You're Going to be a Running Back: Nick Palazzo's First Carry
Nick Palazzo's greatest inspiration and support in developing as an athlete came from his older brother. Of course, Nick Palazzo's Mom and Dad, supported him greatly, but his brother made him a running back. Here's the story of the first time Nick Palazzo ever carried the football and how it wasn't exactly the start you would imagine....
A Letter to My Little Girls: The Day I Became a Running Back
I’ll never forget the day I first ran with a football. Your Uncle—my big Brother—made sure of that.
It was the early days of your Uncle’s football career. He was in 6th grade, playing CYO football, and everyone was buzzing with pride for the Cleveland Browns. Back then, the Browns were legends (I know, it’s hard to imagine now, given their struggles during your lifetime). The star of the show was Bernie Kosar, a hometown hero from Boardman, Ohio, just a short drive from Cleveland. Bernie was a quarterback who entered the NFL’s supplemental draft just to play for his beloved Browns. The team was a powerhouse, reaching the AFC Championship twice during that era.
I was obsessed with the Browns. Every Halloween, for three years straight, I suited up as Bernie Kosar, proudly wearing his number 19 and my Browns uniform. Fun fact: I wasn’t the only one. Even NFL star Travis Kelce rocked a Bernie Kosar costume back in the day!
My Browns uniform came with a small, feather-filled football that I loved tossing around. One day, your Uncle came home from practice, bursting with energy. He was in his first year of tackle football, and his coach had made him a middle linebacker because of his strength and toughness. A middle linebacker’s job? Crush the running back. Naturally, your Uncle decided I was the perfect practice dummy.
He grabbed my fake football, tucked it under my arm, and declared, “You’re going to be a running back.” I had no idea what that really meant, but I loved football so I was game. He set up a drill: we’d stand 10 yards apart, and he’d try to tackle me as I ran toward him.
Picture this: me, a 7-year old kid in a Halloween costume, clutching a flimsy football, charging straight at my big Brother without hesitation. I ran straight upright. Big mistake. The next thing I knew, I was flat on my back, staring at the sky, with your Grandma (God rest her soul) screaming beside me to wake up. Your Uncle had tackled me so hard I got knocked out cold.
Needless to say, I never ran straight up again nor did I ever play another position.
My Brother was right, I was going to be a running back.
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
Personal Blog: https://www.nickpalazzo.com/
LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-palazzo/
X Profile: https://x.com/nick22palazzo
Instagram Profile: https://www.instagram.com/nick22palazzo
