Former IU defensive star Marcelino McCrary-Ball saw three postseason appearances in his six years in Bloomington.
But of course he never saw anything quite like the 2025 Indiana Hoosiers.
No one had.
At IU from 2016 to 2021, McCrary-Ball experienced the highs and lows. He played in the 2016 Foster Farms Bowl and the 2019 Gator Bowl, and watched with an injury as his teammates played in the 2020 Outback Bowl. It was actually a pretty good run for the Hoosiers.
McCrary-Ball also saw a pair of 5-7 seasons in 2017 and 2018, and a miserable 2-10 season to wrap-up his college career in 2021.
But back-to-back College Football Playoff appearances? The 16-0 kings of college football in 2025?
McCrary-Ball watched the unthinkable unfold from afar, and he was thrilled to see two of the key figures in the historic turnaround join him with the New York Jets during the NFL Draft.
“Omar Cooper Jr. got drafted and I said, ‘Bring that IU culture here’ and when [he and D’Angelo Ponds] got here I told both of them I appreciate what they did because when I think back,” McCrary-Ball told Amanda Vogt for the New York Jets. “I was there for six years and I stuck around because I wanted to ultimately complete and accomplish what they did. It’s just really cool, that’ll stick with me for a long time.”
McCrary-Ball entered the NFL in 2022 as an undrafted free agent but was named the Jets special teams captain ahead of the 2025 season. He initially signed with the San Francisco 49ers in 2022, was signed to the Jets’ practice squad in August 2023, and has spent time on the active roster in 2023 through 2025.
A hamstring injury suffered in Week 3 limited his role in 2025. McCrary-Ball played in five games and made 23 tackles while appearing in 120 special teams snaps and 106 defensive snaps.
All three of McCrary-Ball, Cooper and Ponds appear set to have significant roles for the Jets in 2026, as they attempt to repeat the rags to riches turnaround story with one of the NFL’s more historically dreadful teams.
With a heavy influx of players from the 2025 national championship season now in the league, the IU culture is spreading throughout the NFL.
The Jets are one of six NFL teams with multiple former Hoosiers on their training camp roster, and one of 16 with at least one former IU player set to compete for a roster spot.
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