John Jay's Garofolo is Still Larger Than Life at Wesleyan

CROSS RIVER, N.Y. - If by the unlikely chance you’ve forgotten Gerard Garofolo and his outgoing ways, let the 2023 John Jay grad remind you in his own words.

“The parties were awesome. They were a lot of fun,” said the Wesleyan freshman. “I had a great time at school.” But the former lineman didn’t get into one of the top academic schools in the country by simply grinding hard on the football field and reaping the social rewards before, during and after.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE FREE TAPINTO.NET NEWSLETTER

“I wound up doing really well this year,” said the economics major. “It wasn’t bad at all.”

On his way, he intends to double up in government affairs, and after landing internships over the next few years, he’s aiming to be an investment banker under the bright lights.

“Hopefully, I’ll have it figured out by then, and I’ll be living in a big city,” said Garofolo.

But first things first, he was there for camp in August, and the view was very different at Division III. “They were a lot bigger, and I was a lot shorter than most of the other lineman,” he said. “Everybody is bigger, faster and stronger at the next level. It’s a huge adjustment from high school.”

DOWNLOAD THE FREE TAPINTO APP FOR MORE LOCAL NEWS. AVAILABLE IN THE APPLE STORE AND THE GOOGLE PLAY STORE .

The gridiron homework is harder too. Much more planning and preparation, he said, “It’s a lot more mental than it is physical,” he said.

So being up on the varied schemes, lineman no longer can just go forward, block the guy in front and try to beat him with size and power.

“You've got to know where the guy is before they are there,” said Garofolo.

Of course, he had insight into who he’d be sharing familiar ground with at Wesleyan. Alongside now as teammates were Matt Fitzsimons and Evan Lassetter of Somers and Justin Morales of Yorktown, and he didn’t forget.

“I remember the losses I went through, so I had to put a little bit something extra into my hits,” explained Garofolo.

Not really, the bigger than life Cardinal just made the sure official introductions paid homage to their shared background, and something more sustaining has emerged. “These guys were rivals, and now we’re best friends in college,” he assured.

The same goes for the rest of the squad. “It’s a built in brotherhood,” he said. “Everybody is great.”

On the other hand, there are limits, and he is not all about the team whenever his father’s meatballs call him home. “I got to keep those for myself,” he joked. “You've got to be a little selfish.”

Probably not a factor in landing him on the JV roster, one moment stood out nonetheless. Doing a little trash talk with his counterpart, Garofolo had the edge on subsequent plays, and it was not appreciated the other way.

So the defender ended up stepping on me, according to Garofolo and now his team didn’t take kindly. “The whole offensive line jumped on him,” the lineman remembered with glee.

More to come, he’s number two on the varsity depth chart, and definitely sees some playing time this year. “We’re trying to win the championship, he said.

Win or lose, though, the football team provides a social platform. “The first party I went to, I already had a hundred friends,” he revealed.

Not really necessary, because Garofolo has little chance of being the shy guy standing in the corner. “I’m a pretty outgoing guy, I don’t get nervous in social settings,” Garofolo said.

The football player wins the down time too.  “I would say I was one of the better Madden players and won my fair share,” he boasted.

And in case school ever gets the better of him, he’s glad to have Wesleyan in his corner. “They offer every help you could imagine,” Garofolo said of his professors and their help centers.

The former Wolf hasn’t forgotten where he came from, though. In terms of football, school and life, Garofolo concluded, “John Jay prepared me well.”

For more local news, visit TAPinto.net