Nardy Candio found the perfect sport.
He just needed the right position.
And by his senior year, he found just that.
Candio is a senior at Northeast High School, and when he got to high school, he decided to try out for football.
It was a sport he loved for as long as he could remember and he wanted to give it a shot. He went for a position he knew all about.
“I started playing when I was 6, but I couldn’t play growing up, it was just too much,” said Candio, who lives in Mayfair. “That was pretty much the only time I played until I got to high school.
“My freshman year, I was a receiver. Everyone has dreams of catching the ball. I was closed minded. I didn’t realize I wasn’t fit to be a receiver. I started practice late because I wasn’t sure what I was doing, and I didn’t play in games. I went to practice, but I just practiced. That’s all I did.”
This year, he moved to defensive line.
The move was perfect.
It put him in position to make plays, so not only was he having fun, he was helping the Northeast football team. His size, speed and toughness made it harder on opposing offenses, and it was a job he loved having.
“I just love it, I was able to go out there, go after the quarterback and stop the run,” said Candio, who also plays tight end in some offensive packages, but saw more action on the defensive side of the ball. “I just love the game. The time wasn’t right for me growing up, but my dream was still to play in the NFL. So this year, just going out and having a chance to show what I can do was a big thing for me.”
He did his thing, mostly lining up at defensive end. There, he helped the Vikings go 3-2 in Public League Independence play. Overall, Northeast went 4-8 and in its final game of the season, fell to its rival Central 22-14 in the annual Thanksgiving Day affair.
It certainly wasn’t the way Candio wanted to end his career as a Viking, watching the Lancers see a 13-year drought come to an end in the rivalry, but it was a great chance to have another game with his teammates, to put a little more of his game on film and having that one final home game before his Northeast career came to a close.
It wasn’t perfect, but it’s something he’s glad he was able to take part in.
“In the moment it was terrible, but thinking about it, it was a really fun ride with these guys,” Candio said after notching six tackles. “All the adversity we faced, having a young team, players leaving, it wasn’t easy, but we stuck together.
“Next year we’ll be good. I might have to come back if I’m not balling out in college. I’ll be back to support my guys. Anything I can do to help this team, I’ll always do it. I loved playing for this team.”
Candio is proud of everything his team accomplished.
He’s also proud of what he did this year.
Prior to his senior year, Candio never had that coming-out season. He played little his first two years, became a contributor as a junior, but he still knew he needed to do a lot if he wanted to become one of the top players in the Public League.
It wasn’t just about high school, either.
“It clicked for me, honestly probably my junior year over the summer when our coaches said I should try to play defensive end and outside linebacker,” Candio said. “I didn’t like it at first, but I got more reps and practice on scout team. That was something I kind of liked. That’s when it kind of clicked. I was trying to play receiver, but I was mostly playing scout team linebacker and defensive end and I was getting better.
“I mean I’d say it gave me a lot of confidence. It boosted it because it made me realize my dreams and goals are still achievable. I did this in one year. I have time to work out and train and get better. I did this in one year. I didn’t start as good as some, but now I’m there. I see the improvement. I really enjoy it. It means a lot to me because I know how hard I had to work to get it.”
While Candio did put in every bit of effort, every practice, every weightlifting session, every wind sprint and film study to make his dreams come true, he knows he didn’t do it alone.
“The coaches here, my defensive coach and my head coach, they worked with me,” Candio said. “I couldn’t do it without them. They helped me, they built my confidence and whenever I needed something, they were there. They helped me the entire time.”
Now he just wants a chance.
Candio wants a chance to play at the next level. And just as he did in high school, he’s willing to work for it.
“My goal right now is to figure everything out, what am I doing, where am I going and what do I have to do,” Candio said. “I want to do something in sports management. I want to work hard, make money and if I can stay involved in sports, that’s a win-win.
“I want a chance. I’m willing to do whatever I can to get it.”
