…Hockey guy 101 and I\u2019m going to the hockey state.\u201d The former Michigan quarterback explained that the Hockey Hall of Famer is friends with his off the field marketing agent. Gretzky FaceTimed McCarthy after Michigan\u2019s National Championship win in January. \u201cJust being able to sit there and to be witness to the greatness that is spreading his appreciation to what I was able to do and what I was able to represent meant so much,\u201d McCarthy told reporters. \u201cGrowing up, he was one of my G.O.A.T.S. and on my Mount Rushmore. I give so much credit to him because he inspired me so much.\u201d On Friday, Gretzky congratulated McCarthy and referred to him as a \u201cwonderful young man\u2019\u2019 during the NHL on TNT\u2019s pregame show. McCarthy grew up playing hockey in Illinois and said the sport was his first love. He gave up hockey in freshman year of high school to pursue football. \u201cTo go to a state that lives, breathes and eats hockey and football, it\u2019s just a perfect fit,\u201d He said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":20123,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[220,159],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-sport-football-news","category-football-news"],"yoast_head":"\n
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