New Jersey standout ready for Boone

When a football program starts winning championships, the recruiting process becomes much easier as players start recruiting the school itself a little more often. In Appalachian State's most recent class, this has been the case on at least two occasions. One player that took this route is Waldwick (N.J.) High senior Bobby Bozzo.

"I made a bunch of copies of my highlight tape and sent them to all the schools I thought I could play at," the 6-foot-3, 265-pound Bozzo said. "After that [ASU] called my coach and then we started talking. It was actually real late in my recruiting the first time I talked them. I think I talked to them just before they got on the bus before the Furman game."

By the time Appalachian State came into the picture, Bozzo, a defensive tackle, had already been getting heavy interest from a handful of schools.

"App came in a little late compared to the other schools recruiting me," he said. "I had offers from Stony Brook, Albany, Monmouth, Fordham, Towson and a lot of the Patriot League schools were offering me what they could. Temple wanted me to come walk-on and join their team.

"I was actually all set to go to Fordham. That's where my dad went and it's close to home but then I got the call from App and I went down there and loved it."

Bozzo, who had visited Fordham (Dec. 8) and Monmouth (Dec. 16), was so impressed with his visit to ASU the trip left him in awe.

"When I went on my trip to App I wasn't really expecting a whole lot," he said. "I had no idea about the area and I thought it would be more like the mountains up here in New Jersey – nothing but forests and land.

"When we first drove up, just to look at the view and the campus made my jaw literally drop. My jaw just dropped when I saw it. Most kids knew what to expect when they came to App, but I was just amazed with the campus, the view and the fresh mountain air – it's not like that in New Jersey."

In addition to the view, several other things stuck out to Bozzo about ASU.

"The school is beautiful and they have the exact program I'm looking for – advertising," Bozzo explained. "The other schools didn't have that and I was just going to have to go a marketing and business route to get what I wanted.

"The team was great when I met them. Daniel Finnerty was my host and he was great for that. He was real nice and he answered all my questions. The kids on the team all have a great attitude and are not cocky at all – just positive. Coach (Jerry) Moore is really a genuine person and you could tell he really cares about his players.

"After our meal with the team he was over there wrapping up food for his players to take back to the dorm. He just legitimately cares."

As for Bozzo's attributes as a player, the Mountaineers are once again getting a player that can provide some versatility to the roster. Although he is expected to be lining up at defensive tackle, there is still a possibility he could end up elsewhere.

"I've played end, tackle, linebacker and in the offensive line in high school," he said. "I didn't play a lot of line until my senior year, but that's where App likes me. I'm still new to it and being new at it I need to work on my technique in general, but I got a lot better by the end of the year.

"I play defensive tackle a lot like a linebacker plays. I'm an effort player. I just get after the ball and I am always chasing the ball. I read plays well and I take good angles on plays. I guess you could say I'm hard-nosed, too."

Bozzo, who will report to campus on July 1, closed off his high school career with several honors marked to his name. These included third team all-conference, first team all-league and a selection to the North – South All-Star game held June 28 at Rutgers in New Jersey, where he will participate as an offensive lineman.

But, perhaps the biggest honor Bozzo received was being named as a recipient of the 2007 National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame Scholar/Athlete award. This honor affords him the opportunity to have his name on a plaque that is displayed in Giants Stadium and at the College Football Hall of Fame on the Notre Dame campus.