Today in The Lance, we’re bringing back our “Blast From The Past” segment. Except this time, it’s got a much more intimate feel. Our teacher in the spotlight is Mr. Daniel Brady. We’re stepping through a portal back to 1977, when Mr. Brady attended John F. Kennedy High School in Somers, NY.  

Mr. Brady has coached both basketball and baseball throughout his adult life, but what sports did he play while he was in high school?

“In high school I played basketball and football. I played football through sophomore year. All I did was play basketball my junior year,” Mr. Brady said.  He was the quarterback of the football team at his high school, but basketball took over for him after his sophomore year.

You may also be interested to know how the man introducing us to calculus performed in math during his years at J.F.K..

“I did pretty well in math in high school. I wouldn’t say that I hit my stride as a student in high school, nor did I hit it right away in college. I didn’t know how much I enjoyed math until I got a couple years into college,” Mr. Brady said.

It’s good to hear that Mr. Brady does in fact enjoy math, and did well in his classes. This can also serve as a reminder to people that brilliance can bloom after high school, and while not all of us may become as skilled at math as Mr. Brady, there is still hope for those of us who can’t integrate logarithmic functions yet.

Before Mr. Brady found his home here at McQuaid Jesuit, he worked several jobs, including one at IBM Corporation. But, far more interestingly, he worked at an Italian deli as the only English speaker during his high school years (which he said was a blast).

“I got a job at an Italian deli, which was awesome. I had some very famous customers actually, including Itzhak Perlman the violinist, he came in a lot. Lou Albano as well, the old wrestling manager, he came in,” Mr. Brady said.

To think, our very own Mr. Brady served cured italian meats to a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, as well as one of the best managers in professional wrestling history!

To end on a poignant note, Mr. Brady closed our interview with a beautiful soliloquy about family, love, and blessings.

“I’ve been really fortunate, I mean really fortunate, to come from a family that is still close to me, my parents and my five siblings, and I don’t take that for granted. But also to meet my wife and many years later to still be able to call her my best friend, and my two children who are very close.”

We can all learn from Mr. Brady the importance of hard work, family, and the many blessings we are given each and every day. So if you walk by his room, make sure to pop your head in and tell him you never knew he played football.