North Jersey Male Athlete of the Week leaves it all on the field
Anthony Almeida fills the Christian McCaffrey role for the DePaul football team.
That developed, in part, because McCaffrey is Almeida’s role model.
“Last year, I fractured my foot about four games into the season,” the Spartans running back said. “And McCaffrey, a lot of people know, he’s pretty injury-prone. So, I kind of looked to him and how he would keep himself motivated and involved with the team.”
The same mentality helped Almeida earlier this season, when he was sidelined with a hamstring injury.
“I just used that same motivation to keep going keep, keep fighting it and just get back,” he said. “And now, I’ve been healthy the whole season.”
Well, he’s managed to avoid injury, anyway.
Almeida fell ill two days before DePaul’s Non-Public B semifinal against St. Joseph Academy. He played in last Friday’s game anyhow, gaining 97 yards on 16 touches and scoring a momentum-boosting touchdown three seconds before halftime.
“I woke up that morning, had a fever, and I was thinking to myself, ‘It’s going to be one of those days’,” Almeida recalled. “Game time came around, I took my medicine, did everything I had to, and I was hoping for the cold and adrenaline to kind of keep me going until after the game.
“Halftime, next to the trashcan, I was throwing up. I was not feeling my best, but I just knew I had to do whatever it took to help my team out.”
Although he had to leave immediately afterward and miss the postgame celebration, his dedication to the greater good still garnered notice.
“The kids love him, obviously, he’s a captain of our team,” Spartan coach Nick Campanile said. “He wasn’t himself until like Week 4, but since then, he’s really picked it up, and he’s been one of our best weapons on offense.”
As a result, he will have a chance to play in the Non-Public B final at MetLife Stadium, not far from his hometown of North Arlington. He and DePaul left tackle Anthony Aviles grew up playing youth football together in the borough.
“It’s always been a dream, obviously, to play on a professional field,” Almeida said. “And to do it with the people I love on my team, it’s going to be a fun atmosphere and experience.”
That broken foot kept him out of the 2021 state final in East Rutherford, and the Spartans dropped a 13-8 decision to Red Bank Catholic despite running the ball effectively. Having their 5-foot-10, 193-pound senior back in the mix provides hope for a reversal of that outcome in Friday’s rematch with the Caseys.
“All we keep saying is, ‘Job’s not finished’,” Almeida said. The semifinal win “was a reason to celebrate, but it’s not the main reason yet.”
Almeida played numerous different sports growing up and has narrowed his focus to football as college approaches. The search for a school at which to play next is in progress.
“I’ve been talking to a few colleges,” he said. “Nothing offered yet… but I’m hoping that with the offseason coming up, I can find something.”
Anthony Almeida
Sport: Football
School: DePaul
Class: Senior. Age: 17
Accomplishment: Almeida played through a 101-degree fever to help the Spartans advance to the Non-Public B final. He carried 15 times for 86 yards and a touchdown and caught an 11-yard pass.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: The Record Male Athlete of the Week: Anthony Ameida, DePaul Catholic
