Meet Your New Team Hero
Nevada Wolf Pack fans, meet your new starting kicker. His name is Joe McFadden, and he just might be the most interesting player to suit up in silver and blue this season.
McFadden isn’t your typical college transfer. Most guys come from other schools looking for more playing time or a better program. This guy? He came from a Wall Street office in Manhattan, where he was making good money working with commercial mortgage-backed securities.
“I was working in commercial mortgage-backed securities, so fun stuff,” McFadden said with a laugh. “Super exciting.”
The Wolf Pack coaching staff has nicknamed him “The Wolf of Wall Street” after that Leonardo DiCaprio movie. But unlike the character in that film, McFadden earned his money the honest way – through hard work and smart decisions.
From UConn to Wall Street to Reno
Here’s how we got our new kicker. McFadden played at UConn from 2021 to 2023. He started as a true freshman, which tells you something about his talent right there. But then he tore his ACL before his sophomore year.
Injuries happen in football. What matters is how you handle them. McFadden admits he probably came back too fast. His 2023 season didn’t go as planned. Instead of making excuses or transferring right away, he made a grown-up decision.
“I kind of made a decision after being in the portal for a little bit that I probably needed to go get a job and support myself financially,” he explained.
So he did what responsible young men do. He got a job. A good job. The kind that pays well and looks impressive on a resume.
Why Personal Initiative Still Works
But here’s where McFadden’s story gets really good for us Wolf Pack fans. After a year in New York, he realized something was missing. He wanted back in the game.
Did he call his old coaches begging for help? Did he hire an agent? Nope. He grabbed his phone and started making videos of himself kicking footballs against the RFK Bridge in Manhattan.
“The intention was to catch someone’s eye,” McFadden said. “I don’t really post a lot, so I was doing it for strictly recruiting purposes.”
That’s pure Nevada spirit right there. When you want something, you don’t wait around. You make it happen yourself.
Breaking in some fresh out of the box footballs from 50. pic.twitter.com/LCKrlqC3SM
— Joe (@joe_mcfad02) May 1, 2025
Nevada special teams coordinator Parker Henry saw that video on social media. “Shoutout Elon Musk,” Henry joked about finding McFadden on Twitter.
One phone call later, our coaching staff had found their guy. “We call him up and he was, like, ‘I’ll quit my job the next day,’ and he comes out to Reno, Nevada,” Henry said.
What This Means for Wolf Pack Fans
Let’s be honest. Our special teams cost us games last season. Kicking was a problem. The two guys who attempted kicks last year aren’t even on the roster anymore.
McFadden brings real experience. In 22 games at UConn, he made 19 of 30 field goals and 39 of 42 extra points. His accuracy was better before the injury, and he says he’s fully healthy now.
More importantly, he’s kicked in big games. “I’ve played at Clemson, played at Tennessee, so I’ve been in front of big crowds,” he said.
When the Wolf Pack takes the field at Penn State for the season opener, McFadden will be our starting kicker. That’s a huge game for our program, and we’ve got a guy who won’t be rattled by the moment.
The Character Question
Some people might think McFadden is crazy for leaving Wall Street money to play college football. But that’s missing the bigger picture.
This isn’t about a guy running away from responsibility. This is about someone who took care of business when he needed to, then had the courage to chase his dream when the opportunity came up.
McFadden said:
“It’s not super common that you get to go out on a Monday morning and feel excited and a little bit anxious about what you’re about to do. I never felt that working an office job to be quite honest.”
That’s the kind of passion you want on your team. Someone who chooses to be there because they love it, not because they have to be.
Welcome to Nevada
McFadden had never even visited Reno before committing to the Wolf Pack. Now he’s exploring Midtown and getting used to life in the biggest little city in the world.
“Just a little bit different,” he said with a smile when asked about the change from Manhattan. “There’s a couple more people in Manhattan, I think.”
But he’s embraced being part of the Nevada family. Head coach Jeff Choate said McFadden has “elevated tremendously” the specialist unit.
What’s Next
Critics might say McFadden is taking a big risk leaving his finance career. But Wall Street isn’t going anywhere. Football careers don’t last forever.
“Working an office job is something you can do for the rest of your life, but playing football is something that you have a very finite timeline on,” he explained.
That’s wisdom beyond his years. Sometimes the biggest risk is not taking any risks at all.
Wolf Pack fans should be excited about what McFadden brings to the team. Not just his leg strength, but his character. This is a guy who knows how to work hard, take responsibility, and make things happen.
When he lines up for his first field goal attempt in a Nevada uniform, remember his story. Remember that he chose to be here. Remember that he bet on himself and on our program.
That’s the kind of player who can help turn seasons around.
This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
