A Scholarship Surprise For One Albany Football Player

Tuesday morning was media training with yours truly giving the presentation to the University at Albany football team. 100 players packed into the academic center, where the team generally holds training camp team meetings. The UAlbany Great Danes are preparing to take on 10th-ranked Baylor on September 3rd, so information had to be quick and to the point. Plus, one Great Danes player was about to learn that he earned something incredibly special.

Sophomore linebacker Dylan Kelly is from Amhurst, New York out by Buffalo. Dylan was purposely selected to get up in front of the team with two other players, while I asked them hypothetical questions that they could be faced with some day by the media. In the second round of mock-questioning, I asked Dylan how it felt when he found out that he received a scholarship. Dylan answered with a very good pretend answer about his excitement.

Up to that point in his two-years at UAlbany, Dylan Kelly had not received a scholarship. Instead of replying to me and the entire room, many of whom are completely unaware of other player's scholarship status, that he was never informed that he received a scholarship, the young student-athlete played along and made up a reply. I could tell Dylan was uncomfortable and the question sort of hit him. Then Coach Gattuso added in, "not just a scholarship but a full-scholarship. Congratulations Dylan. You earned a full-scholarship!"

I have been around these scholarship presentations before but this was truly special. Dylan Kelly seems like a great young man. However, what was so special was the reaction of the entire team. Wow. Every player was cheering and clapping. The entire team shared Dylan's joy and excitement. That is a good sign of team chemistry for Coach Gattuso and his Great Danes in 2022. Congratulations to Dylan Kelly. Hard work certainly pays off.