WHS Student-Athlete Standout Headed to Harvard University

For as long as he can remember, senior Anthony Fabiano has always been labeled a man among his peers. Standing at 6-foot-5, 258-pounds, it's usually because of his advanced height and build compared to his classmates.  This year, however, the 18-year-old student-athlete standout has earned that distinction for another reason: Fabiano is headed to Harvard University on a football scholarship. 

His Early Football Years
Fabiano’s story does not begin with tales of playing organized football with his peers as a youth nor any mention of winning Pop Warner championships.  Because of his height, Fabiano was always too big to play Pop Warner football, often falling beyond the weight limit for his age. It wasn't until his freshman year of high school that Fabiano laced up his gear for the first time.

The fact that he could not play football while growing did not diminish Fabiano’s love for the game; he said he would find ways to get his football fix by playing backyard football with friends and watching it on television. 

“I love the intensity of the game and the fact that anything can happen on one play,” said Fabiano.  “It’s very exciting.”

However, the lack of on-field football experience meant Fabiano was behind his peers when he finally did lace up his cleats.  While some may see this as a disadvantage, Fabiano found a way to turn it into a positive.

Putting in the Work
In addition to his size, the first thing most people who know Fabiano mention is his work ethic. For Fabiano, there was no offseason.  When it was not time to be playing football, he would be preparing for football, spending most of his spring and summer seasons at Athletic Evolution in Woburn where he worked on his speed and his quickness and listened to what his coaches had to say about his technique. 

Once a tri-sport athlete – football, basketball, and baseball – Fabiano gave up baseball following his freshman year to concentrate on gearing up for the upcoming football season, despite being  part of the 2007 Wakefield Babe Ruth League All-Star team that advanced to the Regional Tournament. Though currently nursing an injury and unable to compete in any basketball games, Fabiano is also captain of the WHS varsity boys' basketball team.

Fabiano's work ethic and solid citizenship on the football team has not been lost to Mike Boyages, head coach of the football team and Athletic Director at Wakefield High School. 

“Anthony’s contribution to our football team has gone far beyond the field of play,” said Boyages.  “Having been accepted to attend Harvard University, Anthony has set a great example for all Wakefield student-athletes.  His commitment not only to athletics but also, more importantly, academics has shown his peers that opportunities are limitless through hard work and dedication.”

All the intangibles of his work ethic turned into tangible results his senior year, when Fabiano 23 caught passes to gain 267 yards on offense, and on defense, completed 57 tackles and nine sacks. Fabiano's impressive play and on-field leadership earned him top-level recognition this season, earning him a spot on the 2010 Boston Herald All-Scholastic team.

Deciding on Harvard
As a senior, Fabiano was heavily recruited by a number of schools. Letters from Division I schools such as UConn and Boston College would commonly arrive during his homeroom period in school.  In the end, the decision was easy; when Harvard University became the first school to make an offer, Fabiano’s mind was made up.  Though he eventually received offers from UNH and Bryant, the allure of attending the prestigious university in Cambridge was far too great for Anthony to pass up.

“The combination of [one of the top] schools in the nation with a very good football program made me decide to [attend Harvard],” said Fabiano.  “The coaching staff is extremely nice.  They really know what they’re talking about there.”

Memories at WHS
While Fabiano is excited to begin this new chapter of his life, he said knows he will be leaving Wakefield Memorial High School behind.  Though he will be in a new environment next year, he will bring with him a treasure trove of memories to remind him of his time at WHS.

“[The game against] Lynn Classical my junior year was my first start as a player,” said Fabiano.  “I was nervous and had butterflies, but I got the kinks out.”  Though Wakefield came out on the losing end, it was an important first for Fabiano.

Fabiano and Coach Boyages shared a personal memory this past season in a game against Burlington.  In a game, not only did Fabiano score the first and only touchdown of his high school career, but the game also represented Coach Boyages’ 100th victory as a coach. 

Like any graduating football player in Massachusetts, Fabiano  will fondly remember his final Thanksgiving Day game, though his story is not just about the events that happened during regulation. 

“First off, we won, which was big,” said Fabiano.  “I remember trucking a kid and my helmet actually flew off, which was very exciting.” 

That would be exciting enough a day for most, but the Fabiano Show did not end there.  Not to be outdone by his son, father Tony Fabiano added to the excitement of the day. 

 “Halftime rolls around and my father kicks the halftime field goal for $10,000,” said Fabiano.  “I had no idea what was going on at the time because I was in the locker room and then when I came out, everyone was telling me what happened, but I had no idea what happened until afterwards.” 

In addition, Fabiano said he will always remember the impact that his coaches have had on him over the past four years.  Going from having never played organized football to being recruited by Division I schools in just four years certainly requires a strong work ethic, but it also requires strong guidance. 

 “Coach B[oyages] had a big impact on me,” said Fabiano.  “He is a very bright guy.  He knows what he is doing.  He was a very good practice coach and he prepared his players well.             

 He also gave credit to his position coach, Coach Rick Quatrocchi.

"Coach Q is one of the nicest guys I have ever met and knows what he is talking about," Fabiano said. "He likes to have a good time while doing it, too.  He’s a very well-rounded man.”

Academic Career
One would be remiss to only mention Fabiano’s football accolades, though; after all, the first word in student-athlete is student.  True to his form,  Fabiano is one of the top students in his graduating class.  Despite loading his schedule with honors level and Advanced Placement level classes, Fabiano has consistently made the Honor Roll at WHS over his four years, landing him in the top ten percent of his class.

While hitting the practice field may have been a labor of love, the same could not be said for hitting the books.  Fabiano is quick to give credit to his parents, Tony and Lisa, for helping him stay focused on his academics despite everything else going on in his life. 

“My parents were my main motivation,” said Fabiano.  “They were always pushing me to study harder or do my homework... things I didn’t want to do.”

Regardless of where the credit should land, it should be noted that Fabiano’s accomplishments in the classroom have not gone unnoticed on WHS principal Dr. Kim Smith.

 “Anthony is an excellent student and citizen in the Wakefield High School community,” said Principal Smith.  “He has achieved an outstanding grade point average in a rigorous Honors program over four years.  Anthony is a leader among his peers and a genuine, kind, and generous individual. “

Tony and Lisa Fabiano were not solely focused on their son’s schoolwork; instead, Fabiano said he saw them as his “cheerleading squad” who supported from in the stands of whatever game he was playing at the time.  When they weren’t in the stands, his parents were involved in helping the team through its booster programs.

Onward
Though losing a very well-rounded, talented student-athlete like Fabiano is WHS’s loss, it is certainly Harvard University’s gain.

Though unsure of his major – he is leaning towards economics – Fabiano does have a sense of where he will be on the football field when he suits up for Harvard: The offensive line.