Journey worthy of the destination

When Mike Gillespie graduated from St. John Neumann two years ago, he pretty much had two choices – enroll in the Valley Forge Military Academy or don’t go to school at all.

The All-Catholic and All-City honors he earned as a starting defensive back for the former St. John Neumann Pirates simply weren’t enough to impress the college coaches.

"I really didn’t have options coming out of Neumann," the 20-year-old defensive back said. "It was real frustrating."

Instead of giving up, Gillespie, attended Valley Forge Military Academy & College, an all-male, two-year college-preparatory boarding school in Wayne, thinking it would lead to better opportunities. Indeed, it did. Gillespie, of 29th and Tasker streets, has transferred to play college football with the Division II West Chester University Golden Rams, which advanced to the NCAA Division II national semifinals last year.

"One of the main reasons I picked West Chester was because they are one of the top teams in the nation," said Gillespie, who also was considering the University of Indiana of Pennsylvania. "I just like the people and coaches at West Chester."

Saturday, the Golden Rams will be in North Dakota to play the Fighting Sioux. That team also advanced to the NCAA Division II national semifinals last year.

"I think we will definitely be a top-five team in the nation this season," he said. "North Dakota will be a real test this week, but if we beat them, we can beat any team in the nation."

GILLESPIE WON’T SEE any playing time as he decided to red-shirt for the season. The latter means he can practice with the team, but not play.

"I wanted to get use to some of the responsibilities and focus on academics," said Gillespie, who has two more years of athletic eligibility following this season. "I want to get my bachelor’s degree and graduate on time. Playing football is definitely a bonus."

Gillespie credits his outlook to the two years he spent at Valley Forge. It’s a school that instills discipline in its students, including a 5:45 a.m. wake-up call. The students march to breakfast together and, after eating together, return to the dorms to clean.

"It was one of the best experiences of my life," Gillespie said of his years at the school. "I learned so many manners like, ‘yes sir,’ ‘no sir’ and to always be on time."

The athlete, who notes he is keeping his room spotless at West Chester, also credits his four years at Neumann for shaping him into the athlete he is today. His best memory is, of course, the 2002 Catholic League Blue semifinal game against West Catholic. Neumann lost 55-48, but the contest broke a record for highest-scoring game in the city’s history.

Neumann is a lot different these days since its consolidation with St. Maria Goretti.

"It feels a little weird. I wish they did it when I was there. I would’ve paid more attention in class," he quppied.