Vince Crochunis has enjoyed success on the football field, as well as in the classroom. But… Vince Crochunis has enjoyed success on the football field, as well as in the classroom. But the 6-foot-4-inch, 290 pound, senior nose tackle has also had to endure hardship.

At an age when most kids are only worried about getting their driver’s license, Crochunis had to cope with the passing of his father.

“He passed away when I was 15, and it was something that helped me grow up real fast,” he said. “I had to take care of my Mom a lot.”

Crochunis’ father was always there for him while he was growing up, and proved to be a positive role model for his son.

“He always supported me and that’s all that really mattered to me, just him being by my side and making sure everything went well for me,” Crochunis said.

After losing his father, Crochunis received guidance from his high school football coach, John Davis, who always made sure that he kept his priorities straight.

“He taught me a lot about football, and a lot about life,” Crochunis said of his high school football coach.

Crochunis has always worked hard and taken his studies seriously, and last year, he was rewarded for his dedication. He was selected as a first-team Verizon/CoSida Academic All-American for his superior performance in the classroom.

Crochunis is proud of all of his achievements, but being named an Academic All-American holds a special meaning for him.

“I think it’s the best honor you can get, because it demonstrates that you can succeed both athletically and academically,” Crochunis said. “I was pretty excited when I found out I was an Academic All-American. Coming into college, I knew I was going to work hard in school; I knew I was going to do well. But the athletic part, I didn’t know I would be able to succeed in that. I’m kind of humbled about it.”

Crochunis also received the Most Improved Defensive Player award in 2002, but maintained the same modest attitude when talking about it.

“I was really surprised,” he said. “It was kind of shocking. I thought someone else was going to get it. There’s a lot of guys out there with freakish talent and insane abilities. I always thrived on just working hard and always making sure I’m where I’m supposed to be.”

When Crochunis was deciding which college to attend, he had more than just athletics going for him. His academic abilities were a major strength and garnered attention from many elite universities.

Coming from the small high school of Schuylkill Haven, it was not easy for him to get noticed by a lot of the big time football schools. “I wasn’t a big time recruit,” Crochunis said. “I had a lot of Ivy League schools looking at me. I visited a couple of [them], but I didn’t really see myself fitting in.”

But looking back, Crochunis thinks things might have been different.

“That was when I was 18, but I’m totally satisfied with my choice here at Pittsburgh,” he added. “Coach [Walt] Harris and his staff really sold me on what the future would entail.”

There is yet another quality that makes Crochunis a unique individual. He is a triple major, which is interesting, considering all of the time he has to spend each week doing football-related activities.

“The program I wanted to go into in international relations, I didn’t have enough foreign language experience, and so I backed off and decided to triple major,” Crochunis said. “Next year, I might get my teaching certificate, but when it’s all said and done, I might go off to law school.”

Crochunis is a standout athlete and student. But how does he find the time for all of his schoolwork?

“Those hours late at night when everybody else is out partying or chilling with their girlfriends, I have to bog down and do my work,” Crochunis said.