Danny DeLorenzi, Columbia University D-Lineman Talks About the Pain of Watching From the Sideline
When I first walked into Parabolic Performance & Rehab in Little Falls, NJ for this interview, there was a massive human being running sprints on the treadmill, but he took the time to stop, shake my hand, look me in the eye and say "Nice to meet you, Sir." Once I got over the initial shock of being called "Sir" for the first time in my life, I made a fist to make sure my hand wasn't broken. Fortunately for me, it wasn't broken and my chances of running the football against Daniel (Danny) DeLorenzi and the Columbia defense is 0. To say the least, I was immediately impressed by both Danny's size, respectfulness and intelligence. Mr. and Mrs. DeLorenzi, you did a fine job raising this young man.
Danny is currently a 6'2", 245lb freshman defensive lineman on the Columbia University football team. Before accepting his offer from the Columbia football team, Danny actually committed to the Princeton wrestling team, which is further proof of his talents. Based on what you have read so far, you might be thinking that it seems like Danny is living the dream right now, but this is the Heads 'N Tales podcast, so you know his road to success wasn't without its challenges. Going into his Junior year at NJ football powerhouse, Bergen Catholic, Danny fractured his lumbar spine (S1), during an offseason workout which consisted of power cleans (admittedly with poor form) and sprints. In this episode, we learn about the importance of having patience in your recovery and Danny gives us some tips for when injuries force us to be on the sidelines on cold Friday nights.
Dr. Danielle Clarke, Physical Therapist at Parabolic joins us again on this episode and she talks about the work her and Danny did to get him back on the field safely. Dr. Clarke explains the importance of educating her patients on their injuries and the "why" behind every exercise. We also have some interesting discussions about the variance of athlete personalities between sports, specifically football and wrestling. We also talk about the definition of "toughness" and what makes someone tough and both Danny and Dr. Clarke tell us who the toughest people they know are.
Danny took fourth place in the N.J. State Championships at 195 pounds his junior season at Bergen Catholic and had an offer to wrestle at Princeton University.
