Family tradition for J.P.
It is no surprise that full back J.P. Comella is knocking on the door of the NFL; it is something of a family tradition. His two brothers, Greg and Matt, have both played fullback in the NFL, and J.P. hopes that spending time in NFL Europe will help him to follow in their footsteps. |
| J.P. Comella has family expectations to live up to Photo: photo-stock.co.uk |
"My family was very athletic and we would compete in everything that we did, whether it was Nintendo, or a home-run derby in the backyard," he added. J.P.'s father, Gene, was also a fullback, playing as a part of a Boston College team from 1966-1970. Gene's positional coach at the time was none other that Jack Bicknell, the man who is now J.P.'s head coach with the Scottish Claymores.
"Coach Bicknell coached two different times at Boston College. The first time he was there he was the running backs coach and coached my Dad," said Comella. "Then of course he came back and was head coach during the 80s." Jack Bicknell remembers Gene Comella's BC career well.
"J.P.'s father played for me at Boston College, and he was the spitting image of him. They are both tough, smart athletes who love to play the game of football," Bicknell reminisces.
With his family influence behind him, the scene was set for J.P. to start playing football. However, it did not always look like it would turn out that way. "When I was younger I was into soccer and I didn't really play football, but as I got older I saw my brothers playing and they told me that I should try it."
Upon meeting Comella it is easy to see why he is a fullback. The 5-foot-11, 241 pounder is a prototypical size for the position, and admits that this gene passed on from his father has helped him and his brothers. "With the body-type that we have, fullback was a natural fit. I played defense in high school, but I got recruited in college as a fullback." The eldest of the Comella brothers, Greg, reached football's biggest stage as a third-year player with the New York Giants. His touchdown catch in the second quarter of the NFC Championship game put the Giants ahead 14-0 against the Minnesota Vikings and propelled them to a Super Bowl matchup against the Baltimore Ravens.
"Super Bowl is always a big event, but having a family member involved was a real thrill. The Giants were playing the Baltimore Ravens, and Greg was really up against Ray Lewis, who is one of, if not the biggest superstar in the NFL, and he was the guy who was supposed to nullify Ray in the game," Comella remembers. "Obviously it didn't work out so well for Greg in that game, but what he has achieved through his hard work is inspiring to me." That work ethic is another gene that has been passed down through the Comella family. J.P. tells the story of Matt, the second of the Comella brothers, and his fight back from an injury in high school to reach the upper echelons of the game.
"Matt is an interesting story, he walked on at Northeast after missing his senior season in high school with a back injury, earned a scholarship and four years later was the team captain," said Comella of his brother. "He worked so hard, and eventually signed with the Jets on draft day 2001 as a free agent, and went through camp with them but was released in the final cut.
"Both Greg and Matt achieved everything through hard work. I guess it is on both my parents, with their jobs, watching how they stumbled and got back up and got on with it. Our parents are great examples of hard work." Comella's own college career was not a smooth ride either, but the determination to pick himself up after a devastating injury in his fourth year gives another example of the family's resilience.
"I went to the same high school as both my older brothers and was offered a scholarship to Boston College. My career there was interesting. I was redshirted my first year, my second year I played very sparingly, my third year I was the starter, and then in my fourth year I got injured after three games - I punctured a lung and cracked three ribs - then camp back and alternated for the rest of the way," said Comella. "It was not the career I thought I was going to have so I decided to move on and I declared early for the draft.
"I was in camp with the Arizona Cardinals but got cut by them, so I came back to Boston and got a job. Then I got a call from them out of the blue asking if I wanted to go to NFL Europe. I talked to my parents and my brothers, and decided that was the thing to do. I left my job there and went to Arizona to start working out, and now I am here."
Comella's speaks highly of the quality of coaching that he has received so far in NFL Europe, and is enthusiastic about the experience of his Claymores coaches.
"The coaches here are really knowledgable. Between coach Bicknell, who I think has coached for something like 44 years, and Sam Rutigliano who was head coach in Cleveland, and Vince Martino who was also at Boston as a GA when my Dad was there," the fullback said.
"On top of that my running backs coach is Tim Lester who played eight years in the NFL, and has blocked for guys like Bam Morris and Jerome Bettis. To be put with guys like that who know the game so well, and Tim who is still relatively close to my age and can understand what I am going through, I would say I am pretty lucky."
However, life at training camp has not been all easy for Comella. Despite playing as a fullback for the last five years of his playing career he now finds himself on a team that does not run an offense that includes that position.
"I consider myself a fullback, but unfortunately this team doesn't use a fullback so I am playing tailback here," he said. "It has given me a chance to work on my all around game, but it is definitely a change coming into an offense that has no fullback.
"I can't take anything for granted, because every day it is like I am learning a new position, and I am learning it with some very talented guys. I have to be on my game every day, I can't come in tired I just have to focus on my game. Ahamaad Galloway and Maurice Hicks and Ian Smart are all great, and what really surprised me is how well Warren Keen is doing as a national player."
With that in mind Comella's ambitions for the season begin with ensuring that he heads to Scotland as a member of the Claymores team. "The first goal is to make the team, then contribute on the team and finally
win a World Bowl. If I can say that the Scottish Claymores are the 2004 NFL Europe champions it would be a great thing," he said.
"I think that it is going to be a great experience. The weather in Scotland will be a bit different from what I have had recently in Arizona and Tampa, but I am excited to visit a place that I have never been to before."
09 Mar, 04 | 11:14 pm