Itâs a good thing senior tight-end Calvin Cagney decided to follow in his fathers’ footsteps when he opted to start playing football as a freshman in high school.
“The first year I played football was freshman year,â Cagney said. âAfter being on the freshman team, I told my dad âI donât want to play football, I donât like it.â He told me I didnât have to play just because he did. He said that it was my decision to make.â
The NCAA recently honored Cagney as a preseason Division III second-team all-Ohio selection. This comes as no surprise, since Cagney has led the team in receptions (66) and garnered 2nd team all-NCAC selections in both of the past two seasons.
Although Cagney’s success really took off with the hiring of current head coach, Tom Watts in 2012, Cagney was originally recruited by former gridders head coach Mike Hollway. Cagney says he will always be thankful for the opportunity Holloway gave him.
âOne of the reasons I came here was because Holloway said he was adding a 3 tight end formation so I knew I could get some playing time in there,â Cagney said. âI appreciate Holloway for giving me that chance it made freshman year a good experience.â
Since he began playing in Wattsâ up-tempo offense, Cagney has accumulated over 1,500 yds of total offense and 15 touchdowns. He also earned the prestigious D-III All-American tag following his sophomore season.
Cagneyâs hard-working mentality has also translated to the classroom where he has earned a 3.6 gpa as a pre-physical therapy major. Following last season, Capital One recognized Cagney as an Academic All-District pick out of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois.