Football | 8/3/2026 1:32:00 PM

Never Quit 

From St. Xavier to Yale and Eastern Michigan, Brogan McCaughey has built his journey on persistence, patience, and refusing to quit. 

When an obstacle appears, there are two choices: give up or keep working until you find a way through it. 

For Eastern Michigan quarterback Brogan McCaughey '22, that mindset was shaped during his years at St. Xavier, especially in the weight room with strength coach Terrell Williams. The lesson was simple: never quit. It is a message McCaughey has carried through every stage of his football journey. 

Growing up in Northern Kentucky, McCaughey was a multi-sport athlete who spent much of his childhood focused on baseball. Football gradually became a bigger part of his life as his father encouraged him to use his size and athleticism on the field. He played several positions, including running back, wide receiver, and defensive end, before an unexpected opportunity changed everything. 

"I was never really a quarterback," McCaughey said. "I played receiver, running back, even defensive end. I was always more of a baseball player. But my dad would bring me out to practice 45 minutes early every day, and we'd work on quarterback stuff. Then in eighth grade, our starting quarterback got hurt in the first game, and they threw me in. Ever since then, I've been a quarterback." 

Even before quarterback became his position, McCaughey found inspiration in another Cincinnati athlete. A lifelong Reds fan, he wore No. 31 in honor of outfielder Jonny Gomes. 

"Early on, I wore 31 because of Jonny Gomes," McCaughey said. "My dad liked him, and that's really how I started liking the number. I loved watching the swagger and confidence he played with. That was something I looked up to." 

As middle school came to an end, McCaughey began looking for a high school where he could create his own path. Many of his classmates were headed to McNicholas, Turpin, or Anderson, but St. Xavier stood out. 

He had watched the Bombers win the 2016 state championship and had attended rivalry games against Moeller. Seeing quarterbacks like Sean Clifford and Chase Wolf helped make the decision even more appealing. 

"I knew I wanted to do something a little different," McCaughey said. "I was in seventh grade when St. X won state, and I remember watching Sean Clifford and Chase Wolf and thinking, 'That's who I want to be like.' I also went to some of those St. X and Moeller games, and that definitely pushed me toward St. X." 

Once he arrived, McCaughey found mentors who showed him what preparation and patience looked like. 

One of the most influential was quarterback Matthew Rueve, who took McCaughey under his wing when he began dressing for varsity as a sophomore. 

"When I started dressing varsity, Matthew really showed me the ropes," McCaughey said. "What always stuck with me about his story was that he had to wait for his opportunity. He was behind Wyatt Hudepohl, and when his opportunity finally came, all the work he had done behind the scenes showed up. What affected me most was that when Matthew became the guy, he didn't change who he was." 

That lesson in patience would become increasingly important. 



 

McCaughey's college recruitment unfolded during the COVID era, when in-person visits were limited and the transfer portal was beginning to reshape the sport. After working through virtual recruiting and evaluating his options, he committed to Yale. 

Once he made the decision, he was determined to see it through. 

"Recruiting was definitely more difficult because of the virtual visits and everything that came with COVID," McCaughey said. "Eventually I decided on Yale, and I stuck with it. I knew I had made the decision and I was going to see it through. A big thing Coach T always taught us in the weight room was that you never quit. You keep going. My time at Yale wasn't always easy, but I kept going." 

The transition from St. Xavier to Yale felt natural in many ways. Both schools demanded discipline in the classroom while emphasizing the importance of relationships and brotherhood. 

"The papers, deadlines, and structure in the classroom were really similar," McCaughey said. "And culturally, the football team had a strong brotherhood. Coming from an all-boys school, that was already a huge part of who I was. Taking the mindset and foundation I learned at St. X to Yale made the transition much easier. In a lot of ways, it felt like St. X in the Northeast." 

Yale challenged McCaughey both academically and athletically. Through the highs and lows of college football, he repeatedly returned to the same message he first heard in the St. Xavier weight room. 

Keep going. 

After earning his degree from Yale with one year of eligibility remaining, McCaughey entered the transfer process looking for another program built around education, relationships, and culture. That search eventually brought him to Eastern Michigan, a staff that had recruited him years earlier out of St. Xavier. 

"Coming from St. X and then graduating from Yale, I knew I wanted something with a similar culture at the very least," McCaughey said. "This happened to be a staff that had recruited me out of high school, so there was already familiarity there. I knew it was going to be a strong coaching staff, a great support system, and a good offense. Ultimately, it was the team culture that made me choose Eastern Michigan." 

At Eastern Michigan, McCaughey entered another competitive quarterback room, this time alongside veteran Noah Kim. Rather than viewing that competition as a negative, McCaughey embraced the opportunity to learn from another experienced player. 

"He's awesome," McCaughey said. "He's an older guy too, so we connect on that level. We've both been around college football for a while, and there's nothing but respect between us. They say iron sharpens iron, and that's really what it's like every day. We're pushing each other to get better on the field and in the classroom. Obviously, nobody wants to be the backup, but it's a lot easier when you have that much respect for the guy you're competing with." 

Although McCaughey now wears Eastern Michigan green, St. Xavier has never felt far away. 

Whether he is watching a Bomber game from a hotel the night before his own game or wearing St. X gear around campus, the connection remains strong. 

"It means everything to me," McCaughey said. "The Bombers could be playing Elder, and I'll be in between walkthroughs because we have a game the next day, watching every snap on my phone. I'll watch us go down, watch the guys fight back, and it just reminds me that it's always X versus X every day." 

That connection is about more than school pride. It is tied to the mindset McCaughey first developed there. 

Every stop along his journey, from learning quarterback in middle school, to St. Xavier, to Yale, and now Eastern Michigan, has reinforced the same lesson. 

Never quit. 

"I've been at the bottom of the depth chart. I've been the starter. I've been injured. I've been healthy. I've had things go my way, and I've had things completely go against me," McCaughey said. "But something I always fall back on is what they taught me at St. X. Never give up. You'll have good days and bad days, but regardless, you keep going." 

For McCaughey, that message has become much bigger than football. It is the way he approaches every challenge, every setback, and every opportunity still ahead.