When it comes to football for Owen Lelko, the pigskin was in his bloodline, so he always felt predestined for the field. Yet he made his family even more proud when he was recently honored for not only his brawn and gridiron prowess, but also his brain and intellect in the classroom.

Owen began football in fifth grade as part of the Haddam-Killingworth Youth Football program after his father played both high school and collegiate ball.

Last fall for the Xavier Falcons, the senior quarterback/receiver/free safety and Killingworth resident threw for 170 yards and four TDs through the air in two games as signal caller. But more importantly and impressive, Owen earned an award from the Casey-O’Brien New Haven County Chapter of the National Football Foundation for excelling both in the classroom and on the football field.

“Winning the award means a lot to me,” says Owen. “You can always measure success with football by the wins and losses on the field. But with academics, other than the report card, you often don’t see recognition like this, so it was great to see my hard work celebrated. I was always surrounded with football in my family, and fall was always football time. I love the technical aspects of the game, and also seeing the fruits of your labor with the sport.”

Being such a cerebral competitor, Owen loves being a signal caller because it gives him an opportunity to truly see the reasons behind the Xs and Os within the playbook. Conversely on the defensive front, he adores being in the secondary, as it is an ideal showcase for his physical skills.

“I love playing quarterback because you get to learn the whole offense. I love learning, and you get to learn the how and why of each play,” Owen says. “I love the athleticism that comes with defense and challenging myself, because on defense, it is you versus the other guy. It is more of a mental challenge with offense and a physical one on defense. When you play quarterback, you know what the offense is doing based on formation, so when you are on defense, you can figure out what the opposing offense is doing.”

As he has gotten both bigger, more agile, and more durable with his stature through his forays with the Falcons, Owen adds that his mental stability as an athlete and competitor has also strengthened–knowing that swaying from having a level head in the heat of battle can gravely affect a squad.

“I have certainly gotten faster and stronger physically,” says Owen. “But mentally, I noticed I have become more persistent and resilient. In youth football, you may have temper tantrums when things do not go your way. Yet in high school football, you have to keep your cool, especially as a team leader. You have to have composure to stay in the game because of the level of consequences when you do not.”

Xavier football Head Coach Andy Guyon can only speak of Owen by using the highest of superlatives, as he truly exemplifies what it takes to be the very best at his age–both in the classroom and on the gridiron.

“Owen is a student-athlete in every sense of the word,” says Guyon. “He is very organized with his time and his life. Owen is reliable as a student, athlete, and a member of our school community. He is a young man who we all hope to be able to coach in our career. I am very thankful to have him as a member of our program.”

No matter the game plan or the opponent on any given week, Owen’s main objective each day is making the grade with any test or assignment. He is always steadfast in his schoolwork commitment, even if it means missing a team session.

“I would skip practice if I had to stay after school to get something done for school, because my schoolwork always comes first,” says Owen. “That has to be my top priority. When you keep those priorities straight, then it will help you get your time management down.”

Xavier procures not only a high academic standing, but additionally a prestigious pigskin pedigree with multiple state championship banners in its gymnasium. Owen knows the history, and it is pushing through his body and always prevalent in his mind through every rep, play, project, and press of a weight.

“It means a lot to play football for Xavier; there is a lot of winning tradition here,” Owen says. “It means a lot to be here. It is very empowering when you put in the hours in the gym to help enforce that tradition. It means a lot, whether you are grinding in the gym or on the playbook.”

Though he is currently undecided on the exact next destination collegiately, Owen aims to have the path lead down to him being a successful businessman while procuring a sound nest egg to set himself up well for his adventures into adulthood.

“I want to earn my MBA,” says Owen. “I want to be successful in college and get a job in something I love. Wherever I end up, I just want to focus as much as I can, so I can pay my dues in order to later live a well-maintained life.”