Sharing his story 🫶
One year ago, Anthony Pecorella wasn’t sure if he would ever play college football again.
Now, after defeating cancer, he’s getting ready to suit up for his hometown Stony Brook Seawolves.
Newsday Media GroupStony Brook University
The punter is often an overlooked member of a football team. A lot of guys typically are like, ohh, whatever, like brush them off. But Stony Brook Seawolves punter Anthony Pecorella happens to be a pretty popular guy. He's just awesome. Like, he's, you know, he's a people's person. But snap, good hold. Put it in Curbo. He's just a great guy. Always got a smile on his face. Anthony has a lot to smile about these days as he gets ready for the Sea Wolf season opener. But life wasn't always this way in a story Newsday TV first brought you last December. Anthony, a former kicker at Chaminade High School and the University of Maryland, discovered he had Burkitt Lymphoma, a blood cancer which required intensive chemotherapy and lots of family support. Talk about the future, talk about what we're going to do next when we get through this. Did you talk about one day you're going to be putting again? We always did. We circled that date on the calendar and that date is almost here. The Seawolf season opener is August 31st and Anthony will be back in uniform for the first time since 2022. So we're together on punt all day today. Can you taste it? Now? It's kind of going to be this almost this, this surreal moment, like out of body experience. Because it's one of those things like when I was ringing the bell. I first started chemo was kind of like, oh, I can't wait, I can't wait, I can't wait, I can't wait. Now it's here. It's like, Oh my God. Once a powerful punter for the University of Maryland, Anthony is eager to prove to himself and everyone else that he hasn't lost a step. At Maryland, I was the 4th all time punting average in school history and it was like a 4243 and change. I don't know the exact numbers. So I'm excited to kind of get back out there and show everyone that I still got it kind of thing. What do you hope people get from your journey? And where you are now, just keep going, Take one step at a time because tomorrow isn't promised and you shouldn't really worry about yesterday. Just kind of focus on the moment you're in and the rest will take care of itself. For Newsday TV, I'm Jamie Stewart.
TV News Photojournalist/Editor WNBC, 5x National Edward R. Murrow Award Winner, duPont-Columbia Award Winner, 8x NPPA Regional POY, Multi-Regional Emmy Winner
TV News Photojournalist/Editor WNBC, 5x National Edward R. Murrow Award Winner, duPont-Columbia Award Winner, 8x NPPA Regional POY, Multi-Regional Emmy Winner
2moGreat piece buddy! Wishing Anthony the absolute best!