Junior James MacPherson finally will have the spotlight to himself when Wake Forest takes on Virginia this Saturday. As a quarterback who went unrecruited out of Mountain View High in Tucson, Ariz., MacPherson has stuck to his dreams and continues to persevere.
As MacPherson's senior year in high school wore on, he watched the University of Arizona successfully recruit a quarterback from Washington State. MacPherson, however, never gave up on his dream of playing college football.
"My senior year, I didn't have any place to go" to school, MacPherson said. "Right after my senior year my dad made a highlight tape. We made 40 or 50 tapes and sent them out to all sorts of schools that I was interested in going to. [The Demon Deacons] threw the ball a lot; that's why I was interested in Wake Forest. I sent them a tape. I was fortunate that Wake Forest was still undecided, and they really liked my talents and offered me a scholarship."
MacPherson, who redshirted his freshman year, has been sharing time with sophomore quarterback Anthony Young this season. But Young went down with a sore foot before Wake Forest played Clemson on Saturday, and with Young sidelined "day to day," according to Demon Deacons' coach Jim Grobe in his weekly press conference, MacPherson stands alone under the spotlight as the team heads into Charlottesville to play Virginia on Saturday. He completed 8 of 16 passes for 151 yards in Wake Forest's 21-14 loss to Clemson but was responsible for three turnovers, including two interceptions.
The enthusiastic yet humble MacPherson blames himself for Saturday's loss.
"I was pleased with the performance, but the result is unsatisfying," MacPherson said. "It's just that we turned the ball over three times. I was responsible for our turnovers, and that was pretty much the deciding factor. Not turning the ball over is going to make the difference."
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MacPherson, however, indicated that he is trying to turn last week's loss into a lesson for the future. In fact, MacPherson, who is pursuing an undergraduate degree in business, believes that the things he learns on the football field can be applied to his academic life as well.
"Business compliments athletics," MacPherson said. "They're very interrelated - a lot of teamwork, integrity and having to really perform and generate cash flow which is like football. You generate cash flow and you do that with winning. If you try to take shortcuts, you're going to get caught. [Getting a business degree] was something I wanted to accomplish while I was here."
MacPherson likes to take control of his situation just as he did in getting a college scholarship.
"One of my problems is I'm a control freak, and I can get overwhelmed very easily," he said.
When that happens, he often looks to his faith for guidance.
"There's time when God's there and God wants the burden," MacPherson said. "I'm Christian and really have tried to live my life the best I can, in a Christian way. I've been raised that way by my parents. Every decision, every choice I'm faced with, [no matter] how big or small, I'm always kind of praying that everything will be alright."
MacPherson's character, shaped by his faith, his heart and his humility will support him as he follows his balanced dream of playing professional football and obtaining a business degree.
"I'd like to take football as far as it can go," MacPherson said. "I'd like to play professionally, and whether that happens automatically or takes a longer road I'm preparing myself for that. I'm going to get my degree in business from Wake Forest [but] that's what I've wanted to do since I can remember."
Nobody has had high expectations for MacPherson. Nobody, that is, except himself. Everything he has accomplished has been through hard work and determination. It should be no wonder that one of the creeds he lives by is, "do what you want to do, whatever's in your heart. Follow your dreams and who cares what everybody else thinks. It's not going to be an easy road"
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