WINTHROP – Nick Cappuccio has proved himself to be one of the premier football players in the Northeastern Conference.
He would also be the last one to claim fame.
Part of what makes the Winthrop High football standout beloved by his coaches is the way he handles himself both on and off the field. He is an All-Scholastic football player who doesn’t act like one.
“Nick is as humble a kid as I’ve ever coached,” said Winthrop coach Jon Cadigan. “You will never hear a coach, a teammate or a teacher ever have a bad thing to say about him. If anything, he’s almost too good a kid.”
Cappuccio had a breakout junior year as he rushed for 982 yards and amassed 19 touchdowns in earning Boston Herald All-Scholastic honors. He was also someone who excelled as the lights shone brighter.
Winthrop faced both Div. 6 state championship finalists and Cappuccio was one of the best players on the field in both contests. He had a pair of touchdowns, including a game-winning 82-yard TD pass in a 20-19 win over Salem. In the playoffs, Cappuccio caught two touchdowns and added a 52-yard kickoff return in a hard-fought 35-21 loss to eventual champion Fairhaven.
Not one to rest on his laurels, Cappuccio set his sights on bigger goals this season.
“I knew I rushed for something like 980 yards, so I want to improve on that,” Cappuccio said. “Whatever that was and whatever my receiving numbers were, I want to get more. The goal is always to improve every day.”
The Vikings have started the season with a 2-2 record, though the losses have come to undefeated Stoneham and Shawsheen, both ranked among the top teams in their divisions. Cappuccio has done a little bit of everything, rushing for more than 300 yards, catching a TD pass and returning a kick for a score, while doing all the little things that don’t appear in a boxscore.
“He is a selfless kid and everyone on our coaching staff would say the same thing,” Cadigan said. “Some kids are playing running back and all they want to do is run the ball. Nick is just as happy blocking for a teammate as he is running the ball. He’s not the perfect player but if he makes a mistake on the field, he will learn from it and never make it again.”
Now that Cappuccio is a senior, his role has changed in a variety of different ways. Shouldering a big load on both sides of the ball was a given, but being one of the veteran players on the team required Cappuccio to accept more of a leadership role.
“I do think I am more of a leader by example,” said Cappuccio. “I am not the type that will speak up a lot, but if something needs to be said, I will say it.”
One would think based on what Cappuccio has accomplished on the gridiron that college football is in his future. Football isn’t the only sport that Cappuccio has excelled in as he’s proven to be an elite track star. At last year’s Div. 5 state championship, Cappuccio won the 100-meters, 200-meters and the long jump.
“I like both sports because they’ve helped me get better,” Cappuccio said. “The speed factor, the open distance running and the cuts because I am a jumper. I like to think I can do both sports in college, but a lot would depend on where I wind up going. I think it is a nice luxury for me to have at this point.”
SNAPSHOT
NAME: Nicholas Cappuccio
SCHOOL: Winthrop High School
AGE: 18
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6-feet, 175-pounds
POSITION: Running back/safety
NICKNAME: Nick
FAMILY: Father Gerry, mother Kathleen, brother Chris, sister Anna
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Boston Herald All-Scholastic, NEC All-Star in football and track, three-time state champion in track
FAVORITE PERSONAL MOMENT IN SPORTS: Going to the Adidas Track and Field Nationals
FAVORITE COURSE IN SCHOOL: Math
LEAST FAVORITE COURSE IN SCHOOL: History
FAVORITE PIGOUT FOOD: Chicken
FAVORITE TV SHOW: Dexter
FAVORITE MOVIE: Hacksaw Ridge
FAVORITE MUSICIAN: Eminem
FAVORITE VIDEO GAME: Minecraft
FAVORITE SMARTPHONE APP: Tiktok
FAVORITE TWITTER ACCOUNT TO FOLLOW: ESPN
FAVORITE PRO TEAM: New England Patriots
FAVORITE ATHLETE: Julian Edelman
HOW DO YOU PREPARE FOR A GAME: Drink lots of water, eat a small meal and listen to a lot of music
CAREER AMBITIONS: I want to play a sport in college, while majoring in business with a minor in accounting
