After years of on-field collisions, Vandal football player wants to help in the healing process

College of Science senior exemplifies U of I student-athlete success

Tommy McCormick takes both of his roles at University of Idaho seriously.

As an athlete, one of his primary jobs as a starting safety for the Idaho Vandals football team is to dissuade opposing receivers from catching the ball – often by applying bone-jarring hits.

As a student, he plans on graduating with a degree in medical sciences from the College of Science this fall – his eyes on entering medical school next year with the goal of mending broken bones as an orthopedic surgeon.

McCormick, a pre-season Big Sky All-Conference selection for the Vandals, is one of 103 U of I student-athletes who earned a perfect 4.0 GPA during the Spring ’24 semester. Combined, all Vandal student-athletes claimed a cumulative 3.49 GPA last spring, setting an all-time high for the Athletic Department in their 21st consecutive semester where student-athletes achieved a cumulative 3.0 or higher GPA.

“Coach Jason Eck puts a strong emphasis on academics in our program,” said Vandal safeties coach Bobby Jay. “Our staff meets weekly with Assistant Director for Student-Athlete Support Services Dani Hippe to go over each of our players’ grades and have discussions about any academic issues they may be experiencing.”

Additionally, all Vandal student-athletes are reminded to take advantage of study groups, tutoring sessions and all other academic assistance programs offered to them throughout the school year – not just during their season of play.

A day in the life

Early on, athletes learn that practice, repetition and routines are key for peak performance. That concept works for academics as well as athletics.

Collegiate student-athletes usually have pretty busy schedules, especially while they are playing. Classes, practices, training and studying have a way of making a 24-hour day seem like not enough. Finding the right routine, and making sure your classes fit nicely into that routine, makes a difference.

“During the season, most of my classes have been on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, then labs on Tuesday and Thursday,” said McCormick. “Then probably around four hours every afternoon for practice and meetings. Home for a quick dinner and then usually two to three hours of studying.”

In addition to the normal schedule, there are always other considerations that need to be taken in order to maximize good time management. 

Tommy has always been locked in on his studies. He’s done a tremendous job balancing his academic and athletic responsibilities and has developed into a great leader on our team.Bobby Jay, safeties coach

“Usually we’re lifting weights or doing other training twice a week – mostly Mondays and Wednesdays,” he said. “You also try really hard to get everything done for the week by Thursday, because Fridays are usually full of meetings if you have a home game or travel if you’re playing on the road.”

As tricky as it is to give the right amount of attention to competing priorities, McCormick, who expects to graduate with a 4.0 GPA, has never dropped the ball in either area.

“Tommy has always been locked in on his studies,” Jay said. “He’s done a tremendous job balancing his academic and athletic responsibilities and has developed into a great leader on our team.”

In his bones

McCormick remembered developing an interest in becoming a surgeon when he broke his arm during his freshman year in high school. Already a curious student, he asked a bunch of questions about the science of how his arm was healing and became hooked. 

During the Spring ’24 semester, McCormick traded in his Vandal playbook for a medical college admission test (MCAT) study guide. Given the magnitude of what doing well on the MCAT would mean, it’s possible he spent more time studying medical charts than he spent looking at defensive flow charts during the entire previous season.

“From January until May 4, I started off studying about four to five hours a day, five days a week,” he said. “About three weeks before the test, I was probably doing eight hours a day to make sure I had it down as much as possible.”

The test itself took five hours and he expects to see his results by the end of the semester.

A native of Fallon, Nevada, McCormick is hoping to be accepted into medical school at either University of Nevada Las Vegas or University of Nevada. 

Although he did not need too much assistance on the academic front while attending U of I, McCormick appreciated the efforts by U of I and the Athletic Department to make sure their student-athletes did everything they could to succeed both on and off the field.

“Our coaches always make sure we know who to talk to about study assistance and we have scheduled times when we meet with them to make sure we’re keeping on track,” he said. “Our success is something the whole Athletic Department is really proud of.”

Article by David Jackson, University Communications and Marketing

Photos provided by University of Idaho Athletic Department

Published in October 2024