Growing up in Rochester, UAlbany’s Seven McGee was the youngest with six older sisters. It’s how he got the unique first name.
“It wasn't that bad, honestly,” said McGee, a senior wide receiver for the Great Danes. “My sisters were kind of like my brothers growing up. So just being around them and just seeing how to treat a woman.”
But "Seven" can also represent the number of points he can help put up anytime he touches the football. That was evident in the 75-yard touchdown he had in the season opener against LIU and in the 32-yard score in the CAA opener against Maine.
“My time at UAlbany has been great,” said McGee, who currently leads the Great Danes with 36 catches for 472 yards and five touchdowns. “I really came to play for the coaches, the environment. Just being home in New York, it's fun, it’s good.”
While his sisters may have been like brothers to him, it's McGee’s father who got him into football.
“He just said 'You are going to play.’ I was trash to begin with. [I] played offensive line. I wasn't that good, but overall I just fell in love with the game,” he said.
Once McGee switched to skill positions, he became a star at a high school in California, where he played his freshman year, and then at East High in Rochester. His athletic abilities caught the eyes of Power Five coaches, including Oregon, where he played for two seasons.
“Growing up in New York, going over to the West Coast, and I understand the West Coast ball, and just being around Oregon, seeing the nature and the environment, was just cool,” McGee said.
McGee later transferred to Jackson State for a season before ending up at UAlbany. It was a big pickup for the Great Danes after losing their leading receivers from last year to the NFL draft.
“It didn't take long. I mean it probably was like watching him run air routes was enough for us,” said Greg Gattuso, UAlbany’s head coach. “But he's very talented. And the big thing about this receiving corps is once we can get going a little bit, they're capable of great things.”
And that is what McGee is focused on in his senior year: Helping the team win the conference and get back to the NCAA FCS playoffs. It’s a football journey that has taken him coast to coast, but one he hopes will lead to the NFL one day.
“That's my dream, and I feel like I work very hard to get there,” McGee said. “So we just keep stacking days and being consistent. And the work ethic will always get me there.”