Jack McCaffrey

His father Noel also represented Dublin in football.[2] McCaffrey studied medicine at University College Dublin (UCD), where his classmates included Mark English, considered by Jerry Kiernan to be the country's "greatest talent" ever in middle-distance running.[3] English issued a challenge to McCaffrey, himself considered football's fastest player, to take him on over 100 metres.[4]

McCaffrey is a qualified medical doctor.[1] He works in Temple Street Children's Hospital.[5]

He is an opponent of professionalism within the GAA.[6]

In April 2013, McCaffrey won a National Football League winners' medal as Dublin defeated Tyrone by 0–18 to 0–17 to win the 2013 National Football League.[7][8][9][10] He made his championship debut against Westmeath in the 2013 Leinster Senior Football Championship.[11] He scored a solo goal in the 2013 All-Ireland quarter-final against Cork.[12] Still teenaged, he played in the 2013 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final, the first such final he would play in.[1] McCaffrey, who was substituted at half-time, recalled how he "got roasted by Kevin McLoughlin".[1] He played twice and netted for Ireland against Australia in the 2013 International Rules Series.[13][14] In November 2013, he was named as All Stars Young Footballer of the Year.[15]

In November 2015, McCaffrey received the highest individual honour in the sport when he was named as All Stars Footballer of the Year.[16] He did so in spite of contracting food poisoning "in around the Thursday" before the 2015 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final, which left him unable to finish the game. "I couldn't keep any food or water down so I got a drip to stay hydrated. But that was actually great at the time because it completely distracted from the build-up to a final ... all you were worried about is, 'Am I going to be okay?' You're no thinking about the occasion itself. And then thankfully I pulled through and performed okay for the 50 minutes that I lasted".[1]

McCaffrey missed the 2016 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship due his travels abroad.[17] He travelled to Ethiopia, then Kenya, Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania.[1]

In December 2016, McCaffrey confirmed that he would be available again for selection in 2017.[18]

McCaffrey played in that year's All-Ireland final win but left the pitch early after sustaining what later proved to be an anterior cruciate ligament injury.[1] His antics later in the evening as Michael Lyster interviewed Jim Gavin and Stephen Cluxton were much remarked upon.[19] A month after the final, McCaffrey had surgery.[1]

McCaffrey returned for Dublin against Longford as a substitute in June 2018.[1] Another substitute appearance in the Leinster final against Laois followed, seeing him make two goal chances by himself.[1] However, he did not find the net in that game.

He is a former self-admitted "horrific tackler" but the 2018 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final proved to be when he "figured out I'm actually a defender as opposed to some loose attacking player".[1] His dispossession of Mattie Donnelly during injury time of that game offered evidence of this.[1]

McCaffrey was named Man of the Match after his team's 2018 final victory. While being interviewed by Lyster for The Sunday Game highlights programme, a leak through the ceiling of the Gibson Hotel caused Lyster, McCaffrey and GAA President John Horan to be drenched in water live on air.[19][20]

Interviewed the following day by journalists, McCaffrey reminded them: "This was the first time I've been on the pitch when the final whistle blew in an All-Ireland final. Incredible. It was so satisfying, such a relief".[1]

Another All Star followed, as did a second Footballer of the Year nomination.[1]

McCaffrey won the man of the match award in the drawn 2019 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final as well; a second consecutive award, "RTÉ veterans" were reported to be finding it difficult to recall such an occurrence ever before.[1] He was top scorer (1–3) from open play.[1] This compared with the 3–14 from his previous 38 championship games.[1] The three points were also a classic hat-trick, sent over with fist and both feet.[1] Defensively, he forced eight turnovers of possession.[1]

McCaffrey left the Dublin panel ahead of the 2020 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship.[21] He later described the drawn 2019 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final as the game that "broke me" but decided initially to remain when his former minor and under-21 manager Dessie Farrell was appointed as Jim Gavin's successor.[22][23][5]