Marcelino McCrary-Ball is 'Making the Days Count' As He Works His Way Back to the Field

Written by Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

On October 24th life was different for both of the Hoosiers players who wear the number nine. While Michael Penix was leading Indiana’s offense to a late rally over Penn State, Marcelino McCrary-Ball, who also wears nine, was recovering from ACL surgery and live streaming the game from his living room. McCrary-Ball was injured prior to the 2020 season and had to watch from the sidelines as his teammates went on a historic 6-2 run.

“I wish I was able to contribute.” McCrary-Ball said. “I have had some battles with the athletic trainer, Kyle Blackman, because around the Wisconsin game I remember looking up the quickest you can come back from an ACL injury and things like that. Watching them play I was like man they are going off. The whole defense just swarming around, doing all these zone blitzes and doing all these things that were successful. The offense was going off too, like Michael Penix Jr., Ty Fryfogle, and Whop Philyor, Even the offensive line was going off. For me, I was happy for them for sure.”

If you didn’t watch McCrary-Ball’s live stream, he was all in for the entire game. He was calling out plays, trying to will his teammates to victory while also doing some trash talking toward Penn State.

“I recorded the whole Penn State game on Instagram Live. It was the day of my surgery, so it was good to see them ball out and I did not have any negative thought. I was just like can I go out there and play?” McCrary-Ball explained.

The senior is one of the elder statesmen for the Hoosiers and has been with the program since 2016, but McCrary-Ball doesn’t want to be listed as an ‘old head’.

“I used to think like that. My senior year, my true senior year I used to think, man I'm old. I was only 19 and that messed with my head.” McCrary-Ball said. “When I was even a young underclassman the seniors at the time would be like, man I'm so old. I'm an old head. That is what it is called when you have been here so long. You walk around, I'm old, I've seen all this. That stuff starts to get in your head. You will start moving like an old man. 2020, going into that season, I kind of flipped the switch as far as, I just turned 21 in my fifth year. Typically, fifth year guys are like 22 or 23. I changed my perspective on me being an old head.”

While finding his new mentality coming into the season McCray-Ball gave an update on just how far he has to go in his rehab to be ready for Fall Camp.

“I'm pretty far out I think.” McCrary-Ball stated. “As far as practicing with the team and doing team specific things that will come a little later. It's all the good. The stuff I'm doing with my guys, Sam Daugstrup, Kahlil Benson, us three, we had our surgery on the same day, so we are basically on the same time frame. When we train with Jacob we train hard and we will be back when it is time to come back.”

Ball is entering his sixth season of football with the Hoosiers and has seen the Hoosiers grow “from 2016 when Coach Allen was just our DC to 2017, he is our head coach and our DC, 2018 I think that is when Kane came. Now our DC is Coach Warren. Even the transitional offense and the players that came and watching people grow. The monster, Cam Jones, I watched them grow. As far as being here so long, it doesn't really phase me. Everyone's time is going to come. I'm making the days count.”

The Hoosiers open up the 2021 season at Iowa on September 4th and McCrary-Ball hopes to make all those day count leading to him being on the field with his teammates.