While in Oradell, New Jersey, BlueandGold.com recruiting insider Mike Singer spoke with class of 2022 Bergen Catholic four-star quarterback Steven Angeli, a Notre Dame target. Read the exclusive Q&A with Angeli below!
Did you expect recruiting to be so big for you at such a young age, before even your sophomore year when you landed offers from Ohio State and Penn State?
Angeli: “I knew coming into the recruiting process that at quarterback it starts off really early. I’m at a great high school at Bergen Catholic and have great coaches around me that put my name out there and had trust in me. They recommended me to college coaches, and I went to the camps. I went out and made it happen.”
Are you wearing No. 1 this year? You wore 10 last year, and that’s a pretty standard quarterback number.
Angeli: “No. 1 was my number throughout middle school, and when I got here, they gave me No. 10 and I rocked it for two years. And then I made my number switch this year.”
Do you feel like you have something to prove? You got all of these offers without having been the starting quarterback yet. Do you have any chip on your shoulder?
Angeli: “Not at all. I don’t feel like I have to prove anything. I only care about the opinions of my family, my coaches and my teammates. All of that stuff is just external noise to me. I just try to focus on my team and winning a state championship.”
Everyone in your family seems to be an athlete. Is it pretty competitive in the Angeli household?
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Angeli: “There’s competition but it’s healthy competition. My brothers are my best friends; we have it tattooed on our chest. It’s something we special that we have. We say that we’re the best three-on-three sports team in the country. My family loves and supports me through everything. They’re my ride-or-dies no matter what. I’m so blessed to have a great family that supports me.”
What are your family’s biggest values?
Angeli: “God, family, football. Those are the three main values. Well, and education, of course.”
Is it strange that you’re the most high-profile athlete among your brothers and you’re the youngest?
Angeli: “(Laughs) My brothers were great athletes growing up and on the high school level. Ever since I was little, they always had me with the ball and were training me – putting me through combines when I was a kid. They always knew I was going to be this. My middle brother (Nick) always said I was going to be a big football player. They played a huge role in my development growing up to being who I am.”
What are your biggest interests outside of football?
Angeli: “Basketball was my first love, and I still play basketball to this day, but it’s not organized anymore because of football. I love playing video games – Madden, Call of Duty, NBA 2K. I like hanging with my friends and family and just chilling.”
Academically, what subjects do you like and what’re you looking at for college?
Angeli: “My favorite subject in school is probably math. I’m interested in criminal justice and business in college – things that will help me for life after football.”
What have you learned so far during the recruiting process? Has there been anything that has caught you by surprise?
Angeli: “It’s definitely been a blessing to talk to all of these coaches and meet all of these people. I’ve been able to build a lot of relationships. I’ve really learned to see the honest and truth in people. You find out which coaches are really all about you. Some will tell you what you want to hear, but then there are coaches who will tell you what’s real and you understand the grown up talk for when you reach the next level.”
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