UCF’s Poupolo enjoys heavy lifting
Looking at Joe Poupolo, you wouldn’t figure he’s a key member of UCF’s offense.
You might glance at his size — all 5-10, 255 pounds — and write him off as being too small to be a Football Bowl Subdivision player, somehow lacking in toughness and grit. And that’s where you would be wrong.
But why should you be any different than anyone else?
“In high school, I was told I was going to play D2 [Division II] or DI-AA, and I knew I wanted to play . . . at the highest level. So I knew it was going to be a tough four or five years,” Poupolo said Thursday following UCF spring football practice. “But I was ready for it.”
Poupolo said that early criticism helped fuel him — that and the fact that his friends were all going to play football at FBS programs.
“I figured I could play at the same level as them, so I guess that’s what kind of drove me because I knew I could do it all along,” said
Poupolo, a redshirt senior for the Knights. “I trained really hard in the offseason, and I put in a lot of work and I’m glad that I did it.
“It was the best decision of my life, honestly.”
Those dreams of playing at the highest level of college football became a reality when Poupolo earned a spot on the UCF roster as a walk-on his freshman season. He quickly earned the reputation as being a formidable force on and off the football field.
In the weight room, Poupolo demonstrated a relentless work ethic that helped him earn the distinction of being one of the strongest players on the Knights’ roster. Last season, he earned the team’s Iron Man award for being the team’s best weightlifter.
With each squat, each lift and each press, Poupolo left teammates and coaches with a lasting impression.
“He likes to eat. He likes to lift weights. And he likes to block people,” said Keegan Kennedy, who is in his third season at UCF and his first season coaching the tight ends, hbacks and special teams.
Poupolo says his affinity for the weight room dates back to his days at Barron Collier High School in Naples.
“Ever since I was in high school, my coach emphasized that the weight room gets you better out on the field,” said Poupolo, who according to Kennedy holds several records in the UCF weight room, including squat and bench.
The work has paid off as Poupolo has quickly grown into one of the leaders on this UCF team. And as
much as he enjoys working out, he also enjoys lining up as an H-back and the feel of a big hit on the football field.
“Getting your personal record in squat is definitely like a huge accomplishment and then going out on the field and getting a big block — they both relate to me in the same way,” he said. “I love both just as much.”
It’s Poupolo’s passion that has made him an asset to the Knights’ offense.
“Joey has really bought in to being the big hitter in our offense,” Kennedy said. “He’s 5-10, 255-pounds. He’s not catching a lot of balls deep. He really helps us in the run game by setting the tone and getting those big blocks that helps us get yards on our offense.”
And Poupolo knows that setting the tone means making the plays when they count.
So when he’s in his stance before the ball is snapped, his thought process is clear: “I’m just thinking, ‘OK, I’ve got to go wail on this guy.’”