A football standout … Matt Szczur (pronounced See-zur) was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers out of high school, but decided to go to Villanova instead, where he also could play football. Not a bad choice, as he was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Football Championship Subdivision title game in 2009, where the Wildcats upset the top-seeded Montana Grizzlies. As noted in his profile, Szczur was not only a consensus All-American that year, but he was also the only player in Division I to score a TD as a rusher, receiver, passer and kick returner.
Who’s also likely to be drafted as a baseball player … Szczur isn’t too shabby of a baseball player, either. So far this year, he’s leading the Wildcats in nearly every major offensive category, including home runs, runs batted in, slugging percentage and batting average (a gaudy .435) even though he’s only played in 80 percent of the team’s games. And on April 27, he even hit for the cycle, collecting a single, two doubles, a triple and a home run in the same game.
And recently helped a leukemia patient … But his greatest accomplishment has to be the recent bone marrow donation he made to a 19-month-old leukemia patient. Villanova.com reports that Szczur joined the Be The Match foundation registry as a freshman and was identified as a match last year. And while there’s no guarantee the little girl will survive following the transplant, Szczur’s only thinking positively. As he was quoted, “I whole-heartedly believe that she is going to be okay and hopefully one day I will be able to meet her and her family,” adding, “I can’t wait for the day when she is well enough to come to one of my games and see me play.”
Read more Good Sports.
Photo courtesy of Villanova Athletic Media Relations.