Former University of Toledo star tight end Steve Rosi had a few go-to stories from his playing days that he passed along to his sons Drew and Nick Rosi when they were young.
The first one is when he was the lead blocker on Wasean Tait's game-winning touchdown run in overtime of the 1995 Las Vegas Bowl and then found himself with Tait on the bottom of a massive celebration pile.
“We just got buried on the bottom of that pile,” Rosi recalled. “I remember not being able to breathe. It felt like an eternity down there.”
One of the other stories is also from the 1995 season when Rosi was fuming mad in the locker room after the Rockets tied Miami (Ohio) and Toledo coach Gary Pinkel was having none of it.
“I remember him just losing it and taking a helmet and throwing it because I probably didn't handle it as well as I should have,” Rosi said. “He kind of put me in my place, but that's what coaches do.”
It turns out the stories may have had an effect on Drew and Nick, who both chose to play their college football at Toledo and are coming into their own as a tight end and offensive lineman, respectively.
“I heard a good deal of it,” Nick said. “I wouldn't say he lived in that past, but I heard a good deal of it. But that's kind of what made me want to come here so bad is just hearing what this program is all about and what the culture was here. He kind of influenced Drew and I. We heard those stories and were like, 'Man we want to be a part of this.' ”
Drew always felt a family-like atmosphere at Toledo, and his choice to play for the Rockets was fairly straightforward.
“It feels like home to everybody,” Drew said. “That's something that stuck out to me personally. It's like a second home for my family. We're all comfortable here. And it's one of those things that we can't take for granted. It was pretty easy for me because I always told myself if I'm playing in the MAC, I'm playing at Toledo. That was something that a lot of the MAC schools knew when they were recruiting me. There were other schools that came after me, but I always wanted to be at Toledo.”
Drew is coming off of a career game in Toledo's 45-0 win over Murray State on Saturday. He caught a career-high five passes for 84 yards and his first career touchdown and could see an increased role this season as a pass-catching tight end.
“I'm trying to fill the void from all the big-time receivers that we had that are now playing at the next level,” Drew said. “I came into this year thinking to myself: I need to help the team in some way. Me and Reggie [Gilliam] are both doing our best at tight end, and I think the tight end position is something that is going to help our team.”
Nick, meanwhile, has emerged as the starting left guard as a redshirt freshman.
“It's surreal,” Nick said. “It's crazy because I never expected anything like it. I wouldn't be able to do it without my teammates pushing me along the way. And the coaching has been great and really has gotten me ready for time on the field.”
Different paths
Drew was a highly touted two-way player at Olentangy Liberty High School where he was a three-star recruit and excelled on the basketball court, as well.
Nick, meanwhile, has gone from a walk-on to a starter on the offensive line in his short time in the program.
“Drew started playing football, basketball, and baseball and was really good at all of them,” Steve said. “They took different paths to some degree. Nick has blossomed into what everyone is seeing now. I couldn't be more proud. Everybody is starting to see the kind of athlete that Nick is. Drew was always one of the best players no matter what sport it was or what team he was on, while Nick was always in the background.”
Drew and Nick's mother, Deana Rosi-Koeneman, said Drew was always the more competitive of the brothers while Nick was more laid back.
“Drew always wanted to win at everything,” Rosi-Koeneman said. “Nick was more my laid-back child and kind of let Drew win. Drew was an agitator, always picking on Nick to do more and be more. Nick has had to fight so hard for everything he has accomplished. We just knew that he would be successful on his own terms. If that meant walking on to Toledo, then that's what he was going to do. He wanted to be with his brother, and he knew he could do it. He had other offers, but he didn't even consider them.”
Supporting the other
Every step along the way growing up Drew and Nick have been close and shared in each other's successes. It has made for a strong relationship for the brothers and something that is nice for their parents to see.
“They've always been extremely supportive of each other,” Steve said. “That has always amazed me. They are genuinely happy for each other. Drew couldn't be more happy for Nick based on his path and what he's accomplished. Nick has seen Drew evolve and grow and get a lot of recognition over the years, and he's always been happy for him.”
Drew is glad Nick chose to walk on at Toledo and be a part of the family tradition.
“I'm happy he came here,” Drew said. “I'm happy he walked on here and he is doing well for himself. We're all proud of him and proud of what he's done so far. But it's just the beginning. We both know that. He has a bright future ahead of him and I like to believe I have a bright future as well here.”
Sense of pride
It's not every day that brothers get to play on the same team at the college level and it is a source of pride for the Rosi brothers especially given their father's legacy as a player as well.
“We did it in high school, but it's not quite the same,” Nick said. “It's a little different now. We are also going to get to do it longer. It's great. Half the time I forget he's out there because I'm worried about so much other stuff. But looking back this is going to be something he and I are going to remember forever.”
Rosi-Koeneman admitted she has shed tears at both games so far this season seeing her two boys on the field together. It has been a great ride so far for the family and a great source of pride.
“I was able to watch their dad play and I got to experience that,” Rosi-Koeneman said. “When I see them go out there, it's like I'm watching him all over. We knew from the time we saw these boys that they were going to play football somewhere. Our dream was always that they got to play together. When that happened in high school it was amazing. To see them in college is truly a dream.”
First Published September 19, 2019, 8:44 p.m.
