At the age of sixteen, Jesse Cavaliero made history in his local school system when he

was asked to fill a position that had previously only been filled by experienced coaches. Jovial,

intelligent, and a natural-born leader, Cavaliero often gets asked, “Why are you so happy all the

time?” He never has an answer other than, “I don’t know, I just am.”

Growing up with a dad who loves football, Jesse naturally fell into the sport himself. He

began playing flag football at the age of ten, but knew he wanted to throw on shoulder pads and a

helmet as he got older. His parents were a bit wary of him playing football himself, but he was

willing to do whatever it took to convince them.

“I fought tooth and nail with my parents to get to play football once I got to high school,”

said Cavaliero. That drive and dedication to achieve what he wanted would aid him in the

coming years when his parents finally allowed him to put on that football jersey.

After training camp when Jesse was a rising freshman, he expected to be sitting on the

sideline cheering on his teammates for all four years. He was never the fastest, strongest, or most

skilled, but he possessed an abundance of qualities that allowed him to stand out from the rest of

the team in his own way.

As Cavaliero’s sophomore football season commenced at Poly Prep Country Day School

in Brooklyn, New York, the coach of the Junior Varsity Football Team, Khaliefa Forbes, made a

strategic move in hopes of having a successful JV season. He asked Jesse to fake signals for the

offensive line in an effort to throw off the opposing teams. Without question, Jesse Cavaliero

took up the job.

“I tried so hard to be good at something that seemed so meaningless,” said Cavaliero.

While at the time he felt that it was meaningless, it ultimately became a major source of
motivation and inspiration for what was to come. It fueled a passion within Jesse, and the Poly

Prep coaches saw that.

Halfway through his junior season, the Head Coach, Michael Camardese, pulled

Cavaliero to the side after practice to make him an offer. Tired and sweaty, “I accepted it in a

heartbeat,” he said. He got on the bus to head home, and all he could think to do was call his dad.

“I told him that Coach Cam wanted me to be the JV Offensive Coordinator, that he

wanted me to call all the plays,” said Cavaliero. “It was just the greatest honor I’ve ever had. I

wanted to tell everyone,” he continued.

It wasn’t only in the Poly Prep football program that Jesse began to shine; he was an

outstanding student academically as well. With a 4.2 weighted GPA and involvement in several

clubs and extracurricular activities, Jesse Cavaliero excelled in and out of the classroom.

Whether he’s in the middle of the huddles getting his lacrosse team riled up for games,

mentoring peers as the head of broadcast journalism, or planning out a meeting for the sports

debate club that he founded, anyone can recognize Jesse Cavaliero’s leadership abilities. Gaining

the position as offensive coordinator just finally allowed him to pinpoint his capabilities as well.

“I felt like I was getting recognized,” Cavaliero said. The recognition increased his

confidence and inspired a new passion within him. It’s not often that jobs and positions are

created simply because someone would make an outstanding candidate. Jesse Cavaliero

happened to be one of the few. As a rising senior, he will finally get his time on the field as one

of the team’s quarterbacks, as well as maintain his role as offensive coordinator for JV,

continuing to make an impact on the football program at Poly Prep.

 "Getting to see the impact I had on those kids boosted my confidence in myself, my

abilities, and the impact I can have on other people,” Cavaliero continued, “and I can’t wait to

see what I can bring out of the kids next season.”