Cesar Colon hasn’t always had it easy.
But he’s now making it work.
Colon is a senior defensive tackle on the George Washington High School football team, and when he signed up for the team, he was hoping the game would provide him with the stability he greatly needed.
And he got it.
“It was actually really rough for me, I had a lot of problems and was getting in trouble,” Colon said. “I was in foster home after foster home. I got kicked out a few times. It was just really rough. I needed to get better in a lot of ways.
“To be honest, I thought everything was over. I was giving up on everything. I was living with my mom, and I was kicked out. It was (Washington coach Austin) Brasche, he found a way to contact me and get me here. He’s here for me every step of the way. I live with my dad’s side now, it’s going a lot better.”
Colon is right where he should be.
But it wasn’t easy getting there.
Colon knew football would be a good sport for him.
He joined the team as a freshman, but didn’t catch on right away.
Midway through the year, he started picking it up. By his sophomore year, he was a key contributor.
“I’ve gotten a lot better every year because I’ve had so much help,” said Colon, who lives in Kensington. “Sophomore year I scored a touchdown, it was on a punt return, but when they punted it, it went backwards so I picked it up and ran with it. It wasn’t really a great touchdown.
“Last year against Roxborough, I had a much better touchdown. It was a strip sack, I hit the quarterback, took the ball away and ran in. The punt return was fun, but this was a much better football play. That was a better touchdown.”
Every lineman dreams about the play where they scored a touchdown. Colon already has two and he’s now ready for his final year at Washington.
Just as his life has greatly changed over the past few years, so have the Eagles.
After struggling, Washington returned to the top last year and advanced to the Public League semifinals, falling to Northeast.
Last year motivated Colon. It also showed the rest of the players on the Washington football team what it’s capable of.
There is plenty of credit to go around, but Colon has the person he thinks is most responsible for it.
“To be honest, I think it was all Coach Brasche,” Colon said. “He built it up from the ground. He made it something different. When he got here, I didn’t know how it would go. But he’s something different, he built the team, he got good coaches. We only had one coach and he got us eight now. We have 80 players showing up for summer, this is all him. This isn’t happening if he didn’t get us to be here. He did it.”
Brasche certainly helped the Eagles improve on the field, but that doesn’t scratch the surface of what Brasche has done to rebuild Colon.
“Me personally, that man helped me so much, in every way possible,” Colon said. “Even like with school. Home issues. When I had problems, he helped me get my work done. He makes sure I stay focused. Home problems, when my mom kicked me out, I needed someone. He was here for me. He picked me up and made sure I’m at practice. I wanted to quit. It wasn’t it for me all the time. But I couldn’t quit. He motivated me, I couldn’t quit on him. I owe him.”
Colon is more than paying his coach back for all the love and attention he received.
He’s doing that by being the best person he can be on and off the field. That includes the classroom.
“My goal is to graduate, make sure I become All-State or All-Public,” Colon said. “I want to accomplish everything in life. I definitely want to graduate. I want to be the first in my family to graduate. The first to do it. Nobody did before. I want to be the first. I’m very proud of what I’ve done.
“In Coach Brasche, I met a father figure I didn’t have. He came out of nowhere. First day of school, I’m looking for coaches. I found him. I said, “Where do I sign up?’ He said come to practice and we’ll talk. I feel like it was love at first sight. And now I’m in position to go to college and play football because of him.”
He also plans on paying it forward.
Colon knows he wouldn’t be where he is today without help. He’s ready to do the same for others.
“I’m going to help others. For the most part, I always wanted to be a leader. I always tried. But now is my time. I’m doing the best I can, building bonds with young kids. I’m trying to help them out at my position. When they get discouraged, I was the same way my freshman year. I’m trying to build a bond. Someone caring can mean a lot.”
And nobody cares more about Washington than Colon.
“We’re going to be very good this year,” Colon said. “We’re building something special. We just keep working. We can have something special this year.”
2024 outlook
The Eagles enjoyed a strong season last year, making it all the way to the Public League semifinals. That sets the stage for an even better season this year because Washington returns plenty of experience.
The offense will be led by Tyson Scott, a quarterback who will also play safety. He’ll be protected by a line that includes Cesar Colon, Martin Gorsky and Vincent Chen.
Washington always has good skilled players, and that holds true with Jamar Coleman, Donie Stephens and Jonathan Weatherbe playing wideout.
Jaydyn Tucker will play fullback, and he’ll also see time on the line.
Other defensive players include safety Patrick Wright and linebackers Saubir Bryan and Jordan Weatherbe.
Washington also has one of the best kickers and punters in the city in Stephen Tetkowski.
The Eagles have a lot of talent and experience. That could mean for another fun year in the Far Northeast.
“We have 25 seniors in the class of 2025,” said Washington coach Austin Brasche. “This group has played so much football for the past four years at GW. These guys have bought in and have been integral for the re-growth of this program. They are a tight group and I couldn’t be more proud of how far they have come and how much they still have to accomplish this year.
“I think we will have a strong season based on the senior leadership and experience of this group. They have had a lot of success and have put in a ton of work to be a great team this year.”
