Moriarty a finalist for incredible award

October 12, 2013

By Brendan Foley, Wilmington Town Crier

Besides playing the same sport, John Moriarty never imagined that he would be mentioned in the same sentence with the likes of football greats like Peyton Manning and Tim Tebow.

Now that’s happened.

The Wilmington resident and senior at Mass Maritime Academy was named as one of the 170 finalists for the National Football Foundation Campbell Trophy. Referred to as the “Academic Heisman”, the William V. Campbell Trophy was first awarded in 1990. The award recognizes an individual as the absolute best scholar-athlete in the nation, including all levels of collegiate football including NCAA and NAIA.

Several of the previous winners have included Manning and Tebow. Last year’s winner was offensive lineman Barrett Jones of the National Champion University of Alabama team.

The Campbell Trophy, named in honor of Bill Campbell, the chairman of Intuit and former player and head coach at Columbia University, will be presented on Tuesday, December 10th at the 56th Annual National Football Foundation Annual Awards Dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City.

The Campbell Trophy recipient will be one of the final 16 NFF Scholar-Athlete Award winners, as each of those 16 individuals will receive an $18,000 postgraduate scholarship.

In addition to a 25-pound bronze trophy, the Campbell Trophy recipient will also receive an additional $7,000 in scholarship monies, raising the final total to $25,000 for the winner.

Moriarty along with WPI’s Tim Grupp were the only two student-athletes from New England to make the 170 cut-off.

Currently, Moriarty has an incredible 3.8 GPA as a Facilities Engineering major, while he plays offensive tackle for the Buccaneers, who are 2-2 on the young season.

The 6-foot-3, 260-pound lineman said that he’s realized for a long time that he won’t be joining Manning at the professional level, so getting the job done in the classroom means that much more.

“Obviously if I had the chance to play pro, I would jump at it,” he said. “But I’ve always known that the chances of that are next to none. That’s why I work so hard in the classroom, because I know football won’t always be there.”

In addition to being a finalist for this award, Moriarty has also earned spots on New England Football Conference and MASCAC Fall All-Academic squads last year as a junior. as well as being named to MMA Athletic Director’s Honor Roll.

Moriarty’s path to this exalted status did not come easily. He only arrived at Mass. Maritime last year, after struggling to adjust at St. Thomas College in Minnesota. When he transferred to Mass. Maritime, Moriarty decided he had nothing to lose by throwing himself into the football program.

“I figured that if I only had two years of eligibility, I might as well play football while I had the chance.”

Mass Maritime Head Coach Jeremy Cameron, knew within an instant that Moriarty transferred into his program would be more than able to meet the challenges that awaited him on the field.

“John has been a great addition,” Cameron said. “He is by far our best offensive lineman. He really is just the perfect offensive lineman.”

Cameron also praised Moriarty’s tactical mind, a needed asset when playing a position as cerebrally demanding as offensive lineman. The Coach knows that once Moriarty’s football career is over, because of the work he’s put into the classroom, that he’ll be going places.

“My hope is that he leaves here proud to have been a member of this program.” Cameron said. “I know he will accomplish great things once he leaves here.”

Football has been an important part of Moriarty’s life since an early age. He began his career with Wilmington Pop Warner and continued onwards through high school and now into college. During his days at WHS, he served as a captain as a senior, was named the Cape Ann League’s Lineman of the Year, and was also named to play in both the Shriners and Agganis All-Star games.

After graduating from the Wilmington High School in 2010, Moriarty was taken aback by the huge leap in talent and intensity that marked the transition into college ball.

“In college, everyone’s strong, everyone’s fast, and everyone is driven to do well,” he said. “The hardest part of college ball is adjusting to the new offense and faster games that have more complex plays.”

Moriarty has spent the past two years blazing trails and setting records up and down the football field at MMA. He is part of an offensive line unit that currently ranks second nationally in NCAA Division III in total offense at 587.3 yards per game.

The Bucs started out the season winning their first two games over New York Maritime Academy, 24-20, in the sixth annual Chowder Bowl, followed by a 52-18 schellacking over Maine Maritime. The last two games, Mass Maritime has been defeated by Worcester State in a crazy 64-63 game, and then by Fitchburg State, 40-17.

Moriarty said being the team’s right offensive tackle who has helped the Bucs offense average almost 600 yards per game, is certainly something he can smile at.

“The best part is getting that perfect block and seeing my running back score a touchdown, and knowing that I did my job and everyone else did their (job as well),” he said. “When it all comes together, that’s a great feeling.”

But it’s also ‘a great feeling’ knowing he’s one of the top scholar football players in the entire nation, and perhaps maybe he’ll be named the eventual winner. But if not, Moriarty is perfectly fine just being named one of the 170 finalists for this prestigious award.

“It’s an awesome honor just to be in the same category as these other guys,” he said.