He is the starting quarterback. He has a near-perfect GPA as a biochemistry major. But he would rather talk about the two bracelets on his wrist. One is for spinal cord research and is a reminder of a friend who was in a car accident. The other is for organ donors in honor of his aunt, who died and donated her organs.
“I haven’t taken them off in years,” said junior quarterback Anthony Orio. “They are a constant reminder.”
The Voorhees, N.J., native passed for 130 yards in Saturday’s 42-14 win over Northwestern State. He passed for two touchdowns and ran for two more, including a 25-yard run in the third quarter where he broke five Demon tackles, earning him the Northeastern News Player of the Week honors.
“That was the highlight of Saturday for me,” Orio said. “I haven’t made a run like that since high school.”
But Orio is humble about his accomplishments on and off the field, insisting he is blessed for the opportunities.
“What people don’t know is I am kind of quiet and laid back,” Orio said. “I don’t go around letting people know I am the quarterback and I have good grades. I would rather stay home on Friday and watch TV than go out and party. I know I am gifted to be placed in the situation I have been. I feel I should be getting good grades and I should be performing well.”
While he is only a junior, his academic standing has made it possible for him to graduate at the end of this year if he wants and forfeit his senior season.
“I am not 100 percent on my decision,” he said. “I am applying to medical schools to be an orthopedic surgeon and if I am fortunate enough to get into a school that I feel will benefit my future then I won’t be back next year. I have been thinking about this for months, and it has weighed heavily on me.”
Orio said he has wanted to be an orthopedic surgeon since he was in eighth grade and broke both his right wrist and left thumb at the same time. It was when he broke them and an orthopedic surgeon put his casts on at the field that he first became interested in the medical field.
“I have always been a math and science guy,” Orio said. “And after that experience I became very interested in what he [the surgeon] did. It’s always something I have been very comfortable studying.”
Orio had a career game against NSU but it came just one week after the disappointing 49-14 home opener loss to Richmond. Orio said he didn’t read the criticism from the game and just left it in the past.
“That’s what happens when you are the starting quarterback,” he said. “It happens on every level from high school to the pros. When things go well, you’re the player of the week, and when they go bad you are the first guy they point to. It’s just something I have learned to deal with.”
At the same time, he said he isn’t going to think about this week’s win when the team heads to UC Davis for a game Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
“I just turn the page,” he said. “Last week is meaningless. It is good that we got the first win, but no one wants to win only one game and we have a new game and it’s time to move on.”
– Erika Carrubba, News Staff
