At Wilmington High School in northeastern Pennsylvania, I was active in football, basketball, and track & field. I was a 6'-3', 200 pound safety and wide receiver on the football team. After completing my two year stint in New Wilmington, I was honored to graduate as a two-time all tri-county defensive back, and in 1977 was also voted most valuable defensive back. In my senior high school year, I was recruited in football, my best and favorite sport, by the likes of Ohio State, Wisconsin, Louisville, Virginia Tech, and West Virginia University to name a few. My dad, family, and I loved traveling to the cities and touring the campuses. I was classified by college scouts and coaches as a "Blue Chip" athlete coming out of high school. I was focused on football, track, and basketball, but I lost my focus in the classroom. I was a bright kid, I just didn't apply myself like I should have. Instead, I focused on sports and girls, like many seventeen year olds do. So, in 1979, after the disappointment of not being able to play for a major college or university, I opted to sign to play football at a local school, Slippery Rock State College, which is now known as Slippery Rock University, or The Rock, now in NCAA Division II. I majored in communications. The highlight of my brief football career at The Rock was the September 29, 1979 game at the famed Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, against Shippensburg. We lost that game, but it was a great experience. I later returned to college and earned an English degree from Penn State University.