Patrick Rosetti wins Michael H. Savage Spirit Sport Award

Senior+quarterback+Patrick+Rosetti+took+the+field+for+the+Hatters+Varsity+football+team+at+Danbury+High+School+in+September+2020.

Jennifer Donovan

Senior quarterback Patrick Rosetti took the field for the Hatters Varsity football team at Danbury High School in September 2020.

Simon Benitez, Staff Writer

Varsity football senior quaterback Patrick Rosetti was awarded the Michael H. Savage Spirit of Sport Award.  The award is awarded to those who show exemplary spirit on the field as well as in the classroom.  However, the list of awards and achievements does not end there. Rosetti is said to be selected for the NFHS Spirit of Sport honors, and he has also been selected to attend the CAS-CIAC Scholar Athlete Banquet.

Rosetti stands tall as the point of the DHS offense, playing the role as the team’s quarterback.  A general on the field and a motivator in the weightroom, teammate junior Jackson Ciccone tells, “On the field, he leads our offense.  You could almost say he’s a field coach, he does everything that coach would do if he [Coach Tieri] was playing.  Patrick is a lead by example type of person.  He puts in hours upon hours in the gym working out and puts in work on the field to become a better football player.”

Rosetti is a great leader, that is without a doubt, but the junior quarterback explains it is not at all easy, “I have had a speech impediment for as long as I could talk. With the impairment definitely comes the lack of motivation to participate in social situations or activities that require speaking, like playing quarterback. I have done everything I can to not let my speech dictate who I am as a person and a football player, and I believe that is why I received this award.”

The award has another aspect to it which involves one’s performance within the classroom environment. Rosetti excels when it comes to education exceeding all the expectations of a hard-working student athlete. With a 1330 on his SAT and sustaining a 4.5 GPA as an Honors and AP student.

Rosetti has been racking up awards and achievements similar to the Michale H. Savage Spirit of Sport Award his whole high school career.  His selection to be given this award was inevitable and Ciccone shows his support, “I was very happy for him when I heard he received the award because I don’t know anyone more deserving of it. He truly represents everything the award stands for.” His team has given him so much support throughout his high school career, and he wants everyone to see that.

“I could not have asked for a more accepting and compassionate group of guys than the ones I was fortunate enough to take the field with these past four years. I realize that, because of my speech, I could very easily be subject to bullying. However, set aside a few small jokes or comments that were all out of love, and I have never heard my speech be mentioned by my teammates. They have treated me as if I spoke just like everybody else, and I love them for that.”

The junior quarterback will continue to rack up awards and accolades through the following years of his bright future. The Hatter community will be following and cheering on Rosetti as he is to finish off high school at the end of this 2020-2021 school year. A great student, player, and friend he is, and his career can only go up from here.