When he is having bad day or needs an escape from his busy athletic schedule, Moravian College Jimmy McCarthy has a simple solution - he watches a movie.

"Ever since I was little, I have always watched movies," said the former Liberty High standout. "I remember watching movies with my dad (John). If I'm having a bad day or need to get away from sports, I simply put in a movie.

"I really love movies and I'm a big movie guy."

McCarthy has a wide range of movie favorites ranging from "Gladiator" to "Shrek." He can literally watch any kind of movie at any given time.

When he isn't watching a movie, the sophomore is mercurially becoming a rising star on the field. He recently ended the regular season and finished second on team with 36 receptions with four touchdowns.

McCarthy also broke the school record with 31 kickoff returns for 629 yards. His best kickoff return this season was 43 yards against Ithaca College and he had a school-tying record seven kickoff returns against Ursinus College and Johns Hopkins University.

Last season, McCarthy made a major splash on the scene when he caught 39 passes for 505 yards and a touchdown. He was named the Centennial Conference Rookie of the Year.

So far, life at the nearby college campus has been good.

"Everything has gone pretty well," said McCarthy recently. "Our record (2-8) wasn't as good as I thought it would be. But everyone on this team really works well together. Everyone has really come together and we're looking forward to keeping this going."

McCarthy believes the team's offense will continue to improve. Some major changes this season allowed McCarthy to open up his game. He credited working out with quarterback Robbie Moyer during the spring and early summer as a major checkmark to his success this fall.

"I worked with (Moyer) basically on my routes and our timing together," stated McCarthy. "It was a matter of running different patterns to see which ones would work best. Once the season started, we had a better understanding of each other and what we could do on the field."

"We had made some changes and I expected some good things for me. At the beginning of the year, things were slow for us, but then things started to change during the middle of the season.

"Our running game improved and it really opened up the passing game for us."

Head coach Jeff Pukszyn has appreciated his player's growth.

"(McCarthy) has done a nice job for us," said Pukszyn. "He (McCarthy) worked hard during the summer and everything paid off for him. He has the potential to become more of a solid receiver for us the next two seasons."

With a solid start over the past two years, McCarthy hasn't had any doubts about his decision to attend Moravian. His ability to play baseball at the local college enhanced his choice to stay close to home.

A business management major, McCarthy has relished the entire picture.

"It has been good here with both (athletic) programs and the education I am receiving is solid," said McCarthy. "I have had two good years with football and now looking forward to baseball."

With a promising future ahead, McCarthy could soon be watching a movie about his own accomplishments.