Last Updated: Tue Jan 03, 2023 - 2:00AM
It didn’t take much time for Franklin Regional’s Nate Chiarizio to make his decision as to where he wanted to spend the next four years playing football. The Panthers tight end wanted to make sure that the school he chose would be the perfect fit for him, both athletically and academically.
He was able to find just the place to continue his career, and it wasn’t too far away from home. Chiarizio made the decision to commit to Duquesne University, a school for which he has dreamed of playing since the FCS school started recruiting him back in the spring.
“I’d been talking to the coaches since April and it’s just been constant with them,” Chiarizio noted of the attention Duquesne gave him as a recruit. “I’ve always been like if they offer me, I’d really consider going there, and it was one of those things where it was the right fit for me.”
The soon-to-be business major will be studying to become a lawyer, but he’s unsure of what law he wants to practice.
What Chiarizio isn’t unsure of is that he’s excited for a change of scenery, but also a new football team to call family.
However, Chiarizio hasn’t always been a standout in football, as he started his sports career on different playing surfaces.
“I wanted to try something new. I had played basketball and baseball prior to that, but a bunch of my friends played football and I wanted to give it a shot,” he mentioned about what drew him to the gridiron.
Chiarizio picked up the sport at the tail end of his eighth-grade days as he was getting ready to head off into high school. Fast forward to the offseason in between his sophomore and junior years of high school, and Chiarizio knew he had made the right decision to play football.
“I realized that hey I can make a career out of this and (have) part of my education paid for,” the future Duke added. “It was right there that I realized that this could be my future if I start working at it.”
As he gets ready to embark on his new journey at Duquesne, there are many things that Chiarizio has cherished as part of the football team at Franklin Regional.
“I’m going to take away a lot of the relationships that I’ve built over the years with the coaches and kids,” Chiarizio mentioned. “I’m also going to take away the work ethic that I had to have.”
Chiarizio is ready to apply what he’s learned at Franklin Regional at Duquesne when he arrives on campus this summer. However, it’s not just football that excites him, but other aspects of college life he’ll be able to experience next year.
“I’m most excited for the experiences and also the relationships, and where I personally go after that in my career.”