Five years ago, if you had asked graduate student offensive lineman Quinn Murphy where he saw himself, his response would likely have painted a different picture compared to where he finds himself today. The walk-on was not highly recruited coming out of Duxbury High School in Massachusetts, receiving attention only from Ivy League schools and other lower-tier programs. While football was important to Murphy, academics were a much bigger priority.
Coming from an academic family, he always faced a higher standard at school. As a result, Murphy had his mind set on attending an Ivy League school to pursue his football dreams. This led to him committing to the well-esteemed institution in New Jersey, Princeton University. However, after a last-minute visit to Notre Dame and a preferred walk-on offer to the football team, Murphy decided to take his talents to South Bend.
“This opportunity came for a school that is right on par with the Ivies, with a better football program and with more history and culture in football," Murphy recalled. "Being from Boston, I grew up an Irish Catholic kid, so [Notre Dame] was kind of the perfect fit for me and what I wanted to pursue."
While Murphy has not seen the field much during his time at Notre Dame, he has still pushed himself significantly — athletically and especially academically. Murphy has embraced the academic rigor at Notre Dame and is extremely proud of his academic achievements. He received his undergraduate degree in finance last May and is currently pursuing a master's in business analytics.
“Academically, it is a grind here," Murphy said. "I am very proud of myself, finishing my undergrad in finance and getting into a master's program. Overall, academic achievement, that I have held a standard to myself, is my biggest memory here."
Murphy has taken advantage of the resources that Notre Dame has provided for him. All of the relationships he has built with other top athletes combined with being able to uphold his mother’s high academic standard have made his time at Notre Dame worthwhile and unforgettable. Murphy’s dedication to his education has provided him with a solid foundation for his future endeavors after football. For now though, he’s still in football mode, so he hasn’t completely narrowed down on what he wants to do with his future. After Notre Dame’s bowl game, he plans to hone in on his professional aspirations.
“As soon as the bowl game is over, I am going to start hammering into it pretty hard. I’d love to work in private equity [and] I always wanted to stay in the East Coast," Murphy said. "I don’t want to go back to Boston at the moment, but I would definitely love to end there. With a more analytics-based master's, it kind of has opened my horizons to different positions in finance.”
Balancing football and finance, Murphy deems late move to Notre Dame a success
Graduate student offensive lineman Quinn Murphy looks on from the sideline as Notre Dame prepares to take the field.
