UConn lands state Player of the Year Neider
The UConn football program has secured the Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year in backto-back seasons.
Law’s John Neider, this year’s player of the year and the New Haven Register First Team All-State quarterback, announced on Friday that he will be joining his predecessor, running back Victor Rosa of Bristol Central, in the UConn locker room next fall.
Neider led Law to the SCC Tier III championship and to its first ever CIAC state tournament victory this season. He was involved in 55 of his team’s 75 total touchdowns on the year.
Neider completed 155 of his 236 pass attempts for 2,289 yards and 30 touchdowns with six interceptions. He also rushed for 1,696 yards on 131 carries with 24 touchdowns. He even caught one touchdown pass.
“I know what they are getting,” Law coach Chris Haley said. “They are getting the ultimate program kid. Without question dedicated to whatever the mission of the team is. They are getting somebody who is incredibly dedicated, tough, quiet and gritty, which is everything you could ever hope for.”
Neider’s trophy case has filled up in the last couple of years, as he has won SCC Tier III Player of the Year twice, was named a CHSCA Top 26 Player, and was a New Haven Register All-State honorable mention as a junior.
“It is a disservice to John Neider when they say he is an amazing athlete, because nobody just learns to be a quarterback by athleticism,” Haley said. “This guy learned how to play quarterback on March 16th going into his junior season. There is an incredible amount of hard work there involved, and coaching a kid like that makes it effortless. There is no need to motivate.”
By the time the fall season had ended, he was considering various schools that had expressed interest including