Thomas Mastrangelo

*Thomas at the NFL Headquarters

In February Senior Thomas Mastrangelo was selected to travel to New York City and visit the National Football League (NFL) headquarters.  This is an exciting experience that not many can say they have had.  In order to learn more about this once-in-a-lifetime visit The Quill sat down with Thomas to learn about what lead to this visit. 

When did you start playing football?

I started playing in 7th grade (2018)

What made you decide to play football?

Watching football with my dad and playing pick-up with my friends

What position do you play?

          I currently play both Center as well as Defensive End. 

Are you continuing your athletic career in college?

I am not going to be playing at the collegiate level, however I would like to join a club team in college to remain active and maintain my level of physicality. 

What are your future plans?

I will be attending college at SUNY Maritime for Marine Operations. This is the business side of the merchant marine industry. I have hopes of becoming a captain and traveling around the world to meet different types of people.

What did you feel when you found out you were selected for this visit?

I was excited to meet the speakers and hear about the impact athletics had on them.

Why did you get selected to attend the NFL headquarters in NYC?

I was nominated as a Scholar Athlete by the National Football Association. I had the highest GPA out of all of the seniors on the Mattituck-Southold-Greenport football team this past fall.

What did you get to do while you were at the headquarters?

I got to listen to presentations from previous college and professional athletes, on how being an athlete assisted them in their future careers.

Did you meet any famous athletes or recognizable players?

All of the people there were collegiate athletes, and one of them previously played for the Saints. The NFL player mentioned that his upbringing and motivation as a student athlete gave him the fuel he needed to make it out of his hometown and bring his talents to the collegiate and professional level of play.

What was your biggest takeaway from this experience?

Be determined and always have a hardworking mentally in anything you do.