Some people might have questioned Marcelino McCrary-Ball's prospects for sticking with the Jets on the team's initial 53-man roster after the first preseason game at Green Bay in early August. But he proved throughout his preparation for this 2025 NFL season that there's more to him than any single play.

McCrary-Ball, a linebacker and special teams ace who was competing for a roster spot and playing time, committed a first-quarter, 15-yard penalty for unnecessary roughness after he hit the Packers' TD Luke Musgrave out of bounds. When he arrived on the sideline, HC Aaron Glenn did not mince words as he gave an earful to the 26-year-old hopeful while the TV camera caught the interaction for all to see.

"The only thing that wasn't our brand is the amount of penalties that we had," Glenn said of the penalty after the game. "Some of those penalties were undisciplined penalties. We've got to clean those up."

Whatever Glenn's exact words were, here we are only days away from the regular-season opener against the visiting Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at MetLife Stadium and McCrary-Ball made his debut during the Jets' virtual press conference on Labor Day -- as one of the team's six captains. And whatever Glenn said back in Green Bay, privately and in his public comments, seemed to have resonated with McCrary-Ball because there he is on the roster, having overcome the competition for a precious spot.

Looking back on what he called a "bonehead play," McCrary-Ball laughed when he was asked about it.

"I mean, I'll just say it like this ... I didn't know I was that far out of bounds," he said, smiling. "I made a bonehead play. I took it on the chin. It was on me. In situations like that, I know I was wrong. I didn't take it to heart. You're wrong, now let's move on to the next play. So that's my mindset when it comes to making mistakes. Just next play, bro. And I'll show you the following play who I really am."

In his time with the Jets, on the practice squad and special teams, McCrary-Ball has shown his teammates who he really is, which led his peers to electing him as the captain of coordinator Chris Banjo's special teams. He appeared in three plays at linebacker in his two seasons (14 games) with the Green & White, but he's made an unmistakable impact.

"If you've been in this building, you know what type of guy Marcelino is from the day he got here," fellow LB and team captain Jamien Sherwood said. "He's had adversity as well. And you know, I put my arm around him, we've been locked in since then. But the way he practices, his approach. He's a great father, he's a great teammate, he's a great person all around. So I wasn't shocked for him to be a captain. I'm super excited for him. I do feel like he's going to get an opportunity this year at some point. But no matter what, he's well deserving of that award. And again, I'm happy for him."

Sherwood added: "Marcelino ... how physical he is, how much he prepares, how much he loves this game. I feel like a great football player is somebody who shows it day in and day out. Training camp can get long, get grimy. The season is super long. ... He's the same person every day. He smiles, he plays music, he jokes around, same thing that I do. But it's like a sense of urgency from him. He never takes a day off. He's full speed. He runs to the ball every day. He's physical at the point of attack. He's just a great teammate to have. I'm glad he's on my team."

McCrary-Ball (6-0, 214) entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent who initially signed with the San Francisco 49ers in 2022. He was signed to the Jets' practice squad in August 2023 and spent time on the active roster in 2023 and '24. He became a special teams regular last season in 12 games, taking 200 snaps with 7 coverage tackles, tied for second-most on the Jets.

"The journey is still ongoing, so I'm not done yet, not even close," he said. "So to be named [a] captain, recognized by my peers, and see that they believe me 100 percent to lead the special teams, I mean, it's an honor, for sure. It's definitely an honor."

He added: "I feel like my attitude, the energy I bring. I feel like, whether I'm here for two years, whether I'm playing two games, I feel like the energy I bring, it's recognized."