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 Football: Villanova 52, Harvard 7

The Crimson’s inaugural playoff appearance is nasty, brutish, and short.

Harvard Football: Yale 45, Harvard 28

A wild weekend: a debacle in The Game, then a berth in the playoffs.

Harvard Football: Harvard 45, Penn 43

An epic finish ensures another Ivy title. Next up: Yale. And after?

Most popular

Harvard Symposium Tackles 400 Years of Homelessness in America

Professors explore the history of homelessness in the U.S., from colonial poor laws to today’s housing crisis

Harvard’s Class of 2029 Reflects Shifts in Racial Makeup After Affirmative Action Ends

International students continue to enroll amid political uncertainty; mandatory SATs lead to a drop in applications.

What Trump Means for John Roberts’s Legacy

Executive power is on the docket at the Supreme Court.

Explore More From Current Issue

Professor David Liu smiles while sitting at a desk with colorful lanterns and a figurine in the background.

This Harvard Scientist Is Changing the Future of Genetic Diseases

David Liu has pioneered breakthroughs in gene editing, creating new therapies that may lead to cures.

Map showing Uralic populations in Eurasia, highlighting regional distribution and historical sites.

The Origins of Europe’s Most Mysterious Languages

A small group of Siberian hunter-gatherers changed the way millions of Europeans speak today.

Wolfram Schlenker wearing a suit sitting outdoors, smiling, with trees and a building in the background.

Harvard Economist Wolfram Schlenker Is Tackling Climate Change

How extreme heat affects our land—and our food supply