Scott Mutryn has seen it all.
After he was a top quarterback recruit out of Saint Ignatius High School in Cleveland Ohio, Mutryn beat out Matt Hasselback for the starting job at Boston College at the start of the 1996 season. He was also the starter in his final collegiate season in 1998 before spending time with the New England Patriots in the 1999 offseason.
Now a color analyst for BC football and an advisor at Bernstein Wealth Management, his sons Teddy and Casey Mutryn (Norwell Mass.) have been prep hockey standouts at St. Sebastian's the last few seasons. Teddy is a Boston College commit, while Casey made the U.S. National Team Development Program last month.
Mutryn joined New England Hockey Journal editor Evan Marinofsky and writer Patrick Donnelly on the latest RinkWise podcast to discuss the intersection of football and hockey, choosing the right path for his kids and more.
RinkWise podcast: Scott Mutryn
His best advice for parents
Mutryn: "Teddy's committed to Boston College, but he still has a lot to prove before he even walks onto that campus. He knows that he's got a lot to do. Casey has a lot to do. This is just a step, and each step you move up gets harder and harder, and you watch it. So, don't get caught up in the next step. Enjoy the one you're in, and enjoy the moment with your kids because it goes by in the blink of an eye. And as much as I'd want it back, I'm really happy for them. Everyone drops the old, 'You must be proud of them.' I'm proud of them for being great kids. I'm proud of them for doing well in school. I'm never going to base my pride on their success and what they do on an athletic field. ... Enjoy those moments. When you go to the tournaments, enjoy the camaraderie of the parents. I mean, I had fun at every tournament. ... You just had the best times ever. Tthose are the moments these kids will remember. They're not going to remember a random December game that they played up at Seacoast. They'll remember the relationships, the time, the lessons. Those are the things that stay with you and enjoy them being kids for as long as you can. Like I said, it does end pretty quickly."
The intersection of football and hockey
Mutryn: "It's funny, as I talked with Rob [Chudzinski] and Chris [Snee], we're outsiders in the hockey community. Like there are some nuances to the hockey community that I still, in talking to people, I don't understand. ... I think some of the guys, still play football, but I think they like the physicality of hockey. I think they like the complexities of it, to be able to skate and play physical and yet have some skill to it. Like there's a lot that goes with it. It's also part of, like I said, it's the environment. ... The competitive nature of hockey is just, it's second to none. I've fallen in love with it."
