COLLEGE FOOTBALL: DELILL SIGNS TO PLAY COLLEGIATELY AT ST. JOHN FISHER (4 PHOTOS) (2023-03-23)

By TIM BIRNEY
Valley Sports Report
WAVERLY — St. John Fisher was not on Nate DeLill’s radar when he started visiting colleges, but once the Waverly senior stepped on campus, he knew it was where he wanted to spend the next four years playing football.

On Thursday, DeLill signed a National Letter-of-Intent to play for the Cardinals in a brief ceremony in the high school’s learning center.

“I went a lot of places, but (St. John Fisher) really stood out,” said DeLill. “It’s a beautiful campus, and I know a lot of people there — two Athens boys (Lucas Horton and Mason Lister) I’m good friends with are going there, and I’ll have my best friend (Waverly senior Isaiah Bretz) rooming with me.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun, and the team is looking good,” added DeLill. “Hopefully, we’re going to win the Empire 8 next year.”

DeLill originally thought Utica College would be his choice, but his high school — and future college — teammate Isaiah Bretz encouraged him to visit St. John Fisher.

“At first, I thought Utica College was the spot for me, but Isaiah (Bretz), who had visited there earlier in the season, told me ‘once you go to St. John Fisher, your head is gonna turn.’

“I went, and I was like ‘Wow,” said DeLill. “It’s the nicest campus I’ve ever seen, and everybody was very friendly.

“I don’t know exactly what it was, but it turned my head, and I knew it was the place for me,” he added.

DeLill knows he has work to do, and that there will be an adjustment to playing at the next level.

“I need to work on my speed and getting stronger, and work on the mental aspects of the game.

“It’s going to be weird having a different coach, I’ve had coach (Jason) Miller almost my whole life,” he said. “But, the (St. John Fisher) coaches are great. Coach Vosburgh has been there a long time, he knows his stuff.

“I’m really excited to see what’s ahead of me,” DeLill added.

DeLill, who was a two-way standout for the Wolverines, said he’ll be playing offense at St. John Fisher.

“I’ll be playing tight end and fullback,” he said. They’re really low on tight ends, that’s why they were so glad I committed. Hopefully, I can make a difference.

“I would say I have a chance to get on the field quickly, but I’ll have to work my tail off in the offseason, which I’ve been doing,” DeLill added.

Waverly coach Jason Miller said DeLill will have to work on his speed, and get in the weight room, but he has one thing you can’t teach — size.

“He has good size, they will probably play him at H-back,” said Miller. “He’s a good blocker … there are going to be a lot of similar schemes and similar technique, so he’ll be able to adjust to the playbook pretty easily.

“He needs to get stronger, and a little faster, but he has a good foundation of size, and that’s what’s key at that position,” noted Miller.  “It’s a brutal position in college, but he has a good foundation of height and girth to handle the physical demands of that position.

“Like all these kids, he’ll transform quickly once he gets into a college weight program,” added Miller.

The longtime Waverly coach believes St. John Fisher is a good fit for DeLill.

“He’s an aggressive kid, and he has good hands, so that’s a compliment to what they will want to do with him.

“It’s a great opportunity for him in a program with a lot of familiarity with the other kids going there,” added Miller. “He should adjust well to the social and academic part of it.”

DeLill has not declared a major, but is “leaning toward Business.”

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IN PHOTO 1: Waverly senior Nate DeLill. IN PHOTO 2: Nate DeLill is flanked by his parents — Scott and Julie. … PHOTOS BY TIM BIRNEY.