Greg Santora is one of the best players from the Groton, CT area in the Class of 2022.
The 5-foot-10, 210-pound Santora, who attends Robert E. Fitch High School, is a dynamic player that works as a running back and middle linebacker.
Santora has earned plenty of recognition during his career, such as: All-ECC MLB, Defensive Player of the Year and a selection to Next Gen’s The Show.
Santora is humbled by the accolades.
“Those awards allow me to push myself for better rewards/achievements,” Santora said. “I picture The Show to be a good experience. It's going to really push my mental ability and physicality for the sport.”
Last season, Santora amassed 60 tackles, 6 sacks, and a forced fumble at middle linebacker.
No matter the opponent, every game Santora is determined to give it his all.
Santora is going all out.
The motor is always at full throttle whenever Santora steps between the lines.
“For RB my thought process is to be a train. Basically focus on going north and south and be straight up physically. Be an unstoppable force and do what my team needs me to do,” Santora said. “For MLB, it’s basically the same but there's more to it. At MLB I try to stand out with every hit, every callout and every coverage drop I take. I like to be consistent and fluent in both positions but mainly MLB because it takes more effort and focus.”
Santora has great passion and energy whenever he’s on the field. Santora tells why he enjoys the game of football so much.
“What I love most about playing is playing with my boys and having the chemistry we do,” Santora said. “Yes we are all talented but the chemistry we have with each other makes us that much better as a team.”
Santora has learned many valuable lessons from playing football that he applies to his everyday life.
“Playing has taught me how to face adversity and cope with it,” Santora said.
Santora shares his favorite memory of playing football.
“When we played Bunnel my sophomore year in high school,” Santora said. “I felt like I was on top of the world. I was the most vocal kid that night and I had an amazing day on the field.”
Santora takes his role as one of the leaders on the team very seriously. Santora makes sure he’s a daily positive influence on his peers.
“I demonstrate being a good teammate by being a leader and showing that my teammates can depend on me,” Santora said. “The best advice I've given my teammates is to make practice harder so the games become easier. And what that means is to practice harder and work harder in practice, so that when it comes game time it's easier.”
Santora is appreciative of having amazing male role models that are supportive.
“The best advice my coaches have given me was how to deal with adversity,” Santora said.
Santora patterns his mentality after this standout.
“I look up to Ray Lewis,” Santora said.
Santora lists math as his favorite subject in school.
“It's the simplest and in my opinion one of the easiest subjects in school,” Santora said.
Santora explains his collegiate aspirations.
“My top interests are 1. Georgia, 2. Boston College, 3. Mississippi State,” Santora said.
Santora maintains a rigorous schedule to stay sharp.
“I use the agility ladder and cones to help with my footwork,” Santora said. “I also use a parachute to help with my speed. I even sometimes work with my trainer on my strength and quickness.”
Santora is striving for greatness in all that he does.
“I want to work as hard as I can. My grades are important to get to the next level and that's where I want to be,” Santora said. “So I have to compete with myself about my grades and get them to a certain point to get to the next level.”
Santora describes what he believes separates himself from the pack.
“What sets me apart from other athletes is my work ethic and my leadership,” Santora said. “I also make sure there's no one on the field working harder than me. I try and strive for greatness with everything I do.”
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