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Lifelong Dream Comes True

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By SCOTT PURKS Tribune correspondent

Published: December 7, 2007

TAMPA - "I didn't know if I would live to see this," said 70-year-old Nick DiMaggio on Thursday, two days before Tampa Catholic played in its first state football final Saturday in Orlando. "It was hard for me to imagine."

There were so many close calls, including the early 1970s and the Kenny Kelly-Darrell Jackson years of 1995-96 when TC had 10-win seasons only to lose late in the playoffs.

There also was the colon cancer, which DiMaggio survived in 2002, the year he retired as TC's athletic director after 36 years.

All of which, at least when it came to football, were on the road because TC had no home football stadium. From the time DiMaggio started as TC's athletic director in 1966, TC played "home" games at Plant, Hillsborough, King, Robinson, Leto, Chamberlain and even arch-rival Jesuit.

Every year he had to wait for Hillsborough County's public schools to come out with their schedules before he could start making his. Then it was endless hours of lining up buses and contracts to divide proceeds.

Which is one of the memories, among many, that had tears rolling down his face Thursday.

"I wish making a state final would have happened under my watch," said DiMaggio, who has missed no more than a handful of TC football, basketball and baseball games in more than 40 years. "But it makes me so, so happy to see them finally make it. I mean, you know, this is my school. My life."

Where will he be Saturday at 7 p.m. for the kickoff at Orlando's Citrus Bowl against Madison County?

"On the sideline," TC coach Bob Henriquez said. "Are you kidding me? There is no place else he could be. Or should be. He has to be there. Has to."

DiMaggio grinned. Made him feel good to hear Henriquez felt that way.

"I hope in some way, after all those years before this, I helped them reach this," DiMaggio said. "I think I did. All I know now is that I'm very, very happy that the program is strong. They have a stadium, and now they have a chance to win a state championship.

"All of it, it means so much."

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