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OL Nick Schwitzgebel Commits to Dartmouth College

By Joe Ginley '12 , 11/19/19, 5:00PM EST

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Schwitzgebel is headed to the Ivy League.

The Wildcats are sending another talented student-athlete to the Ivy League.

On Monday evening, Nick Schwitzgebel committed to Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire.  

Schwitzgebel becomes only the latest in a long line of successful young men to head to the Ivys after a great career at Saint Ignatius. Just like the many greats before him, Schwitzgebel has quite a bright future ahead.

"He will have a bright future. He will do well academically, and he'll do well athletically, he will start for multiple years," said Wildcats' head coach Chuck Kyle '69. "And he has the work ethic and time management needed to be a successful Ivy League athlete."

Indeed, Schwitzgebel will do quite well in the Ivy League. A bright student and a wonderful young man, Schwitzgebel will do great things at Dartmouth. 

He joins a long line of Saint Ignatius football players to attend the Ivy League. Currently, the Football Cats have 4 men in the Ivys – Jack Cook '16 (Harvard), Mike Chime '17 (Yale), Justin Sands '18 (Penn), and Aidan Wells '19 (Harvard). Schwitzgebel is the first Wildcat to become a member of the Big Green in recent memory. 

From the moment he stepped onto West 30th and Lorain, Schwitzgebel's impact upon the football program could be felt. As a first-year Cat, Schwitzgebel learned and played well with the freshmen team. His growth continued during his sophomore season, as the varsity coaches noticed the young man working hard on and off the field. At one point during the season, Schwitzgebel was recognized as a Scout Team Player of the Week by Ryan Franzinger '02.

Schwitzgebel earned his way onto the field with the varsity team in 2018. As a junior, Schwitzgebel started for much of the year at right tackle. The native Clevelander stood out from the get-go, paving lanes for the team's running backs and giving the quarterback time to throw.

In the offseason, Schwitzgebel worked hard to get even better. His teammates voted him as a captain for his excellent leadership and work ethic. He helped to get his teammates into the weight room while also working his own tail off to prepare for the season.  

Colleges began to notice the outstanding young man, and came calling. Several schools from the Mid-American Conference (MAC) offered him scholarships. Yale and Princeton also vied for his attention. 

Harvard became his first choice, as Boston's beauty caught his eye. And having Aidan Wells there helped, too. But Schwitzgebel fell just short on his ACT and SAT scores. Even after studying hard to ace the tests and taking them each three times, his ACT score missed the cut by just 1 point, and his SAT score also barely missed.

But as they say, God works in mysterious ways.  

Schwitzgebel excelled on the football field all season long. The 6'4, 295-pound left tackle started all 10 games. An iron man of the offensive line, Schwitzgebel graded out at a 93% blocking efficiency, earning himself All-District honorable mention. His leadership and outstanding work on the field proved invaluable throughout the entire season. 

At season's end, the recruiting picked back up. Dartmouth discovered Schwitzgebel and took a liking to the affable young man. 

"I visited Dartmouth last weekend," Schwitzgebel said. "The faculty, the facilities, the students, the location, and the program was great. The whole area is beautiful, with the valley and the mountains. The location fits my personality."

Buddy Teavens is something of legend in New Hampshire, having coached Dartmouth from 1987-91 and from 2005-present. The Big Green have been an Ivy power in recent years, finishing second last year. Entering the season finale vs. Brown, the Big Green stand in first place.

Immediately, Teavens impressed Schwitzgebel. 

"Their head coach, Buddy Teavens, was amazing. He was so open. We got there on Friday afternoon. My parents and I talked with him, and then we were there on Saturday for the game against Cornell. All of the recruits were there. He was so open about everything. He gave off great vibes. He reminded me so much of Coach Kyle. My mom said the same thing. That's one of the reasons I fell in love [with the program]."

Another big aspect was the campus.

Nestled near the Connecticut River near the New Hampshire/Vermont border, Dartmouth is in a beautiful college town. Not unlike Ohio University, Dartmouth is far away from the big city, set against a beautiful natural scene. 

The Schwitzgebel's love to ski, and Dartmouth has its own ski slope. So look for Schwitzgebel on the slopes next year. 

But the most important factor, at the end of the day, was the education.

At Dartmouth, just like all of the Ivys, offers a wonderful education. A numbers guy, Schwitzgebel is interested in pursuing a degree in finance and accounting. He'll get an invaluable education in New Hampshire. 

"It's a great league and a great education," Coach Kyle said. "It's an experience that affects the rest of your life. When you go to an Ivy, it's very tight-knit – they have graduates who will help you out, just like Saint Ignatius." 

Schwitzgebel will be ready for Dartmouth, thanks to the great preparation that Saint Ignatius offers. 

"His work ethic and time management will work well in the Ivy League," said Kyle. "This past weekend, I was at Harvard-Penn, and I saw Aidan Wells. He said, 'I'm glad I went to Saint Ignatius High School because it prepared me. There's a lot asked of you as an athlete at an Ivy League school. I can handle it because I went to Ignatius.'"

In a way, football taught him how to work hard in the classroom. 

"I've learned about the hard work and dedication it takes to be successful," said Schwitzgebel. "You can work your tail off and still not get it. Everybody needs to work your butt off. That's what football is. It teaches you how to rely on your teammates."

On and off the field, Wildcat High has provided some great memories and lifelong friends for Schwitzgebel.

Off the field, two games will stick out to him forever – the historic Archbishop Hoban comeback and the season finale vs. West Toronto Prep. 

"Coming back from the adversity against Hoban, trailing by so much, it clicked," Schwitzgebel said. "Defense stop, offense score, stop, score, stop score. It went and went. Seeing how us doing our thing broke down Hoban's team, as they screamed at each other, I was so glad. They were so worried about themselves that we were able to win and it was awesome.

"Everybody got in for the West Toronto Prep game," he continued. "Vince Fagnili getting in and everyone yelling, "Vinny!" when he made the tackle was great. He worked just as hard as I did, he just wasn't blessed with heart and weight like me. I thought that game was awesome."

Schwitzgebel is sure to make plenty of memories in New Hampshire, too.

Kyle believes that his star student-athlete will make an impact right away. 

"Nick will play early there. He's that good," said the 38-year vet. "He's a very disciplined young man. He also has a very good sense of humor. He's fun. That helps with the camaraderie of the offensive line. Those guys are a unique group. The linemen don't get their name in the paper. They have the Navy Seal mentality that we need to get it done because it needs to get done, not for the recognition."

Before departing Saint Ignatius, the well-rounded young man will continue to work hard. Schwitzgebel will work to keep his GPA high, with his cumulative average sitting at 3.6. He'll also work with Strength & Conditioning Coach Anthony Rubino in the weight room to continue getting bigger and better. 

Schwitzgebel has a few thank you's, as well. 

"I want to especially thank my parents," Schwitzgebel said. "I couldn't have done anything without my teammates. Not just on the field success, but off the field, we talked so much and made so many friendships. I also want to thank Coach Kyle, Coach Rubino, and my girlfriend."

Congrats, Nick! A bright future is ahead for you.