University of Maryland football player tackles teaching at Blair

Although sitting quietly in back of Mr. Haigh's first period anatomy and physiology classroom, Jonathan Condo, the 6'3" long snapper and defensive end for the University of Maryland Terrapins is easy to spot.

In addition to being a long snapper and defensive end for the Terrapins, Condo is also a student teacher for an anatomy and physiology class which is taught by Mr. Haigh. Although he will only be here for a short amount of time, Blair is a stepping-stone towards pursuing a career in teaching biology.

Condo was born in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania and graduated from Philipsburg Osceola High School in 2000. In high school, the Pittsburg Post-Gazette named Condo a member of the All-State team for football. After graduating from high school in 2000, Condo became a member of the Maryland football team in his sophomore year. During his first year, Condo played in all 11 regular season games as well as in the Orange Bowl. Last season, Condo became the first long snapper to be named the Top Special Teams performer. During his football career, Condo never had a punt blocked in his three years as long snapper.

The head coach of the Terrapins, Ralph Friedgen, believes that Condo has made been a significant aspect of the team's success. "Jon has been a real asset to our team over the years he has been here," Friedgen says. "He is a hard-working player and securing our long snapping duties over the years has been one concern that, like most teams, we have not had to address once since he took over."

Academically, Condo has been on the Maryland Student-Athletes academic honor roll for three consecutive years. He is majoring in biology and secondary education. Condo hopes to pursue a career in education after college but isn't ruling out a future in professional sports. "Of course I would love to do something in football if the opportunity came along; but at one time in my life I do want to teach and coach high school sports," Condo says.

This will be Condo's last year playing for Maryland, and he is optimistic about his team's chances. This season the Terps are ranked 23rd in the country, according to College Sports Online. "I am excited about this year because we're a young team that likes to compete. I am a senior now and I like watching the younger players and seeing where the team will go," Condo says.

Friedgen believes that Condo will help guide this year's team to a season even more successful than last year. "This year, he has meant more to the defense than in past years and his experience and enthusiasm have been a bonus to an otherwise young team in 2003," says Coach Friedgen.