LYNNFIELD — Calogero LoGrasso, a Lynnfield resident, has recently committed to playing football at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania. But through it all, his love for football started at Huckleberry Hill Elementary in Lynnfield.
“Third and fourth grade were like my acclimation years where I started to learn and love the game of football,” LoGrasso said.
Though his love for the game was never in question, LoGrasso wasn’t sure if the sport was something he wanted to pursue in college. But during his freshman year at Malden Catholic, he began to think about it.
“In ninth grade, I realized I was starting both sides of the ball as a true freshman. I thought to myself, ‘man, I can really make something out of that,’” LoGrasso said. “That’s when I really started looking into recruiting and what it takes to get to the next level.”
LoGrasso is now a student-athlete at Belmont Hill High School, earning several accolades such as being named All-ISL, All-NEPSAC, team MVP for the 2022 season, and a Boston Globe All-Scholastics player.
Then, the hard work paid off. In January, he received a call from a Patriot League team in Division 1.
Spoiler alert, it was Bucknell’s defensive coordinator.
“Coach [Chris] Bowers gave me a call and was like, ‘we want to offer you a spot.’ That was the day it set in when I knew I was going to play college football,” LoGrasso said.
On top of football and studies, and between the brick architecture and green views, LoGrasso talked about “falling in love with the campus.”
But no matter how far he gets, he’ll always remember Lynnfield.
“I love that it’s a small town. I lived in two different neighborhoods and, both times, I was with really good people,” LoGrasso said.
“Absolutely,” LoGrasso said when asked if the “small town feel” of Lynnfield played a factor in his decision to choose Bucknell. Bucknell has less than 3,500 undergraduates, which is similar to how it was growing up.
“I didn’t want to feel like a small fish in a big pond. The low population of people is something I was looking for. The city of Lewisburg is a small quaint town which I like,” LoGrasso said.
LoGrasso said he’s looking forward to the “doors and opportunities” that will open up from being a student-athlete.
“My father always said to me, ‘it’s not about the next four years, it’s about the next forty years,’” LoGrasso said. “What I can do with a Bucknell diploma and graduating from Bucknell is what I’m really looking forward to.”
LoGrasso is going into college with a 3.6 GPA, and keeping his options open regarding what he wants to study. However, at the moment, he’d like to major in film and communication – or try to get into financial management.
