Where Are They Now?:Q&A With Sean Donnelly

My next interview is with Sean Donnelly, a 1983 graduate of W. T. Woodson. I've heard some great stories about Mr. Donnelly when he played football at W.T. Woodson and Virginia Tech. Since he's my neighbor, he was nice enough to let me interview him in person. My dad likes to say "Tristan, did you know we have a Woodson legend living in our neighborhood?"

Mr.Donnelly played for W.T. football and track, he got a scholorship to Virginia Tech to play football. #25 at Virginia Tech


Tristan Lau: How did sports affect your life?


Sean Donnelly: It was a big part of my life-it paid for my education and from that I have a sore back!


TL: If you could change something about your sports career what would it be?


SD:I wish that I would have played baseball more than running track. I was better in baseball than in track. At least I think I was.


TL: What athletes inspire you?


SD: John Riggins(Running Back, Washington Redskins,1976-1979,1981-1985), Elvin Hayes(Baltimore/Washington Bullets,won 2 championships,1972-1981), Charley Taylor(#42 Washington Redskins,1964-1977)

TL: What is the key to being a star running back, like yourself?


SD:Hard work, always working out, everthing doesn't come naturally, you give so much just to be a little bit better. As a kid, I always carried a football around everywhere, so I got a better feel for the ball.


TL: What was your favorite class at W.T. Woodson?


SD: Goverment and English


TL: What was your favorite moment in high school playing football?


SD: We(W.T. Woodson) were losing to Lee High School with a minute left and the starting quarterback(Ralph Schmit) got hurt. Backup Skip Azzarita came in and threw a 60 yard touchdown pass to me and W.T. Woodson won. More importantly, we stayed undefeated. One cool things about this was, Skip was my friend that I used to play football with on the street as kids.


TL: What was your favorite moment in college playing football?


SD: It had to be the last play of my senior year when I ran for a 38 yard touchdown.


TL: How old were you when you started playing football?


SD: 7 years old when I started playing organized football.


TL: What other sports did you play growing up?


SD: Baseball, basketball, football, and in high school I ran track.


TL: What do you attribute your success to?


SD: I had a lot of desire; I really wanted it. I wanted to get into a good college so my goal was to get a football scholarship. I wanted it since I was a freshman in high school.

TL: What was your favorite stadium to play at besides Virginia Tech?

SD: I was lucky enough to play in the Superdome vs Tulane, Florida Field(Florida), and Death Valley against Clemson.



NOTES: Sean Donnelly got scholarships offers to Virginia Tech, Maryland, and Virginia. He decided to go with his gut feeling to go with Virginia Tech. High school coach, John Cox, was a positive influence on Mr. Donnelly while he played at W.T. Woodson and helped him through the college decision making.


A BIG THANKS TO SEAN DONNELLY!!! GO CAVS!!!!





If you have any questions email Tristan at wtwcavsinterviews@gmail.com

Where Are They Now?:Q&A With Nick Olivero

Played for W.T. Woodson Cavs Fall 1999-Spring 2004 Boys Varsity Basketball









Tristan Lau:What was your favorite class at W.T. Woodson?
Nick Olivero:My favorite class at W.T. Woodson was probably AP US History, mainly because Mr. Lundy taught it and he is a very good teacher.


TL:Did you play travel basketball growing up?
NO: I didn't really play travel basketball much. I played a lot of different sports growing up and I didn't really focus on basketball until high school. When I was a sophomore in high school I played for a travel AAU team, but only for a couple of months.



TL:What team did you play for?
NO:The travel team I did play for was called the Northern Virginia All-Stars.


TL:Who was your basketball hero?
NO:My basketball hero is Michael Jordan.


TL:Why?
NO:I've always admired his competiveness, work ethic, and athleticism. Definitely the greatest basketball player of all time.



TL:What are some differences between high school basketball and college basketball?
NO:I think the main difference is that in college everyone is good. The players are much bigger and faster, so you can't get away with as many mistakes in college basketball. Also in college, the pace of the game is much faster than it is in high school.









TL:What coach do you like the best?
NO:I think my high school basketball coach, Coach Pflugrath, is the coach i've liked the best in my years playing sports.




TL:What are you doing now in terms of a job?
NO:After graduating from Catholic University, I decided to pursue a career in the military. I joined the Army as an Officer and I leave for Officer Candidate School on March 31st.


TL:Do you play in an adult league for basketball?
NO:Me and some friends actually recently joined a adult basketball league in Arlington. The games are fun, the competition is also pretty good too.

TL:Are you still playing defensive back in football?
NO:If I was still playing football, I would be playing defensive back. I played Safety all 4 years that I was at Catholic University, but now that I have graduated,playing football is, unfortunatly, no longer a option.

A BIG THANKS TO NICK OLIVERO!!! GO CAVS!!

If you have any questions email Tristan at wtwcavsinterviews@gmail.com