Nicholas Ortega '20 Recruiting Profile

      I am blessed to have a supportive family that has instilled in me to be the best I can be. My father works as a police officer, he is a positive role model in the community. My mother works with the Los Angeles Unified School District with students with special needs. My sister is also a student athlete and is playing softball at the collegiate level. My  family also consists of my aunt with Down syndrome who we take care of since the passing of my grandma. My family has taught me the importance of being a leader and making the right choices in everything I do, but most importantly they have taught me that playing sports disciplines me to value learning, commitment, and support. 

      I learned that hard work will pay off when you start practicing commitment at a young age. I wanted to play football but I needed to lose weight. I made it by losing 33 pounds in three months. It was one of my biggest accomplishments. Having perfect attendance since kindergarten has taught me responsibilities in the classroom and on the field. I played travel baseball from the age of 10 to 15 years old. I made it to the varsity baseball team as a freshman at my high school. My focus is football because I want to get better and make an impact in the sport that I’m passionate about. My current position is center., but I can also play offensive guard and defensive tackle. 

       My work-ethic, teamwork, and commitment has helped me accomplish 2 years as a captain, and 2 years being awarded lineman of the year as a junior varsity player. My first year in varsity I was chosen to be a captain. 

       Through football I have seen the importance there is in being part of a support system. Many call this teamwork, but I call this a support system because it transitions to daily living. By being the captain of the football team, I developed leadership skills. With these skills I was able to apply them as an intern with the Los Angeles City Attorney in the summer of 2018. As the captain I was expected to lead my team. Similarly, during the summer I was expected to lead and overcome pressure by being open minded and learning new skills, meet new people and work at their expectations. 

       Overall, my goal is to continue developing as a person and a team player. Soon I will be graduating and that is why I see my development at the college level. I look forward to playing football at the collegiate level. Currently, I have joined the Top Notch Training Facility to help me get to the next level.  I’m also taking a few honor classes and one AP English class. I learned the importance of managing my time as a student athlete. I will keep working hard to be prepared to make an impact and play at a higher level.