Andover’s Bobby Vardaro ’10 has verbally accepted an offer to attend Boston College next year and play for the Eagles’ football squad. In mid-January of 2009, Boston College coaches first expressed interest in Vardaro, a talented noseguard and offensive tackle, after watching him play on a highlight reel. The recruiting film was not actually sent in by Vardaro, but by another Andover prospect, who also hoped to be recruited. Coaches from BC called Andover head coach Leon Modeste, trying to sort out the strange situation. “[The Boston College coaches] first thought that they might have mixed up the numbers of the two players,” said Vardaro, “But as it turns out they hadn’t. They said, ‘We want number 50.’” With this little bit of luck, Vardaro, who planned to send his own highlight reel in a few weeks time, suddenly became a major recruit. He spoke with BC coaches throughout the winter and spring and began taking the next steps in the recruiting process towards getting an offer. Vardaro dove into showcases and exposure camps, where college coaches had more opportunities to watch him play. The showcases ran like a combine, testing players’ agility, quickness and football skills. The players performed shuttles, vertical leaps, bounds and positional play. School-endorsed exposure camps and clinics complemented these combines. The school-specific camps allowed Vardaro to work more closely with personnel from certain schools, while also being seen by a few other college coaches. Vardaro’s participation in camps and showcases ultimately paid off, as he received offers from several Division I football schools. Tulane University was the first to offer Vardaro a scholarship. Syracuse University, University of Connecticut, Vanderbilt and Dartmouth followed suit. “I remember there were nine,” Vardaro humbly admitted as he tried to recall all of the schools who had extended him offers. Towards the end of June, Vardaro reached the end of his recruiting tour after attending a camp hosted by Boston College. After two days at the four day camp, the coaches extended an offer to Vardaro, who verbally accepted. “I was really excited and relieved,” Vardaro said. “I spent the next two days meeting people and getting to check out the campus.” Vardaro will have to wait a year to make an immediate on field impact as an Eagle as he expects to redshirt his freshman season. This allows him to work out and practice with the team, but prohibits him from stepping onto the field during the season. After freshman year, he will still be eligible to play four years at Boston College. Vardaro plans to sign his National Letter of Intent on February 10, 2010. Vardaro anxiously awaits this day when all his efforts and hard work will be rewarded, and he will become an Eagle at last.
