The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Mentor grad Paglio picks Mount Union
The Mount Union football team is getting a hard worker.
There are a lot of things Jackson Paglio brings to the table on the football team, and the Mentor faithful saw that over the past four years of Paglio’s career.
Tackling ability, pass coverage, hard-hits and grit.
Above it all, Paglio emcompasses hard work.
That’s what he promised as he made his verbal commitment to join the traditionrich Purple Raiders this coming fall.
“I’m very excited about it,” said the 6-foot, 210-pound linebacker. “It’s a great program all the way around. I’m going to go in and work hard. That’s what I bring to any team on which I play — I work hard.”
Paglio selected Mount Union over John Carroll and Walsh University. He plans to major in business management.
“I’ve wanted to play college football since I was real young,” Paglio said. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted to do.”
College football is kind of the Paglio way.
His grandfather John Paglio was a 1964 draft pick of the Baltimore Colts. His father Dean played at West Virginia University. Additionally, his uncle John played for Mount Union. Mount Union will have a new coach when Paglio arrives, as Geoff Dartt has been named the head coach after former head coach Vince Kehres took a coaching position at Toledo.
But Paglio said the coaching move did not deter him from making his choice.
“I sat down and talked with him and he as the same mindset as the other coaches,” Paglio said. “I’m not worried about the coaching change at all. I know it’s a hard-working team.”
Paglio is the second Mentor player to commit to the Purple Raiders in recent months. Teammate Frank Schmidt, a defensive lineman, is also headed to Mount Union.
“Frank and I talk almost every day, and we’re so excited to go to Mount Union together,” he said. “We can’t wait. We’ve been playing together since third grade.”
Paglio is coming off a senior year in which he helped Mentor advance to the Division I state semifinal round, where the Cardinals lost to Pickerington Central. He was named second team Division I AllOhio at linebacker.
“I could not have wished for a better four years than the years I had at Mentor,” he said. “Wins, losses, meeting great friends, getting to play football with my friends — that was the best time of my life.”