Gennaro Leo, the 2001 Boston Globe Division 1 Player of the Year at Everett High School and one of the greatest players in school history, has added another impressive achievement to his spectacular football career.
Leo was selected to the Trinity College Wall of Honor in recognition of his accomplishments in the Bantams’ program where he set the all-time rushing touchdown record (26) in three seasons (2004-06), led the NESCAC in rushing and all-purpose yards as a senior captain, and was a two-time NESCAC All-Conference First Team selection.
But more importantly, Leo excelled as a running back on teams that built an amazing 31-game winning streak., It was the nation’s longest unbeaten streak at that time and acquired fame on ESPN.
Leo said he is excited about his Wall of Honor recognition, cementing his status as one of the greatest players in the 149-year history of the program.
“I haven’t really revisited my football career much, other than my [wrist] surgeries that I continue to have, but this honor is a little special, it’s really cool to be up there with all those Trinity players,” said Leo. “I can’t even believe it’s true. I was just able to play on some great teams. It’s nice to be recognized for all the hard work that went into it since I was a little kid learning football from my dad [longtime youth football coach Chuckie Leo] and playing at Everett High School.”
Leo said he is happy to share the honor with Walter Fallas (Class of 2011) of Everett High, who has also ascended to the Wall of Honor. He also noted that one of the quarterbacks during the Bantams’ championship seasons was Eric McGrath of Lynn Classical.
“Eric was just awesome,” said Gennaro. “When he came to visit Trinity as a senior in high school, I was Eric’s tour guide.”
Gennaro graduated from Trinity with a double major in Economics and Italian.
“The reason I went to Trinity was because of Mr. [Tom] DiBenedetto [an alumnus of the college],” said Gennaro. “He was a great mentor to Everett students and I’m immensely grateful to him.”
‘The Leo Leap’
Now a highly successful business owner of L8 Advisory Group in in the professional sports industry, living in Denver, Leo will be forever remembered in Everett and Massachusetts football lore for “The Leo Leap,” a conversion rush during which he soared from the 5-yard line to just inside the pylon to give Everett the go-ahead points in an 8-7 victory over Bridgewater-Raynham in the Division 1 Super Bowl at BU’s Nickerson Field.
Many Everett fans consider Leo’s two-pointer and Coach John DiBiaso’s gutsy decision to go for two with 30 seconds left in the game as the launching pad for the Everett High football dynasty in this century.
“I was not surprised that Coach DiBiaso decided to go for two,” said Leo. “We had played enough football. It was a very hard end of the year losing to Cambridge (13-7) on Thanksgiving and then four nights later playing against St. John’s Prep (whose quarterback was Dan Ross Jr., son of Cincinnati Bengal Super Bowl champion Dan Ross Sr.) with all those Division 1 players and pulling a major upset on Tuesday night. So, we played Thursday, Tuesday, and the following Saturday against Bridgewater-Raynham.”
Interestingly, Everett had played Bridgewater-Raynham in the preseason on Cape Cod.
“It was our first scrimmage and that’s the first time we realized, ‘We might be good,’ because we were so young and were very competitive against one of the preseason favorites,” recalled Gennaro.
Further reflecting on the game-winning conversion, Leo said that quarterback Matt Nuzzo pitched the ball to him.
“Matt was also the lead blocker when we ran the Double-T, and as a freshman, 14-year-old kid, Matt made an amazing block,” said Gennaro. “I was already to the sideline and I jumped – it happened really fast. I just took that leap. The funny part is that my left foot and knee are coming down before the goal line and the edge of the football was rubbing up against the pylon – I’m just so thankful of that play.”
“And do you know who was holding the yard-down marker at the goal line?” remembered Gennaro. “It was Bobby Prestera, who was one of the umpires on the sidelines, and I had played baseball for Bobby in Everett, so it just felt right him being over there.”
The state’s best football player as a senior, Gennaro humbly deflects to his former teammate, Diamond Ferri, as the originator of Everett’s run of excellence.
“Diamond put us on the national stage – he was the best football player I’ve ever seen at any level,” said Gennaro. “Even in Pop Warner, Diamond showed us what greatness was. And the best leaders I was every around were Nicky Nazzaro and Matty Nuzzo. I’m very appreciative to all my teammates, Coach DiBiaso, the assistant coaches, and the whole school for supporting our team.”
Leo’s style of running combined instant acceleration out of the backfield, speed, elusiveness, and toughness.
“My dad taught me how to play football, so I know how to play football,” lauded Gennaro. “I grew up down Sacramone Park. That was like my home because my father was coaching there.”
From his Everett Eagles’ Pop Warner career to his All-Scholastic accomplishments for the Crimson Tide to his Bantams’ Brilliance on the Trinity Wall of Honor, Gennaro Leo’s legacy will live on forever in Everett and Hartford.
And the next chapter in the family’s history is getting underway.
“Have you seen my nephew (Crimson Tide Youth Football player Mance McKinney, son of Timmance McKinney and Taylor Leo) play yet? Check him out, he’s special,” said Gennaro proudly.