Christian Valerio '17 Recruiting Profile

    Football has been a huge part of influencing who I am. Through football I've become disciplined and hardworking. I first wanted to play football in 3rd grade, but I didn't get the chance that year because my mother couldn't afford it. However, the next year she found a league that was cheaper and I was able to play. In my first game playing I played quarterback. We had to play against an older team for some reason. I was getting beat up the whole game, and one play a kid jumped over my offensive line and laid a huge hit on me. I hurt my shoulder and went off the field and told my mother I wanted to quit, but she told me, "You can't quit and let your whole team down. You signed up for this and you have to finish". So I did what she told me and went back in and ended up running one for a touchdown. After that I fell in love with the game. 

    It wasn't always easy for me though. After my freshman year in high school, I moved in with my dad in New York and had to leave Florida. I played football my whole life in Florida with the same kids, and it was difficult to integrate into a new program. I wasn't able to play my sophomore year and it was hard for me. But my junior year I played and was made captain on the varsity team and started at cornerback and was the second string running back. It wasn't a good season, we went 1-9, but I grew close with all the players on my team and learned a lot from the experience. Now in my senior year we have a chance to go to the playoffs, I'm still a captain, and I am starting both ways now at cornerback and running back. I believe I have strong leadership skills, and I think I am a very athletic player. Football has pushed me to keep my grades up and now I'm on track to graduate high school with an advanced regents diploma. I hope to be able to play football at the next level and continue my education at a good school.