LYNN — The English football team had a successful season in 2019, and that success has translated off the field as well. On Tuesday, Bulldogs senior captain Thomas Gaylord made his commitment to continue his athletic and academic career at Framingham State University.
“I got to know the coaching staff over time and also made a couple visits to the campus, and I really liked it,” said Gaylord. “They have a true winning mentality over there, which was very important to me. They really stuck out for me and I’m happy with my decision.”
After considering a number of schools, including Nichols College, Husson University and Salve Regina University, Gaylord eventually decided on Division III Framingham State.
Gaylord was struck by the family atmosphere inside the Framingham State program, drawing comparisons to English.
“I really connected with the coach (Aynsley Rosenbaum) and the family atmosphere that they had over there,” Gaylord said. “It reminded me a lot of what we have at English, so that struck me right away. I just got really good vibes from them.”
In his final season at English, Gaylord became a senior captain and started on both the offensive and defensive lines. After working his way up from the junior varsity squad, he wanted to make as much of an impression on his teammates as possible.
“I just wanted to be the best role model I could, on and off the field,” Gaylord said. “I wanted to step up as a leader and as a player. I didn’t get to start until my junior year, but I always just kept setting goals and looking ahead. I wanted that attitude to rub off on my teammates as well.”
Gaylord is looking forward to joining the Framingham State program, as he has a couple of friends already on the team in former Classical stars Chase Buono and Nashaun Butler. Current English defensive coordinator Sam Hill is also a graduate and former player at Framingham State.
As he starts to prepare for his first season of college football, Gaylord knows that he has plenty of work to do if he wants to make an impact at the next level.
“At this point, I’m just trying to stay in the best shape I possibly can,” Gaylord said. “I know that Framingham is a good team and I probably won’t get a ton of playing time outside of special teams, but I still have goals to set. I played defensive end at English, and I want to become a starter at defensive end for Framingham State when it’s all said and done. But in order to do that, I’m going to have to put in the work. I have to gain weight and I have to get stronger. I’ve always been more of an undersized lineman, so I’m really going to have to work.”
