Harborfields Alumnus Patrick Godfrey Jr. Visits Senior Athletes

GREENLAWN, NY — Patrick Godfrey Jr., a Harborfields High School Class of 2015 alumnus, recently visited his alma mater to speak with 15 senior student-athletes who have committed to continue their athletic careers in college, according to a news release from the school district.

After being named to first-team All-State in football during his Harborfields career,
Godfrey went on to play four years of college football at Clemson University, where he
earned a walk-on scholarship.

With Clemson, the offensive lineman was a two-time college football national champion and part of the class with the most wins in college football history, with a record of 55-4. Godfrey was also the fastest graduate in Clemson history, graduating in only 21 months with a degree in economics.

He continued at Clemson, earning an MBA in finance in 2019. Godfrey currently works at IEX, a stock exchange in New York City. He is also the founder of the Elite V Football Showcase, the Northeast’s largest nonprofit-run football recruiting event.

The Harborfields students in attendance were :

• Marina Bergin (lacrosse, United States Naval Academy)
• Petra Brown (soccer, Gettysburg College)
• Francesco Ciaramitaro (football, SUNY Cortland)
• Kiera Delaney (lacrosse, University of Rochester)
• Luke DeRosa (lacrosse, Vassar College)
• Peter Houston (baseball, SUNY Oneonta)
• Faye Junge (lacrosse, Western Connecticut State University)
• Anthony Kelly (football, Amherst College)
• Ava Spencer (volleyball, New York University)
• Jake Starkey (lacrosse, SUNY Geneseo)
• Owen Sullivan (cross-country/track, SUNY Oneonta)
• Francesca Viteritti (lacrosse, Stony Brook University)
• Molly Whisler (lacrosse, Lebanon Valley College)
• Dylan Wolf (lacrosse, Pace University)
• Alex Zhang (diving, West Point)

"Less than 7 percent of high school student-athletes get a chance to compete in collegiate
athletics," Athletic Director Rob Franco stated via news release. "Of that 7 percent, less than half play for four years. I asked Pat to come back and speak to the students about what to expect and what it takes to succeed at the next level, both athletically and academically. He delivered a truly
memorable and inspirational speech to our student-athletes and their families."

Godfrey discussed the importance of hard work, mental health, and all of the things that go on behind the scenes that nobody ever talks about until they experience it, according to Franco.

"I think it was very important for our students to hear the message from someone who has sat in their seats, competed at the highest level and had success, both athletically and academically," Franco said. "I couldn’t think of a better person to start this new tradition with than Pat."