New Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy was aided in his desire to play in the NFL by his private throwing coach, Greg Holcomb, who owns Next Level Athletix. McCarthy has worked with Holcomb in the Chicago-area since he was in 7th grade.

Our Darren ‘Doogie’ Wolfson spoke with Holcomb, via Zoom, to learn all about McCarthy’s development.

***Click the video box above to watch our conversation with Holcomb***

The AP All-Big Ten quarterback completed 72.3% of his passes, ranking sixth, just ahead of Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels of LSU. He was ninth in the nation in passing efficiency.

McCarthy threw for 2,991 pass yards, ranking fourth in a single season at Michigan, and 22 touchdowns for the second straight season. He threw four interceptions, none over the last four games and was picked off only once after Week 3.

He has a 27-1 record as a starter over two years, winning 96.4% of his games for the best mark by a quarterback with at least 20 starts since Toledo’s Chuck Ealey closed his career 35-0 in 1971.

He grew up 15 miles west of Chicago in La Grange Park, Illinois. After winning two state titles in three years at Nazareth Academy in his hometown, he spent his senior season of high school at IMG Academy in Florida to play during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

The Associated Press contributed to this report