Stephen McGuire, FullbackDECEMBER 4, 1989
A few hours into his shift on New Year's Eve 2001, New York City
police recruit Stephen McGuire popped into a midtown Manhattan
McDonald's trying to get warm on the frigid night. A booming
voice called out to him, "Hey, you McGuire? Didn't you play
football at Miami?" The man speaking was Detective Cyril Lloyd,
who was also on duty that night and happened to be the special
teams coach for New York's Finest, the police department's
football team. Lloyd is always looking for players, and McGuire
had been on two national championship teams as a fullback with
the Hurricanes in 1989 and '91. "To this day I still don't know
how he recognized me," says McGuire, who had been on the force
for five months.
In 1993 McGuire graduated from Miami with a degree in criminal
justice and the Hurricanes' alltime touchdown record (35, since
tied by Edgerrin James). After the San Francisco 49ers, Dallas
Cowboys and Miami Dolphins cut the 5'11", 175-pound McGuire in
tryouts in '93, '94 and '95, he turned to coaching. Over the next
two years he was an assistant at three Miami-area high schools,
and in 1997 he began a three-year stint teaching at-risk youth in
Fort Lauderdale. He accepted an offer to go on a few ride-alongs
with the Fort Lauderdale police and got such a rush riding in the
squad cars that he traded in his teaching certificate for an NYPD
badge. "Where else would you want to be a cop but in New York
City?" says McGuire, who moved with his wife, Ramona, and their
children, Michael, 14, Stephen, 9, and Allainah, 2, to his native
Brooklyn.
Two months into his new job McGuire was in the middle of
integrity training at the police academy when he learned that a
plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. After the second
plane hit, the recruits were sent into the streets, and McGuire
spent the next 15 hours directing traffic. "It was hectic, but I
got through it," he says. "When people come up to you and say,
'Thank you and God bless you,' it makes it all worth it."
Last winter McGuire began practicing with New York's Finest and
quickly readjusted to life as a football player, scoring six
touchdowns while leading the Finest to a 6--0 record and the
National Public Safety Football League title in June. McGuire
hopes to eventually become a sergeant and work in an emergency
services unit, but for now he's looking forward to the upcoming
season this spring, when he'll be back in a familiar
position--defending a national title. --Andrea Woo
COLOR PHOTO: HEINZ KLUETMEIER (COVER) GALE FORCE McGuire led the Hurricanes in touchdowns in three of his four seasons.
COLOR PHOTO: CHUCK SOLOMON Passed over by the NFL and unfulfilled as a coach and teacher,McGuire joined New York City's police force 16 months ago.