When he played for the Father Judge High School football team, Mike McCloskey always dreamed of one day suiting up with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Eight years later, he got his wish.
McCloskey’s time with the Birds may have been brief — he was an Eagle for only one season — but he looks back on that experience in 1987 as the time of his life.
"It was such a thrill!" said McCloskey. "Having grown up watching the Eagles and cheering for them as a child, it was amazing. I wish I could have been there longer, but it didn’t work out that way. But the short time I was there was great."
Long before be broke into professional football, McCloskey, who grew up in Mayfair, got his start with the Father Judge Crusaders. He played for four seasons, graduating in 1979.
"I think it was terrific in that I had the good fortune to play for some very good coaches," said McCloskey. "At Judge, (John) Whitey Sullivan was clearly one of most successful coaches in Catholic League history. He’s a great guy who taught me very well."
McCloskey then headed to Penn State University, where the good times kept rolling.
During the 1982-83 season, the Nittany Lions went 11-1, defeating Georgia in the Sugar Bowl and claiming the first national championship in school history.
"Football is such a team game, so being a contributor to that was amazing," said McCloskey, who graduated from Penn State in 1983 with a degree in labor relations. "All the things that have to break your way to work out . . . I was very proud of us as a group."
That storybook season enabled some of the Nittany Lions to move on to a new chapter in pro football. Some made it to the big time, others didn’t stick. But for McCloskey it was the beginning of something great.
"We had a number of guys who thought they’d be drafted," said McCloskey. "There was a lot of great anticipation. It’s really an interesting time when you’re sitting there one day not sure where you’re going to wind up. It’s very nerve-racking, but exciting."
Then, in May 1983, it happened.
McCloskey was a fourth-round draft pick and signed with the Houston Oilers.
"That was such a terrific feeling," he said. "I was so excited. I was feeling all the things a twenty-two-year-old would experience as the next stage of his life is coming upon him. It was a tremendous opportunity."
Over the next three seasons, McCloskey, a tight end, caught 29 passes for 318 yards and three touchdowns with the Oilers. He left his Philadelphia home and moved to Texas, where he lived for four years.
"Being in a new part of the country, and living in Texas and having a chance to play professionally was terrific," he said. "I liked Texas, and I enjoyed living there, but I’d always come home in the offseason. I was homesick sometimes, but I enjoyed my time down there."
In 1987, McCloskey returned to Philly after being traded to the Eagles. His cameo was brief, though, and the next year he called it quits.
"I did go to camp with the Colts in 1988, but I had pretty much already decided I didn’t want to play anymore," said McCloskey, whose pro career lasted five years. "It was clear to me that my career wasn’t going to last much longer, if at all. I realized it was time to get on with my life. It wasn’t that difficult of a decision, to be honest. I knew it was time.
"I’ve had some wonderful coaches and teammates over the years," he continued. "Judge and Penn State prepared me for professional football, and more than just that, they prepare you for life lessons. It doesn’t just carry over on the football field, it carries more in life. It was an incredible fortune to play."
These days McCloskey is a family man, living in the Lower Gwynedd section of Montgomery County with his wife Michelle and three children, Kiernan, 13, Megan, 12, and Kyle, 9.
"I’ve coached all three of my kids in basketball. As far as football goes, my son hasn’t decided if he’s going to play yet, so we’ll see," he said with a chuckle.
McCloskey now makes his living as a founding partner with Chartwell Investment Partners in Berwyn, Pa., where he handles traditional and private asset management. He’s been in the business for more than 20 years now, and started his firm in 1997.
Although his professional football career is a memory, McCloskey is still very much involved in the game — but strictly as a fan.
"I love playing football and I still love to watch it," he said. "I watch the pros, but I’m more of a college football fan. I enjoy everything that goes into it.
"I think it’s the ultimate team game," he explained. "So many individuals have to make sacrifices. I think all of those things are what makes it so great. Everything that’s around football keeps me interested." ••
Sports editor Melissa Yerkov can be reached at 215-354-3035 or myerkov@phillynews.com