Recruit sets sights on jets, Mids

list of Navy prospects

As a youngster, Vinnie Mauro was mesmerized by the F-14 fighter jets that soared overhead during an air show held annually near his Fort Lauderdale home.

"For as long as I can remember I've wanted to become a fighter pilot and my father told me the best way to do that was to graduate from the Naval Academy," Mauro said.

Mauro's goals never changed even though he developed into a major Division I football prospect. The talented middle linebacker at St. Thomas Aquinas High received scholarship offers from some of the finest schools in Bowl Championship Series conferences, but still had his heart set on attending the Naval Academy.

Late last month, Mauro committed to Navy over Wisconsin, Stanford, Vanderbilt and several other schools. The 6-foot-2, 225-pound south Florida resident is rated as the nation's 26th-best middle linebacker prospect by Scout.com.

"It is a major coup for Navy to land a player the caliber of Vinnie Mauro," said Charles Fishbein of Elite Scouting Services. "He is a quick, strong, tough playmaker who would have been a major force for any school that he chose."

Mauro has been the leading tackler for perennial prep powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas for the past two seasons. As a junior, the Ft. Lauderdale resident registered 67 tackles (12.5 for loss) and four sacks to help St. Thomas Aquinas compile a 15-0 record and capture the Florida Class 5A state championship. The Raiders were crowned the consensus national champions by all polls, including USA Today.

As a senior, Mauro recorded 76 tackles (16.5 for loss), 5 ½ sacks and four forced fumbles as the private school went 13-1. He saw significant action as a sophomore when the Raiders won another state title.

"Vinnie is everything you look for in a football player. He is very smart, very tough and very athletic," St. Thomas Aquinas head coach George Smith said. "Vinnie is a very instinctive player who really understands the game. Above all else, he is a great human being with tremendous heart and character."

Mauro comes from a long line of military men as one grandfather was a Naval aviator while the other served in the Air Force. His father served in the United States Coast Guard and is still active as a reservist.

Mauro admitted he had to reconsider his single-minded obsession with the Naval Academy was challenged after he blossomed into a national-caliber recruit and received scholarship offers from major conference programs. He took unofficial visits to Vanderbilt and Rutgers and an official visit to Wisconsin, which proved the primary competition to Navy.

"Wisconsin definitely intrigued me. It's a great academic school and the football program is on the rise. Obviously, it would be great to play in a league like the Big Ten," he said. "Ultimately, I asked myself where would I want to be if football didn't work out? I had my heart set on going to Navy before I got those other offers and that was the ultimate deciding factor."

Mauro has traveled to Annapolis numerous times, attending the Air Force game in 2007 and the Delaware contest last season. He participated in the Navy football camp the past two years and has gotten to know the coaching staff very well.

"Navy is a great football program that just gets better and better. Just look at this season when they beat Missouri and Notre Dame and almost upset Ohio State," Mauro said. "Navy has proven it can compete with anyone in the country. From a football standpoint, I know I will get a chance to play against the best during my career there."

Mauro took an official visit to the Naval Academy last month and spent considerable time with inside linebacker Tyler Simmons. He also hung around returning defensive players Billy Yarborough and Shane Bothel.

"One of the main reasons I chose the Naval Academy was the camaraderie and brotherhood among the players. Just being around guys like Tyler Simmons and Billy Yarborough made me realize that Navy was the place for me," he said. "It's just a different breed of people - so driven and motivated. I would like to think I fit into that category."

Mauro is also an outstanding baseball player and said he has been in contact with Navy head coach Paul Kostacopoulos about possibly becoming a two-sport athlete at the academy.