Upper Dublin seniors Logan Heim, Ryan Jamison, Aman Orlena and Mike Slivka were recognized for committing to play collegiate football. Photos provided courtesy of Geanine Jamison.
Logan Heim – Lebanon Valley College (Football)
Major: Athletic Training
Final list of colleges: Lebanon Valley, Gettysburg, Misericordia
Reasons for choosing Lebanon Valley: “They have my major – they were really good for my major, and I can get my master’s in five years. I also really like the defensive coordinator.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in football at the collegiate level? “I have been talking to schools since my junior summer, but I was actually considering not playing all the way up until January when I decided I knew I wanted to play.”
Coach Bret Stover says: “Logan was an inside linebacker for us, and he’s going to Lebanon Valley. Logan was the captain on defense, and he made all the calls. I know Lebanon Valley likes him because he’s disciplined. He doesn’t just run to make plays, he runs for a purpose to make plays, which is one of the things the coach liked about him and Ryan (Jamison). They get that from Dave (Sowers) and Eric Taylor, our two coaches on defense.”
About Logan:
Favorite food: Mom’s Spaghetti
Favorite movie: Toy Story
Favorite music: Hip Hop
Ryan Jamison – Lebanon Valley College (Football)
Major: Actuarial Science
Final list of colleges: Lebanon Valley, Penn State, Maryland, Temple, West Chester, South Carolina
Reasons for choosing Lebanon Valley: “Most of the schools I was looking at weren’t for football. I could have played football at a couple of other smaller D3 schools, but I chose Lebanon Valley because the actuarial program is really good. I actually got sold on it when they recruited me. Also, Logan (Heim) is going there, so it made the decision a lot easier just knowing I’d be with someone I knew.”
What was the progression that led you to playing football at the collegiate level? “I thought Lebanon Valley just wanted me to come for a visit, but at the end of the visit, they said, ‘We’d love it if you’d come and play here.’ I didn’t expect to hear that. I wasn’t totally sure I was going to play coming out of high school, but I love to play so much – it’s hard to stop.”
Coach Bret Stover says: “Ryan was also an inside linebacker. He’s one of those throwback football players that brings his lunch pail and loves contact. He’s a student of the game – he knows the game inside out, and he uses that to his advantage. I’m excited to see him play. He’s going to get in the weight room, and he and Logan both are going to put some good quality weight on and just to watch them go.”
About Ryan:
Favorite food: Chicken Fingers
Favorite movie: Star Wars movies
Favorite music: Classic Rock
Aman Orlena – Delaware State University (Football)
Major: Nursing
Final list of colleges: Delaware State, West Chester, CalU
Reasons for choosing Delaware State: “The full scholarship and I really liked the family vibe. Plus it’s HBCU (Historically Black Colleges & Universities), and I really wanted to go to a HBCU.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in football at the collegiate level? “I really didn’t know my potential until the end of my junior year, and after that, I got in the weight room, grinded. Offers came, and that’s what happened.”
Coach Bret Stover says: “Aman is an offensive tackle, and he’s got a full scholarship to Delaware State. He had a beast of a year for us. It was a show-me year for him because he has the physical size, but he had to have the year he had to get the offer he got, and he did. He was just burying people. I just remember the Wissahickon game – he had the poor guy (he was blocking) at my feet four times. He just drove him out of bounds. He finished blocks, and we ran behind him - whenever we needed anything important, he was our guy.”
About Aman:
Favorite food: Pizza
Favorite movie: Barbie in the Nutcracker
Favorite TV show: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Favorite music: NBA YoungBoy
Mike Slivka – Colgate University (Football)
Major: Undecided
Final list of colleges: Colgate, Lafayette
Reasons for choosing Colgate: “Throughout my injury, they stuck with me the whole time. I went up there for camp, met all the coaches. They made it feel like home. Even though it’s far away, I think I’ll feel comfortable up there just with the environment. After I committed, they’re still on me, making sure I’m okay with everything.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in football at the collegiate level? “It was my goal coming into high school. My junior year it was all these coaches coming in, so I went to camps. I was pretty much on everyone’s schedule. They said – ‘Play your first three games, and we’ll see where you are,’ and the third game I tear my ACL. Obviously, you’re going to take the kid with the ACL last, so I just had to be patient up until Feburary.”
Coach Bret Stover says: “Mike is going to Colgate, and he’s going to play defense. I’m still a little surprised that no one took a flier on him offensively. He was seriously like having another offensive coach on the field – the way he put us in the proper plays. I still remember the audible he made against West Chester Rustin to win the district championship – on third-and-10 from our one-and-a-half yard line, he called a slant and throws a perfect pass, and we don’t have to run another play. The mind that he has offensively is going to help him defensively, so I’m excited to be able to watch his career. He was our safety, and he was our quarterback on defense also. He put guys in the right spots in the secondary. He made suggestions to coach (Dave) Sowers on coverages and stunts and things like that. He’s that kid who wants to be in the mix, which is what Colgate saw in him. He loves contact, he’s an adrenalin guy - everyone will feed off of him, and he’s a playmaker. He’s in the right spot. In the pass game after playing quarterback, he’s able to read the quarterback’s eyes and recognize where the ball’s going.”
About Mike:
Favorite food: Wings from Fireside
Favorite TV show: Stranger Things
Favorite music: Everything
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