Billy McCaffrey was born May 30, 1971, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley — a region of steel towns, Catholic parishes, and Friday night lights. His older brother, Ed McCaffrey, was a standout wide receiver at Allentown Central Catholic High School who would play at Stanford and win three Super Bowls in the NFL with the Giants, 49ers, and Broncos. The McCaffrey family produced elite athletes the way the Lehigh Valley produced steel: with heat, pressure, and inherited toughness.
Billy followed Ed to Allentown Central Catholic, but his sport was basketball. Senior year: Pennsylvania Player of the Year, Parade All-American, McDonald’s All-American. He scored 2,051 career points and led Central Catholic to four consecutive District 11 titles. Eddie Fogler at Vanderbilt tried to recruit him. So did Coach K. Billy chose Duke.