13-year-old football phenom from Massachusetts already being scouted by colleges
HINGHAM - A 13-year-old football player from Massachusetts is already catching the attention of colleges with his skills on the field.
Undefeated season
On any given night there is something special happening at a sports complex on the South Shore. Between the tempo and agility drills you will find a teenager with the mindset of a professional athlete.
Hudson Garrity is an eighth grader at the Derby Academy in Hingham, where he has been sharpening his tools as a quarterback. He's starting to get national attention.
"I just zone it out," said Garrity. "I know what I am here to do and that's all I've got to focus on. So, no matter who else is watching or who is here, I just have to get my job done."
Just this fall alone, Garrity helped lead his town team in Hingham to an undefeated season. He accounted for 52 touchdowns, only two interceptions, 110 for 129 passing with an 86% completion rate. He ended his season with 3,014 passing yards.
D1 offers at 13
Garrity plays for a few leagues in the area, he's been selected as one of four eighth grade quarterbacks nationwide to play in January's All-American Bowl, and at 13 years old, he has already secured an offer to play football from a D1 university: UMass Amherst, as first reported in The Patriot Ledger.
"Getting D1 offers and stuff is great, but I want to play in the NFL, so you got to keep working," said Garrity. "Just because you get an accomplishment like that doesn't mean the job is finished. You know the Kobe Bryant quote about working when no one else is looking and that's shown whenever everyone is looking? Just putting in those extra hours that other people aren't and that eventually shows when you're actually playing."
There is no doubt Garrity is determined. He spends at least 20 hours a week strengthening his skillset. He has a great support system from some of the best trainers in the region. But even they admit his worth ethic is special.
"He knows exactly what he wants, and he is willing to do whatever it is to get there," said Dana Barry of Prime Performance. "He is blocking out all the noise and stays focused."
Alex McLaughlan with the M2 Quarterback Academy has been working with Garrity for four years and said, "He's obviously super talented but not everyone who is talented wants to work hard. And he does."
Garrity's father, Michael, said he first realized his son had the composure and talent to go the distance during a game when Hudson was in the fourth grade. "He throws like a 45-yard seam route right down the middle on the money for a touchdown and a lot of the coaches started looking at each other in disbelief like, 'Wow, did he really just do that?' And he came off the field like he expected it," said Michael Garrity.
Garrity said his mindset focuses less on the destination and more on the journey. The teenager is trying to keep a level head and enjoy the game that he loves. "Oh, football is everything, but football is a tool. And also, academics are super important to me," Garrity said. "My dream college is Notre Dame just because of how their academics are awesome but their athletics is also great."
We will be watching...
