Bethel Park junior putting efforts into football this fall
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Jason Nuttridge hopes to help Bethel Park win a championship in football as he did when he led the Blackhawks to a state baseball title this spring.
Jason Nuttridge scored 18 runs and maintained a .322 on-base percentage and excelled in right field for the Bethel Park baseball team this spring.
Eleanor Bailey/The Almanac
Jason Nuttridge is a defensive back and wide receiver on the Bethel Park football team.
Jason Nuttridge, a junior at Bethel Park, said he knows he is the kind of kid who “can’t sit still.”
In the spring and summer, he plays baseball. In the fall, it’s football. In the winter, he competes in basketball.
“Ever since I was little, I have had so much energy,” said the 16-year-old son of Kelly and Ryan Nuttridge. “I drove my mom crazy.”
After helping Bethel Park capture its first state championship in baseball since 1988, Nuttridge plans to make the opposition go insane as he tackles his final season on the gridiron.
A 5-11, 150 pounds, Nuttridge will start at wide receiver this season after splitting signal caller duties with Max Blanc last season. On defense, he will again start at cornerback for the Black Hawks.
“It’s a good question whether I prefer defense but I like to play it because I love tackling and I think my strong suit is pass coverage,” said Nuttridge. “I like being a wide receiver, too, but it’s really my first year at it.”
Nuttridge said he has played every position on the gridiron since he began playing the game at age 6.
“Even right tackle,” he said. “I’m not afraid of change. Anything to help the team.”
And that includes bringing his experience from the baseball diamond last spring.
“Baseball has been a time to remember,” Nuttridge said. “I’m still speechless about the season we had. Winning a state championship was such a big accomplishment. It was what we worked for all year and I think I can use that experience to help the football team.”
BP football coach Brian DeLallo agrees. He believes Nuttridge brings a championship attitude to the squad.
“Jason knows what it’s like to play on a championship team and compete at a high level,” DeLallo said. “He thrives on pressure and competes hard. We are counting on him to be a leader.”
Nuttridge brings a level-headed approach and composure to his role. He said he developed both characteristics by playing baseball.
“For as many highs as we had, we did have a couple of lows but we pushed through them because there is always a better result that can come,” he said. “As long as you are all on the same page and know what the end result will be, it will get better.”
Nuttridge is optimistic about the football team’s prospects even though the Black Hawks finished 0-7 in 2020.
“We did have a lot of downs. Not many first downs,” he said. “We could have quit, but we kept playing and pushing each other. With so many people back this year, we know we are not going to quit on each other or out there on the field. The only way to go is up.”
Age: 16
Birthday: Sept. 11
Parents: Kelli and Ryan
Siblings: Jacob, 21, who golfs for the club team at Chatham University.
High School: Bethel Park
Year: Junior
GPA: 4.3
Sports: Baseball, football, basketball
Activities: Steel City Wildcats Baseball Club; National Honor Society, Principal’s Advisory Council
Color: Blue
Food: Steak
Restaurant: “I’m not a picky guy so that is a hard question. I’d have to say my mom’s kitchen though. She’s the best cook and my dad does steaks on the grill really well.”
Athlete: Derek Jeter
Book: The Alchemist. “I loved reading that book.”
Dream destination: The Bahamas. “When I was younger we went on a cruise to there but I was not tall enough to ride the water slides and I kept getting rocks in my shoes.”
Person you would like to have dinner with: Roberto Clemente. “I would love to hear his story and get his advice on how he played his game.”
Life-lesson sports has taught you: Never give up.
In 15 years, I will: “Hopefully have a family, living down south and playing in the Major Leagues. That’s the big dream.”
Jason Nuttridge of Bethel Park did not exist when terrorists attacked the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. He was born five years later on Sept. 11, 2005. Nevertheless, he considers the date notable.
“It’s very important. Significant in our country’s history and should be remembered by all,” said Nuttridge, a 16-year-old high school junior.
Self-dubbed as a “lover of research”, Nuttridge investigated the events that occurred on 9/11 in 2001, including the plane downed by passengers in a pasture in Shanksville. During his historical studies, he also learned that a BP alumni, Ken Waldie, was a passenger aboard the first airplane to strike the WTC’s north tower.
“Because I wasn’t alive, I didn’t know him personally but it was super sad. A lot of people died that day, including those on the planes,” he said. “It’s hard to believe and understand. I can’t really talk about it but it is definitely something that should not be forgotten.”