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Saint Anthony’s head football coach and defensive coordinator Joe Minucci first approached Michael Leo about moving to strong safety in February 2021 ahead of the Friars’ season — which came in the spring because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Defense was foreign to Leo. He was used to having the ball in his hands, either as a speedy running back or a slick attack in lacrosse. Taking the ball out of Leo’s hands meant losing the freedom to create for himself. With a new pass-first offensive scheme, Leo’s best chance of contributing was on defense.

There was hesitation at first, but Leo came around to the idea. He fit all the variables Minucci was looking for as a natural athlete with physicality and toughness tailor-made for the safety position.

“That kind of encapsulates the kind of kid he is. A team player and competitor who just wants to do what’s best for the team,” Minucci said.

Before his time as a downhill dodging midfielder for Syracuse lacrosse, Leo was a standout strong safety in football at Saint Anthony’s High School on Long Island, where physicality was his main tool. Despite playing only one full season of varsity, Leo made a name for himself as a hard-hitter, delivering punishing blows over the middle of the field and using his speed for big play ability as a kick returner. His previous experience playing varsity lacrosse as an eighth grader helped him never shy away from contact.

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Before his school career began, Leo had a stick in his hand at 3 years old. Yet most of his closest friends played football for the Seaford Broncos, a local youth team. He frequently attended the Broncos’ games before a coach spotted Leo’s speed while running on the sidelines and asked his dad, Mike, about him joining the team.

From then until middle school, Leo wreaked havoc with his elite speed. Lacrosse was always his main focus, but football’s contactual nature helped Leo prepare for stronger defenders.

As a seventh grader at MacArthur Middle School, Leo dominated in both sports, helping the football team go undefeated. Yet Leo’s lacrosse game garnered ideas of a possible spot on varsity.

Although Leo’s talent was clear, his stature didn’t resemble a typical varsity lacrosse player. As a result, Mike reached out to Craig Paypach — a local physical trainer — whose son played travel lacrosse with Leo.

From the first time Leo set foot in Paypach’s garage, he noticed Leo wasn’t an “ordinary seventh grader.”

“If we said we’re going to go at five o’clock on a Tuesday, he showed up at 10 to five and there were no distractions,” Paypach said.

Paypach’s workouts with Leo consisted of bench press reps, rowing exercises, deadlifts for back strength, overhead shoulder presses, bicep curls and jumping rope for lower body strength. Sessions typically lasted for one hour two to three times a week.

Leo developed strength, which paid dividends as a dual-sport athlete — prompting him to Saint Anthony’s in 9th grade in 2019 for a bigger challenge. Although the Friars are known as one of the best lacrosse schools in the country — with alumni like Tewaaraton winners Brennan O’Neill and Tom Schreiber — Leo’s football career continued.

Michael Leo unleashes a shot with two defenders on him against High Point. Jacob Halsema | Staff Photographer

Leo jumped to varsity in 2020, but the fall season was canceled. Ahead of an abbreviated four-game season in the spring, Leo switched to defense.

Leo’s top focus was ensuring he possessed clean footwork. In lacrosse, players are required to guard the ball, while football entails working more in open space, he explained. He treated every drill the same. Whether back peddling or on the tackling circuits, he “wanted to be the best,” according to Minucci.

He quickly developed a nose for the ball and built self-trust. He didn’t tower over wide receivers or running backs, but he lived for big hits.

“When he ran to hit somebody, he ran to take their head off,” Will Platt, Saint Anthony’s secondary coach, said. “That was really needed for a safety and enforcer kind of guy.”

Once Leo’s football season ended, he had two days until the start of lacrosse season. When that concluded, he played club with Team 91, a premier travel lacrosse team on Long Island.

Club season bled into August, lining up closely with preseason football. Despite the close turnarounds, he showed up consistently and never missed anything.

“It’s just the mentality you have to have,” Leo said. “You just always have to be confident. You just gotta have that lion’s mentality, which is something I always kind of look into when I’m playing sports.”

As one of the top prospects in the 2022 recruiting class for lacrosse, playing football in college was never a reality for Leo. Still, he admitted he’d be lying if it didn’t cross his mind. Mike said if they lived in Florida or Texas, Leo might’ve played football full-time.

“Michael loves a challenge. Don’t challenge him,” Mike said.

As passionate as Leo was about the sport, football always took a backseat to lacrosse. Leo committed to Syracuse as a sophomore on Sep. 10, 2020, meaning the 2022 football season was his last.

Syracuse midfielder Michael Leo awaits an incoming pass from a teammate. Arnav Pohkrel | Staff Photographer

Saint Anthony’s 5-2 league record helped seal the No. 4 seed in the New York Catholic High School Football League playoffs. A 42-28 win over Cardinal Hayes set up a rematch against top-seeded Iona Prep, who beat the Friars 35-34 in the regular season. With a championship game appearance on the line, Saint Anthony’s came up short, falling 35-28 in triple overtime.

The defeat didn’t bother Leo at first, nor did it for the rest of his senior year of high school. But the following fall, when Saint Anthony’s won the NYCHSFL, Leo thought about his time on the gridiron.

“I kind of harped on it a little bit but now it’s just like, I did my time. It was just time for lacrosse,” Leo said.

27 starts in 29 possible games with 55 points proves he belongs on the lacrosse field. Yet recently hired Syracuse football head coach Fran Brown mentioned recently he was looking for 10 more walk-ons to maximize the team’s 120 roster spots.

When asked about Brown’s comments, Leo didn’t shoot down the idea.

“If he asked me, I’d consider it,” Leo said.

Though when asked if SU lacrosse coach Gary Gait would be amenable to the idea, Leo showed more hesitation.

“I don’t know. Maybe,” Leo joked before finally letting out an honest answer. “Probably not.”

Published on April 15, 2024 at 11:36 pm

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