At a special news conference on Wednesday, Feb. 3, Upper Merion senior Tyler Zeoli signed a letter of intent to accept a football scholarship to the College of the Holy Cross.
Tyler Zeoli – College of the Holy Cross (Football)
Major: Undecided
Final list of colleges: Holy Cross, Lehigh, Johns Hopkins
Reasons for choosing Holy Cross: “On my official visit, I fell in love with the campus. The coaches were extremely nice and down to earth. I felt like I could hang out with the kids there, and I could become good friends with them. They just seemed like a tight-knit football team that I could see myself playing with.
“That’s pretty much what sold me on going to Holy Cross. I saw they were just a big family up there. Everyone is friends with each other, and they just hang out together.”
When did the idea of playing college football become a reality? “It was always a dream of mine to play when I was growing up. My brother played football, so I always wanted to show him I could play. After my freshman year, my coaches were telling me to keep up the hard work, stay grounded and keep plugging at it. That’s what I did. With help from my coaches, I definitely started figuring out my junior year that I really wanted to play college ball.”
How does it feel to know you’re going to be playing football at Holy Cross?
“It feels great because you feel like you accomplished something. The recruiting process is a great process because pretty much you’re the superstar for those few weeks when they’re buying you dinner and taking care of you. I went on an early visit to Lehigh and went to Holy cross afterwards. Once I got back from Holy Cross, for about four days, I couldn’t focus on school or anything. It was just –Lehigh, Holy Cross, Lehigh, Holy Cross. It was real tough.”
Upper Merion coach Joe Powel says: “Tyler’s a student of the game, and he studies his opponent real hard. He obviously has the physical tools, and he works real hard in the weight room. He’s a competitor. When he gets into a football game, he always wants to come out on top, and that drives him. I think that’s a motivating factor. He enjoys the game - he enjoys the mental aspect of it, and obviously, he enjoys the physical aspect of playing the game.
“For our younger kids, seeing this makes playing in college a reality. If you focus on football and set this as a goal, you can achieve something and get a scholarship and go on to college and play.
“I think Holy Cross will be a good fit for him. They play in an outstanding league. Hopefully, his first year he will get a taste of the field on special teams and helping wherever, but I think he will definitely grow into a position and enjoy it.”
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