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© St. Petersburg Times, published December 11, 2002
Here is the 2002 resume of Seminole's Joey Fabrizio: Led the county in rushing with 1,406 yards.
Led the county in scoring with 21 touchdowns.
Led his team in tackles and forced fumbles. But Fabrizio's credentials lack one category most college recruiters require for a player to appear on their radar screens: height.
Fabrizio is a 5-foot-11 fullback and linebacker. Trouble is, most colleges are looking for players at least 3 inches taller.
"It's very frustrating to see what he's going through," Seminole coach Sam Roper said. "I know they (recruiters) are concerned with his height, but all you have to do is look at what he's done on the field."
Relative obscurity figures to be Fabrizio's lot, even though he helped the Warhawks win district titles each of the past three years. Still, Fabrizio has done his part to make himself known.
Off the field, he has a 3.4 GPA, scored 960 the first time he took the SAT and has tried to grab the attention of college coaches by sending tapes and letters.
Now Fabrizio is down to his last chance, at least on the field. He is playing in the Pinellas All-Star Football Classic, a game between north and south county private- and public-school seniors chosen by area coaches. The game is tonight at 7 at Largo High.
"This game is real important for me," said Fabrizio, who will play running back. "It's my time to shine."
In its ninth year, the game has helped players earn scholarships. Success stories include former Countryside punter Mike Kilgore, who signed with Virginia Tech, and former Clearwater receiver Chris Daniels, who signed with Purdue.
Roper said more scouts have been at both teams' practices than in previous years, an encouraging sign for players overlooked by recruiters such as Clearwater Central Catholic quarterback Orlando Rivas and Admiral Farragut quarterback Marshall Hampton.