Central Catholic (Pittsburgh, PA) rising senior athlete John Petrishen had accumulated 16 scholarship offers before June. On June 2, the University of Virginia became the first major FBS-level program to offer the 6’2”, 197-pound prospect. Since then, the promising prospect has also been offered by two more ACC schools in Pittsburgh and Syracuse.

Petrishen hardly leaves the field for Central Catholic. This past season he saw action at wide receiver, free safety, returned kicks and punts, and was the holder on field goals and extra points. The jack-of-all-trades role is one Petrishen has assumed since middle school football. It’s also one he relishes.

“I love it. This year they plan on me playing a lot of Wildcat quarterback,” Petrishen said. “I love contributing to my team anyway I can. I feel I’m versatile. I can play a lot of different positions and show my ability in different ways. I just like playing.”

Virginia “offered me as a free safety,” Petrishen said. “Coach Archer came in [late in the Spring Evaluation Period] and saw me work out. He likes my body build. He didn’t think I would be as big as I am. I’ve put in a lot of work in the weight room this offseason. A few days later he gave me a call and told me him and the defensive coordinator watched my film and they loved it. He said they were ready to offer. They just needed the head coach’s approval. They pulled the trigger on me. It’s a great opportunity.”

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