Before Brad McClaren, a former quarterback for Starr's Mill High School, ever picked up a football, he was an elite gymnast. Though he was at the helm of the Panther team that has gone the furthest in the state playoffs, football is no longer a large part of his life and he is once again involved in gymnastics. This time as a coach of the girls teams, levels 6-10, at Gym City Gymnastics in Peachtree City.

At the age of 12, McClaren was a member of the Junior National team. His specialty was the horizontal bar and he won a national title once and a regional title twice. His family moved to Georgia when he was 13 and McClaren began to get involved with other sports. While he played basketball and baseball and ran track in his senior year, football was where he truly shined. In his senior season at Starr's Mill, the Panthers were region champions and made the state semi-finals at the Georgia Dome. It is a season that McClaren calls his best experience.

After graduation, McClaren went to the Air Force Academy but soon returned, feeling that it was not for him. He returned to Georgia to attend Georgia State University, where he is majoring in physical therapy. His return also led him