The Lycoming College campus is buzzing. Several reasons. This semester is off to a fantastic start, and our sports teams are contending. Last week, I told you about my Warrior golfers. The kids continue to play well. We actually won a tournament on Wednesday. But there is a beautiful story that has Lycoming in the national spotlight. It is incredible. We are definitely trending. Tom Cillo is the man. The 58-year-old defensive lineman.
Cillo and I have been chums for many years. Same circle of friends. He officiated a few of my hoops games. Tom and I stayed in touch. I would always see him around. I spoke to Tom this summer. He was helping out at a local summer league. He is so good to Jensen. All of his buddies love him. Cillo said he had something big on the horizon. He wanted to tell me in the worst way. But Tom kept it a secret.
Two weeks later, I got a note from Steve Parlante. YO. DID YOU HEAR ABOUT CILLO? No. What’s up? HE IS PLAYING FOOTBALL AT LYCOMING. HE JUST ENROLLED AS A FRESHMAN. What? I didn’t think much of it. Was Steve kidding? Then I heard from several others. The rumors were true. Tom Cillo was indeed a Lycoming Warrior. He was the talk of the town. Again. This was well before camp even started. No way. But if there were a guy who could pull it off. It was our guy, Tom.
Local news outlets went bonkers. Tom Cillo was on the front cover of the Webb Weekly. National then picked up the story. The AP. Washington Post. NY Times. It was bedlam. Hundreds of online services all know the story. BARSTOOL. Tom Cillo. He graduated from high school in 1984. He hasn’t played football in over 40 years. Now he is a 58-year-old freshman. CBS SPORTS followed him with a camera for two straight days. Cillo has received so much praise. Former Coach Bill Cowher of the Pittsburgh Steelers gave Tom some love. It was a beautiful message. Mark and Kelly also mentioned his name. Big time stuff. And we are just two weeks into the season.
My friend is on a fantastic journey. He is a rockstar on campus. He has handled himself with class and so much humility. I love seeing all of the stories. Many more to come. Tom is a true inspiration. Forget that he is battling in the trenches. Cillo is actually a true freshman. Walking around campus. Carrying his books. It’s a beautiful thing. I ran into Tom bright and early on Wednesday AM. I gave him a hug and asked how he was doing. We chatted it up for a good 15 minutes. It was a great conversation. One of my players was loading his gear in the van. Hey Tom. Let me introduce you to one of my guys. This is Ryan. YEAH. I KNOW RYAN. WE ARE IN CLASS TOGETHER. WHAT’S UP, BROTHER? GOLF TOURNEY TODAY? It was fantastic. It made my day and then some. Tom and Ryan Ault posed for a photo. Both are college freshmen. There is only a 39-year age difference. A few other golfers came, and Cillo gave us a pep talk. You can’t make this up.
Congrats to Tom Cillo and all that he brings. I am very honored to have you as a friend. This story is the best. Cheers.
