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Aidan Conway and Nick Velotta Voted as Football Captains for 2020

By Joe Ginley '12 , 12/09/19, 11:30AM EST

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Conway helped to anchor the middle at linebacker this season.

The linebacker position may be the strength of the defense, if not the team, in 2020. So it comes as little surprise that two of the four captains will be members of the Linebacker Legion.

Aidan Conway and Nick Velotta have been voted as captains for the 2020 season.

In the football program, it is tradition for the first two captains to be voted on and named at the postseason banquet. So, the Wildcats decided on Conway and Velotta, two hard-working and upstanding young men. 

"There is no doubt, the kids do a great job in voting for captains," said Head Coach Chuck Kyle '69. "There are a lot of possibilities, but you look at Aidan and Nick – both are top-notch guys who work hard. Both guys care about the team. They will encourage other guys to keep working. Both are involved in other sports, but that's okay. They can show guys that they can still get their workouts in. Both are good young men."

Linebackers coach and Defensive Coordinator Ryan Franzinger '02 couldn't agree more.  

"They picked two really strong guys. It goes back to freshmen year, and how these guys have grown and how that class has developed," Franzinger said. "When those guys vote on the captains, they consider the whole history. It goes farther back than junior year. These are reliable young men, be it academics, athletics, or other extracurriculars. And speaking in my Assistant Principal's voice, they're not in here ever, unless they're absent. Leaders do the right thing. I always say, 'Leaders have to lead themselves. If you don't lead yourself, how will anyone follow you?'" 

Conway starred at middle linebacker this year for the Wildcats. Affectionately known as "LBJ," the 6'2, 215-pound linebacker tallied 25 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, and 1 sack. Conway often broke up plays and wreaked havoc in the backfield.

As Coach Kyle alluded to, Conway is a two-sport athlete. The junior is also a 3-year member of the hockey program. A stalwart defender, Conway is an excellent player for the Ice Cats. A physical and athletic presence, Conway is a fearsome man to go up against. Conway is an alternate captain for the hockey team, wearing an "A" on his jersey. He may very well be a captain for the Ice Cats next year, too. 

Conway is also a great special teams player. The junior had a 68-yard run on a punt attempt in the season finale, a play that counts as an offensive TD in the stats, but came on special teams. 

Velotta proved to a great utility man as a junior. The 6'0, 210-pound linebacker tallied 18 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, 1 pass breakup, and 1 forced fumble. Velotta slotted in as an outside linebacker and even a safety at times, showcasing his great athleticism and versatility. 

Velotta is also a 2-sport guy. The Chesterland native competes for the track & field team with Coaches Kyle and Franzinger. In addition, you can hear him on some basketball broadcasts this winter on the Saint Ignatius Broadcast Network as a color analyst.

Nick carries on a Velotta family tradition. Nick is the third Velotta in five years to be voted a captain. John '17 (his cousin) served in 2016, and Chris '19 (his brother) served in 2018. 

Conway and Velotta share plenty in common. Besides being linebackers, both are lead-by-example and humble young men.

"These are strong guys. There's something to be said for their style," Franzinger said. "People always try to identify who will be the vocal captain. But you don't always speak with your voice. As the saying goes, 'Teach the Gospel, sometimes use words.' I'm happy with the selections. It's good to see really good football players be great men. That's everything for us. That's way more valuable than wins. Those are wins. It's exciting that we have people like that."

Now, the work begins for Conway, Velotta, and the Wildcats. The team will look to improve in the 2020 and return to the postseason. Others will also need to step up to help lead the way. Two more captains will be selected closer to the season. 

"I'm looking forward to who else steps up. A few other guys had votes. And I always emphasize to the captains and non-captains is that leadership comes before title," Franzinger said. "If you're not named a captain, you can still be the best leader we've ever had. You don't need the title. But I'm confident that these two guys will fulfill that duty and be the leaders this team needs. As Coach Kyle said at the awards ceremony, 'We have a lot of work to do.' Our guys selected good men to lead the charge."

Congrats, Nick and Aidan!