Five Questions With Captain Shane McLaughlin ’25

Learn about the 150th captain of Harvard football.

BIG MAC. Last year, Shane McLaughlin rumbles upfield against Dartmouth. Carrying the rushing load, the Crimson running back amassed a career-high 156 yards.  | PHOTOGRAPH BY DYLAN GOODMAN/COURTESY OF HARVARD ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS

An economics concentrator from Monmouth Beach, New Jersey, and a resident of Leverett House, McLaughlin is the 150th captain of Harvard football and the first from the offense since 2004, when quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick ’05 was tabbed.

Favorite football player: 

“Christian McCaffrey [San Francisco 49ers All-Pro running back]. When he was a senior at Stanford he wore number 5, so that’s why I do too. I try to replicate his play style, which is being an all-around guy.”

Favorite course at Harvard: 

“Ellen Langer’s “Positive Health Psychology.” I took it first semester junior year, during football season. It helped me deal with some of the emotions of the game.”

Favorite spot in the Garden State:

“I’m from the Jersey Shore, so I’ll give a shout-out to Little Monmouth Beach Club. I like surfing so when I’m home I spend my days there.”

Heroes: 

“My parents. They’ve always put me and my brother first for everything. My dad was the one who pushed me to try for Harvard and do uncomfortable things during high school.”

Favorite musical group: 

“I listen to all genres, but I’ll give a shout-out to my mom, who put me on to Fleetwood Mac.”

Read more articles by Dick Friedman
Related topics

You might also like

Harvard Students, Alumni to Compete at the 2026 Olympics

Six Crimson athletes are headed to the XXV Winter Games in Milano Cortina. 

Introductions: Dan Cnossen

A conversation with the former Navy SEAL and gold-medal-winning Paralympic skier

England’s First Sports Megastar

A collection of illustrations capture a boxer’s triumphant moment. 

Most popular

The True Cost of Grade Inflation at Harvard

How an abundance of A’s created “the most stressed-out world of all.”

The Puppet Showplace Theater keeps an ancient art form alive.

Contemporary takes on puppetry in Brookline, Massachusetts

What Bonobos Teach Us about Female Power and Cooperation

A Harvard scientist expands our understanding of our closest living relatives.

Explore More From Current Issue

Three climbers seated on a snowy summit, surrounded by clouds, appearing contemplative.

These Harvard Mountaineers Braved Denali’s Wall of Ice

John Graham’s Denali Diary documents a dangerous and historic climb.

Purple violet flower with vibrant petals surrounded by green foliage.

Bees and Flowers Are Falling Out of Sync

Scientists are revisiting an old way of thinking about extinction.

Firefighters battling flames at a red building, surrounded by smoke and onlookers.

Yesterday’s News

How a book on fighting the “Devill World” survived Harvard’s historic fire.