Football
Favorite athlete: Jalen Hurts
Favorite team: Philadelphia Eagles
Favorite memory competing in sports: My favorite memory in sports was when we beat North Penn earlier this season for the first time since ‘79.
Most embarrassing/funniest thing that has happened while competing in sports: My five-yard punt against Souderton in our home playoff game during my sophomore season.
Music on playlist: Zach Bryan and Kanye West
Future plans: Continue playing football at a college or university and study to become a Physical Therapist.
Words to live by: “Enjoy the little things in life because they don’t last long.”
One goal before turning 30: Visit every NFL stadium
One thing people don’t know about me: I can cook
By GORDON GLANTZ
Calling Central Casting.
Needed is the quintessential high school quarterback to play the part of the All-American boy.
Enter Quakertown senior Vince Micucci, an all-league signal caller/punter and captain.
“He is like that Friday Night Lights TV Show quarterback,” confirmed longtime Quakertown coach George Banas. “He has that whole package.”
This package includes a GPA in the neighborhood of 3.9 and volunteer work with Best Buddies, National Honor Society and at local elementary schools.
And it includes textbook leadership skills, whether in the huddle during games or on the practice field or locker room or weight room.
“You knew when he wasn’t at a workout because it was quiet,” said Banas. “When he would step into the weight room or into the gym or the turf for speed camp, everybody knew he was there. He is kind of larger than life, and it was a positive thing, as far as him being vocal and out in front and always leading by example and motivating his teammates.”
For Miccucci, who grew up through the Quakertown program while serving as a water boy and then as a ball boy on the sidelines starting in middle school, it was just a matter of realizing his role and taking it seriously.
“I was voted captain my junior year,” he explained. “With the majority of the other captains being seniors, and with them leaving, I knew I was definitely going to be on me to lead the team in the best way that I could. It wasn’t just me, but I definitely had a sense that I’d be relied on a little bit to lead the guys as much as I could.”
As for making the workouts more upbeat, Micucci credited his coaches for giving him space.
“They let me be myself in the locker room,” he said. “I’m a very energetic guy. They know I’m going to be loud and vocal, even when it’s not always the best of times, but they still let me express all of the emotions.
“I’m going to miss playing for them.”
Major Strides
As a junior, his first year under center, Micucci threw for an admirable 1,271 yards and 13 touchdown passes while running for around 400 yards and another 4 touchdowns.
The team was an uneven 6-6.
With a resolve to improve, he returned this past season to throw for more than 1,700 yards, placing him second all-time for yards in a season and first for attempts (214), while completing 123 pass and 16 for touchdowns.
A dual threat quarterback, he also ran for close to 400 yards and another 7 touchdowns.
It didn’t happen by sheer happenstance as Micucci put in the time to get better.
“The season ended last year on Thanksgiving against Pennridge,” he explained. “We had December off. In January, we started back up. We were out on the field, throwing it around twice a week. We were in the weight room a lot.
“I was with a quarterback trainer named Matt McGovern. I started working out with him from January until the end of June. It was two or three times per week, working out together.”
While he wouldn’t be so bold as to compare himself to his favorite player, Jalen Hurts, Micucci sees him as a role model.
“The way that he approaches the game is second to none,” said Micucci. “It’s special to see, as a younger player, or for the football world in general. Even after a tough game – after a loss or a mistake – you never see him put his head down. He is a pretty levelheaded guy. It’s pretty inspiring for a player like me to watch a leader like that, especially with him being from my favorite team.”
It is important to note, however, that Micucci’s impact –as is the case with Hurts -- went way beyond raw statistics.
“He was, essentially, our heart and soul this year – as far as being an emotional leader, a physical leader and as far coming to work all the time and being there,” said Banas. “He was totally inclusive of everybody – every player, grades 10 through 12, he was always asking them how they were doing and would notice them if they were having a bad day and talked to them.
“It’s crazy. I knew his parents growing up. Everybody said, ‘You’ve got to watch this kid.’ He was a ball boy, all the way up through middle school. He was just such a personable kid, and you got to know him so well.”
Feeling Satisfied
The Panthers had a rigorous early schedule this past season, but they still made the district playoffs and finished up at 7-5.
While it was only an improvement of one game in the won-loss column, it just felt better.
“With the team, I thought we had a major improvement from last season,” said Micucci. “Last year, we had a tough stretch from Week 2 to Week 4, North Penn through to PW. We got blown out by like 40 points every game. This year, I wouldn’t say I was 100 percent satisfied. There a couple of games that got away from us – like the Council Rock South game that got away at the end – but I was definitely proud of the team. We competed with everyone. It didn’t matter what the other team’s record was, we always put up a good fight.”
Although he is own worst critic, Micucci also feels a sense of satisfaction about the leap he made.
“Personally, I think improved a decent amount,” he said. “It definitely helped being a second-year player at the position. Last year, it was my first year starting for varsity at the position. It helped out having another year under my belt. I also had great players around me, so that made it easy for me to improve myself.
“It was just a matter of building more chemistry with the guys and also watching old film to see what I had to improve on. After the season was over, I had a better understanding of where certain balls needed to be placed and my mechanics and my footwork.”
Triumph from Tragedy
The highlight of the season for Micucci was playing a major role when the Panthers beat North Penn for the first time since … 1979.
But the moment was bittersweet, as his longtime dog -- 11-year-old Boxer/German Shepherd mix Maclin (named for former Eagles’ receiver Jeremy Maclin) -- suddenly passed away with game day looming.
“It was a cool moment to be on the team,” said Micucci. “Some of my buddies knew about it. I got a little emotional myself, throughout moments of the game. For them to try and pick me up and be my second family, it was really a special night.
“It was weird. During school, it was pretty much all I thought about. Before the game, I knew I had to bring it all in and focus on the task at hand. I knew I couldn’t let my emotions get the best of me. I didn’t want to hurt the team in any way.”
When the clock hit all zeroes, the reality of the moment all set in.
“It was pretty emotional,” said Micucci. “Last year, they came to our home field and took it to us. We didn’t put up much of a fight. We definitely had a chip on our shoulder, especially after losing to Southern Lehigh in Week 1. We knew we had to prove something. It was pretty awesome.”
As excited as he was by the historic victory, Banas was inspired by the effort of his quarterback.
“He kept it secret, but you could tell something was weighing on him,” said Banas. “Then, he went out and had a phenomenal night against North Penn. It could have been a ‘Look at me’ type of situation, but it wasn’t. I think that says a lot about a kid. He kept it to himself and used it as motivation for that night, and played his heart out.”
There was more adversity for Micucci this season, Banas explained, but he refused to use it as an excuse.
“He didn’t play with the same offensive line in front of him until Week 9 and 10,” said the coach. “There were that many injuries. It was crazy. For him to do what he did this year, with that many injuries and a new offensive line nine out of 10 weeks, is pretty impressive.”
The Little Things
The tragedy with his longtime pet and friend Maclin helped to shape an outlook on life that Micucci wished he developed sooner.
“He went from being completely fine to being up in heaven,” said Micucci. “It all happened in the blink of an eye. It reminded me to appreciate the little things, the little moments, because you never know when it’ll all be gone. It happened quick, but it really helped me to enjoy the rest of my senior season.”
Suddenly, what all began with him as a kid on the sidelines and then two years as starting quarterback was in the rearview mirror.
All Micucci can do now is learn from it.
“I have tried to live by that as much as I can,” he said. “It is a shame to say it, but it has hit me more now with it being my senior year and the season is over. Life really does fly by. There’s the little chapters in your life.
“One of the bigger chapters was playing football for this team. I grew up with this; trying to enjoy every day and every practice. Even the team meals, just bonding with the guys, I’m definitely going to miss it. It went by so much faster than I thought. It feels like it was just yesterday that we were in August. The first team dinner before Southern Lehigh feels like just yesterday. It’s the little things, even though it was only an hour and a half, but it really sticks with me. I try to live by that more and more.”
Looking Ahead
Fortunately, for Micucci, the story does not end here.
There will be more little moments to treasure.
He fully intends to play football at the next level while studying to become a physical therapist.
“It’s going well, and I got a decent jump on it,” he said. “Last fall, I started taking some visits. I got invited to different schools. It’s dwindled down a lot. One of the main schools I’m talking is Lehigh, as well as Ithaca College. I’m also talking to Shippensburg University, and East Stroudsburg just came into the picture, too. I’ve gotten a little bit of a second wave of schools since the season ended.”
Micucci is 6-2, which is fine for a quarterback (Hurts is 6-1). He started the season at around 200 pounds but fell to about 195. He plans to now use a combination of lifting four days a week and loading up on 4,500 to 5,000 calories per week to get to around 215.
While he would be viable as a college quarterback, he would listen to alternatives and be recruited as an “athlete” (receiver, defensive back, etc.)
“My first goal is go to the next level to play football,” he said. “I just want to have the opportunity to get on the field and play somewhere. If that means playing quarterback – and I would love to, just because I feel like I have been growing with the position, but I’m open to switching. I just want to get on the field somewhere.”
As for going into PT, the choice was a fairly easy one.
“There are two paths in my family,” he said. “Either you’re a teacher or you’re in health care. I didn’t really have any interest in being a teacher. My father has dedicated his whole life to health care. He has been in the medical field for as long as I can remember. I wanted to stay around sports for as much as I can, and I thought physical therapy would be a good way of doing that.”
Speaking of which, he wanted thank his parents, Keith and Christy for their love and support.
“They were always taking me to sporting events, and providing me with equipment to make sure I stayed protected,” he said. “Secondly, the coaching staff. I was a ball boy in fifth grade, so I have been around them for a while now. They have really helped me to grow into a better man and better player.”
Micucci, who overcame some small wrist fractures earlier in his career, also wanted to give a nod to the training staff at Quakertown.
He felt a need to be on the field, despite the injuries, because he felt a deep obligation to the community.
“It’s a great place to play,” he said. “It’s been a blast, these past two seasons, especially starting at quarterback for them. Alumni Field will always hold a special place in my heart, so I just want to give a special thank you to the Quakertown community.
“Those are the people I’d thank the most, as well as God for blessing me with the opportunity to go out on the field and to keep me healthy as well. I battled some injuries throughout my career, but nothing real serious, like torn ACLs or anything. To be able to go out on the field and still compete is a true blessing.”
