Nick Palazzo’s 8th Grade Decision: The Big Mac That Changed Nick Palazzo’s Path in Ohio High School Football
As a seventh grader, Nick Palazzo had already experienced the thrill of breaking records on the football field for his parish CYO team. But the following year brought one of the biggest decisions of his young life—one that would shape his path in Northeast Ohio football and teach lasting lessons about faith, loyalty, and following your heart.
A Letter to My Little Girls
I told you about my adventures playing CYO football for St. Francis growing up, especially that explosive 400-yard game in seventh grade. Every season brings its own winds, and my eighth-grade year was no different. I had excelled at St. Francis as a seventh grader with a record-breaking campaign, wearing the family #22 and playing for our Catholic community. I valued my faith deeply and always wanted to glorify our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ through the game I loved. There was no better way, I believed, than to play for a Catholic school.
But a personal relationship would make all the difference in my decision.
To understand it, you have to go back to my days as an elementary school student at Center School. That place was magical—a wonderful environment with amazing teachers and epic playground sports battles. I attended Center School from Kindergarten through fifth grade. During that time, I had the most incredible physical education teacher, the greatest gym teacher who ever lived. He was a tremendous athlete in his own right, a physical specimen standing 6 feet 3 inches tall, who could play all the sports. He grew up in a legendary and tough Pennsylvania town.
This gym teacher was all about building relationships, supporting the growth of all his students, and most importantly, believing in them. We had a special bond. I loved his classes more than any other. Every day I looked forward to seeing him. He went out of his way to teach me, challenge me, and reward me.
One day I’ll never forget, he invited me into his office in the gym. He opened his drawer and pulled out fresh homemade Oreo cookies—the best I had ever tasted. What earned me such a treat? We used to play different versions of dodgeball, and my favorite was called Star Wars. One player was chosen as Luke Skywalker and given a lance that could bring teammates back into the game. But if Luke got hit, the game was over.
I loved being Luke Skywalker. One day this amazing teacher decided to test me. He put me as Luke Skywalker with no other teammates—30 kids versus me alone. The bet was that I couldn’t last five minutes. Two minutes in, I was doing well until I took a hard sponge dodgeball right in the eye. I went down but wasn’t out. I had a minor scratched cornea, but I refused to quit. I told him I didn’t need time to recover. I lasted the full five minutes. What a day, and those warm homemade Oreos made it unforgettable.
So what does this have to do with eighth-grade middle school football? That same legendary gym teacher was also the eighth-grade football coach for the public middle school. He had a reputation for winning big, and he wanted his star pupil to play for the hometown Mayfield Wildcats instead of St. Francis.
Like a brilliant recruiter, he enlisted help from two very influential people in my life: my older brother and his best friend, who was also my good friend living down the street. The gym teacher told each of them he would buy them a Big Mac Meal if they could convince me to play for the Mayfield Wildcats and hang up my cleats for the church team.
This would go down in history as the most influential Big Macs in Northeast Ohio football lore, at least in Mayfield. My brother and our mutual friend pestered me day in and day out. They told me the best players would play for Mayfield and that I wasn’t the “s” word if I didn’t join. Our St. Francis team had about 40 players across three grades, while the Mayfield team had nearly 80 players for just one grade. That’s how football is in Northeast Ohio—it’s in your blood. They put footballs in the cribs of babies born there.
It came down to decision time in the summer before practice started. The three master recruiters put together a plan. They had me meet them at the middle school field where my jersey was laid out and ready—weeks before the team came together. And yes, it was our family’s #22.
While it wasn’t a jersey with a cross on the outside, it was the jersey and colors I had dreamed of wearing since I could remember. All I ever wanted was to be a football player for the Mayfield Wildcats. At that point, it wasn’t really a decision. I was in. The rest, as they say, is history.
My brother and our friend enjoyed the most glorious meal at the local McDonald’s, and the gym teacher kept his end of the bargain. And while I didn’t get to wear a cross on the outside of my jersey, you can bet there was always a cross on the inside. Because I have always told you—we play for God and our Lord Jesus Christ, always and forever.
That’s the decision—how I became a Mayfield Wildcat. And what a season we had—undefeated and legendary. You’ll learn more about that someday. It’s another story that must be told.
I love you, my little girls. Hopefully you realize that sometimes with a big decision, you have to follow your heart and find a way to make it right—to honor those who have helped you along the way and continue to believe in you. It won’t always be easy, but it will always be alright.
To every young person facing challenges: success draws opposition, but faith and family endure. Embrace your gifts, learn from setbacks, and always give thanks. That’s the foundation Nick Palazzo built on. Remember our way, encapsulated in three simple words: nothing else matters… Jesus is Lord.
About the Author – Nick Palazzo
Nick Palazzo is an industry recognized sports technology entrepreneur and marketing innovator appearing in numerous publications and broadcast programs, including The New York Times, the “Today” show, Mediaweek, MIN, Folio, Sports Business Journal, Forbes and Adweek, and is a frequent keynote and panel speaker at sports, media and technology industry events. Earlier in his career, Nick Palazzo was featured as a “C-Level Visionary” by Folio as part of its annual Folio:40 list of media industry influencers and innovators. Palazzo was also featured in the acclaimed book Upstarts! How GenY Entrepreneurs are Rocking The World of Business.
A graduate of Harvard University, where he finished as one of the football program's all-time leading rushers and scorers and a key member of the first undefeated championship team since 1913, Nick Palazzo is passionate about expanding the possibilities available to today’s student-athletes from under-resourced areas.
Nick Palazzo was also a nominee for The William V. Campbell Trophy aka the “Academic Heisman”, the most prestigious and desirable academic award in college football. The trophy recognizes an individual as the absolute best in the country for his academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
While a Harvard athlete, Nick Palazzo founded STACK which grew into a global athletic training content sensation with a mission of educating and inspiring youth athletes. STACK was the originator of athlete-centric content produced “For the Athlete, By the Athlete," with a focus on training, nutrition, skills and gear. LeBron James was the first athlete featured by the platform where his high school workout was shared with the world.
Nick Palazzo is a proud #girldad with four amazing daughters. He is also a devout Roman Catholic having been involved in the Harvard Catholic Student Society and a variety of other catholic organizations over the years. Nick Palazzo's favorite Bible verse is Romans 10:9. Jesus is Lord.
Business Site: https://www.npventures.com
Family Blog: https://www.nickpalazzo.org
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-palazzo/
X Profile: https://x.com/nick22palazzo
Instagram Profile: https://www.instagram.com/nick22palazzo
Personal Blog: https://www.nickpalazzo.com/
Sports Site: https://www.2x2sports.com
Nick Palazzo
Nick Palazzo is a Harvard graduate, former collegiate standout, and founder of groundbreaking sports platforms like STACK. A proud #girldad to four daughters and devout Catholic, he channels his love for faith, family, and football into the 2x2 Foundation, helping under-resourced student-athletes chase their dreams—just like a certain 8th grader who had a big decision to make about where he would take his talents.
For more stories like this, follow along on nickpalazzo.org.
