Football family affair for USC cousins
Football has been defined as a brotherhood among the players.
For Dom Cepullio and Colin McLinden, however, the sport is a family affair because these Upper St. Clair players are actually cousins. Colin’s aunt and God mother is Kim Cepullio.
“It’s awesome playing with Dom,” Colin said. “You couldn’t ask for more than playing with your cousin. You talk about players being brothers because of what we all go through and do together but Dom actually is a family member and football is family. It’s real. He’s my brother for life. Family for life.”
For Cepullio, it’s more than that. He termed Colin as his “best friend.” Since he moved from upstate New York, the pair have played together. In fact, their fathers served as their first coaches.
“When he moved here, my dad was a youth coach,” explained Colin, “and he made Dom’s dad (Dan) an assistant coach. It was fun.”
Dom agreed. “It’s so much playing with him. I love playing with Colin. He’s helped me a lot.”
Dom likewise has helped Colin.
“When I started as a freshman, he actually was starting as a sophomore, Colin said of Dom. “I was nervous about being a freshman but he told me that I was starting for a reason. ‘Because you are good’ he said. That meant a lot to me. That helped me a lot.”
McLinden developed into USC’s premier tailback this season. He also started as a linebacker for the third year in a row. He led the team with 859 yards rushing. He scored 12 times to lead the team also in scoring with 78 points. Defensively, he ranked No. 4 on the squad with 78 tackles. He had two sacks.
McLinden prefers defense to offense. “I get to hit people as opposed to receiving the hit,” he explained.
Often compared to Sean Lee because he was a ferocious, hard-hitting linebacker as well as a four-year starter for the Panthers before excelling at Penn State, McLinden says he’s no match to the Dallas Cowboys’ linebacker.
“Coach (Jim) Render talks about how Sean did this and did that, particularly how he started as a freshman, too, but he’s one of the best that has ever come out of this program. So there is no comparison.”
Though just a junior, McLinden is getting Division I looks. He’s visited Northwestern. The University of Buffalo is interested in his talents as are many of the Ivy League Schools because of his 4.1 QPA. McLinden plans to pursue a career in business or engineering.
While Lee played linebacker, McLinden looks to his cousin as his role model.
“Dom’s definitely driven my attitude as a player and as a person. A lot of kids look up to him. He works hard. He’s an example of if you work your hardest, then you can be whatever you want to be. Dom’s never doubted that.”
While Dom’s off to James Madison University to play baseball, McLinden looks to next season to pursue his dream of a WPIAL championship because the Panthers lost that hope when they fell to Penn-Trafford, 35-14, in the semifinals last Friday, Nov. 10.
A title might put him in that Lee category. Lee won a WPIAL title in basketball in 2005.
“If I win a WPIAL championship, then maybe,” McLinden said hesitantly. “You never know. Sean never won one in football but he was a great player.”