WINDING PATH FOR UAB Tight end LEADS TO SUCCESS ON AND OFF FIELD
By Steve Irvine
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA - November 1, 2024
Terrell McDonald’s trip through college football has been eventful.
The UAB senior tight end has been part of two teams that played in conference championship games, including the Conference USA champions in 2020, and been part of two bowl winning teams. Although his time on the defensive side had a short life, he’s played on both sides of the football. He’s played under three head coaches and four tight end coaches. He’s reached the point where his current position coach Reilly Jeffers said McDonald “sets the standard” in the tight end room.
He’s also learned how to handle a less-than-ideal final season like a veteran.
UAB is 1-6 heading into Saturday’s Children’s Harbor Homecoming game against Tulsa at Protective Stadium. One more loss and the Blazers are mathematically eliminated from a bowl game for the second consecutive season. McDonald, who is from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, arrived at UAB in 2019 and, including his redshirt season as a true freshman, was part of teams that were a combined 31-18 in his first four years. The Blazers finished 4-8 last season and are currently mired in a six-game losing skid.
“It’s been kind of hard, the season hasn't gone the way we wanted it to go,” McDonald said. “You could just take this as a life lesson. You're not always going to win. You can't win in life all the time. There's a win in every loss, too, though. You're getting better. You may not win that game, but, like, you can get better. That's what we South Florida game. We didn't win the game, but we got better. You can't win them all, of course we want to, but there's a bigger picture. Like, you're becoming better with people, you're becoming better football players. There's a process to it. We just haven't reached that full potential that we have, but we're getting close.”
The 6-foot-2, 235-pound McDonald will play a big role in trying to turn things around over the final five games, even though stats might not be the best indication of his contribution. Through seven games, McDonald has nine catches for 162 yards, which is a team-best 18 yards per catch. Two other tight ends – Bryce Damous and Dallas Payne – have more total catches than McDonald.
“He's selfless,” Jeffers said. “He'll do everything. His role has been very heavily as a blocker and kind of a short pass and catch and carry guy. And he's embraced it. We could put him out there and do anything. Just having that kind of guy, one, it's appreciated because it makes your job easier as a game planner and man, he's going to be missed next year because that is a valuable tool that can be hard to find.”
Despite the tough times for the team, Jeffers said McDonald graded out above 90 percent in each game the season.
“(It’s) almost unheard of,” Jeffers said. “When I was at Ohio State, you were considered a champion if you were at above 80%. So he's played at extreme high levels. He sets the standard on what it's like to take notes, learn the playbook, have no mental errors. He's an exceptional human being and that translates athletically and as a person.”
McDonald has earned his degree in healthcare management and is on track to finish a Master of Business Administration at the conclusion of this semester. He credits football with providing his future.
“Man, just honestly, if I could give advice to any younger generation about football, just use football as a pathway,” McDonald said. “Like you can use it to go anywhere you want to go. Like if you want to go to the NFL, you can go to an NFL. If you want to get a, a great career, you can do that. Like it's, it's a pathway and a stage to help you get to where you want to be. And it develops you to become a better person and like to help you in life. That's what football has done for me. It taught me discipline, resiliency. It's just taught me a bunch of things that I'm later going to use in life.”