J.J. McCarthy is all smiles after Nazareth Academy’s 41-23 victory over St. Patrick High School in 2018. McCarthy led Nazareth to the state’s 7A football title that year. McCarthy is preparing for the NFL Draft after leading the Michigan Wolverines to the College Football Playoff National Championship. (Herb Keeler photo)

Potential NFL quarterback J.J. McCarthy takes care of the pigskin way better than the Porcelain Pig.

A friendly competition traveling trophy awarded between two classrooms at Nazareth Academy in LaGrange Park for noteworthy efforts like bringing in more Christmas presents for underprivileged youths, the Porcelain Pig was sitting on McCarthy’s desk one day when it dropped and shattered.

“He was so distraught he Superglued it together piece by piece,” said Nazareth math teacher and football coach Casey Moran. “The pig still exists. It has seen better days. It’s been around. It still has the glue marks and J.J.’s initials on it.”

McCarthy, the former Nazareth student, is working out these days in California preparing for the NFL Draft, where he is projected to be one of five quarterbacks taken in the first round. In January, McCarthy led the Michigan Wolverines to the College Football Playoff National Championship.

“He is everything you would expect,” said Tim Racki, Nazareth’s dean of students and head football coach. “What you see on TV, in the media, that demeanor, that’s him. He is the same whether he has a helmet on or not. He has humility. It is always about his teammates, not himself.

“He is not just loved by his teammates. He is loved by the student body in general. He is easy to cheer for. He is so unassuming.”

Moran, Nazareth’s offense coordinator, agreed.

“He is awesome. He is a great kid and a great football player,” Moran said. “He is an outstanding young man and a great leader.

“He is passionate about winning, about learning, about his teammates, and about being a good teammate. He is the total package. He is what we look for at Nazareth.”

Moran taught McCarthy’s freshman Algebra I Honors class.

“He was the same in the classroom as he was on the football field,” Moran said. “He wanted to learn. He wanted to know what was going on. He is one of the most well-rounded humans I have had the pleasure to be around.”

Racki remembers the lines that would form after Nazareth home football games when McCarthy was there in the late 2010s seeking the quarterback’s autograph. McCarthy would sit there until the end and sign for every kid, Racki said.

“When it first happened, I realized what was going on and I whispered in his ear, ‘I will get you out of here,’” Racki said. “He whispered back, ‘No way, Coach’ and he signed every one.”

McCarthy was on the Nazareth field long before he ever wore a Roadrunners jersey. Nazareth has open field time Friday mornings for neighborhood kids and students. The LaGrange Park resident started showing up on the Nazareth field as a sixth-grader.

“He could hardly throw the ball, but he was out there with the high school boys at 6 a.m.,” Racki said.

McCarthy’s knowledge of the game was evident at an early age, according to the Nazareth head coach.

“He was calling audibles in seventh grade,” Racki said.

That mental focus continued during McCarthy’s time at Nazareth, according to Racki.

“He took football and his studies seriously,” the Nazareth head coach said. “As the quarterback, he would come in at 6 a.m. Sundays when we were breaking down the offense for the next week. He has a high football IQ.”

Racki said he hopes McCarthy goes to an NFL team that will bring him along slowly.

“Like any quarterback, he is going to need time to develop,” he said. “I hope he gets with a staff where he can get established, learn, and develop. I don’t want to see him thrown to the wolves too soon. He needs a little time to breathe. It is one of the most popular positions for a subpar NFL team. They are all cheering for him to go in.”

kbeese@chronicleilinois.com