 Marc Andrew Deley, Ryan Littman-Quinn and Patrick Camacho
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When Steve Aponavicius, CSOM '09, took the field to kick his first extra point against Virginia Tech, his parents, roommates, and teammates held their breath with the rest of Alumni Stadium until the kick split the uprights. Commentators called him an unknown quantity, but for those fortunate enough to know him, Aponavicius had been exactly the opposite: an easygoing, jovial guy with a passion for the Philadelphia Phillies. His story is the stuff of feel-good football movies, but it is the persona behind it that is truly compelling. "Steve-O" has made an impression on fans, friends, and media alike - all while keeping the same affable demeanor before and after his brush with fame and football.
The Aponavicius story represents the talented, driven, and above all, decent students of Boston College who hope for a chance at greatness. The Heights is proud to name Steve Aponavicius the 2007 Person of the Year.
The StoryBy now, we all know the story. Aponavicius' introduction to BC football came in the stands in his Superfan shirt and a sombrero. A defenseman on his high school soccer team, Aponavicius was discovered kicking field goals one evening by a team assistant and was offered a chance to walk on to the football team. The rest is history: a perfect two-for-two on field goals and two extra points in his first-ever game of organized football against Virginia Tech, the assumption of the starting kicker role with the dismissal of Ryan Ohliger, and the winning field goal as time expired in the Meinike Car Care Bowl against Navy.
It was the stuff of legend."Once I found out that I was going to be playing, it was really just a rush of emotions," said Aponavicius. "I went from being a fan to being eighth-string kicker to actually playing. And to do it against a top 25 team and one that's known for its special teams, I couldn't really have written a story better. To go from never playing football to that was pretty unbelievable."
"But going out for that first extra point, I took my steps back and looked up at the JumboTron right behind the uprights. To see my picture on that was really kind of the first time I realized that this was actually happening. It went through the uprights, thankfully. It was a crazy feeling like nothing I've ever felt before."
Spring Break
