In his time with the Jets, on the practice squad and special teams, McCrary-Ball has shown his teammates who he really is, which led his peers to electing him as the captain of coordinator Chris Banjo’s special teams. He appeared in three plays at linebacker in his two seasons (14 games) with the Green & White, but he’s made an unmistakable impact.
“If you’ve been in this building, you know what type of guy Marcelino is from the day he got here,” fellow LB and team captain Jamien Sherwood said. “He’s had adversity as well. And you know, I put my arm around him, we’ve been locked in since then. But the way he practices, his approach. He’s a great father, he’s a great teammate, he’s a great person all around. So I wasn’t shocked for him to be a captain. I’m super excited for him. I do feel like he’s going to get an opportunity this year at some point. But no matter what, he’s well deserving of that award. And again, I’m happy for him.”
Sherwood added: “Marcelino … how physical he is, how much he prepares, how much he loves this game. I feel like a great football player is somebody who shows it day in and day out. Training camp can get long, get grimy. The season is super long. … He’s the same person every day. He smiles, he plays music, he jokes around, same thing that I do. But it’s like a sense of urgency from him. He never takes a day off. He’s full speed. He runs to the ball every day. He’s physical at the point of attack. He’s just a great teammate to have. I’m glad he’s on my team.”
McCrary-Ball (6-0, 214) entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent who initially signed with the San Francisco 49ers in 2022. He was signed to the Jets’ practice squad in August 2023 and spent time on the active roster in 2023 and ’24. He became a special teams regular last season in 12 games, taking 200 snaps with 7 coverage tackles, tied for second-most on the Jets.
“The journey is still ongoing, so I’m not done yet, not even close,” he said. “So to be named [a] captain, recognized by my peers, and see that they believe me 100 percent to lead the special teams, I mean, it’s an honor, for sure. It’s definitely an honor.”
He added: “I feel like my attitude, the energy I bring. I feel like, whether I’m here for two years, whether I’m playing two games, I feel like the energy I bring, it’s recognized.”