Matthew Ruggiero '21 Recruiting Profile

            Eight years ago, I decided to step on to a football field for the first time and one of the things I remember most vividly was the support of my parents. My parents have been a key factor in my life and contribute highly to the man I am today. The countless times we have went back and forth from school to the field, have never gone unnoticed and to this day I believe their commitment drives me to be the player I am. There are many ways people can fall in love with a sport. Every day, I would be outside playing catch with my dad and watching the NFL games on Sunday’s. I consider this one of the biggest reasons why I became interested in football. I was always active before, but trying something new like this combined with the adrenaline rush from the sport was something to me that is indescribable. I have learned many things about the sport of football itself, but I have also learned many valuable life lessons. The aspect of team work is one that sticks out to me the most. I believe being able to work as a group is one of the most challenging things to do but if mastered, it will provide you with an advantage in the workforce one day as well. 

            My biggest academic goal moving forward into my last few semesters of high school would most likely be to raise my grades. For a lack of better terms, I realize that what I have now is not where I need to be and that needs to change as soon as possible. Within achieving this goal, I will also learn key skills that will help me succeed in college. Being able to succeed in college is very difficult and I am aware that it will not come easy, but I am prepared to start facing that challenge one step at a time, starting now in high school. One characteristic about me is that I’m very ambitious and I believe that will play a major role in helping me reach my end goal. I have always been enthusiastic about moving forward and I cannot wait to find out what the future holds.