Sports

Dedham Alum Walks-on to Boston College Football

Carmen Dello Iacono III will play tight end for the Eagles this coming season.

Although no media guide exists for football, Jake Santamaria, the school's former principal and athletic director, rattled off college football programs alumni went on to play for.

There's Brown, UMass-Amerst and Harvard, and a handful of others. But there's just one other player who went on to play in a power six conferences - Big East, ACC, Pac-12, SEC, Big 10 and Big 12.

Until now.

Find out what's happening in Dedhamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Carmen Dello Iacono III, a 2011 graduate of DHS, earned a try-out with Boston College last week, and won a spot on the 2012 team.

"At the end of the try-out they told me I made the team," Dello Iacono said. "I love the sport. Every since I stopped playing in high school, I knew I wanted to play in college."

Find out what's happening in Dedhamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Dello Iacono III, will wear the number 87 as a tight end on the Eagles' depth chart.

A Boston College football spokesperson couldn't be reached for comment.

The DHS graduate, a freshman at Boston College, said he spent months training in the weight room and running around a resevoir near the B.C. campus.

"One of my buddies on my floor used to play quarterback in high school, so I'd have him throw me the ball sometimes. I just kept training until try-outs," he said.

Playing in the Atlantic Coast Conference, Dello Iacono will be at least on the sidelines for games against opponents such as the University of Miami and Virginia Tech, as well as rival Notre Dame. Dello Iacono will get the chance to travel to one away game, and travel to a bowl game, if the Eagles qualify.

"This is huge. People come out of the NFL from B.C., and these schools. It's going to be pretty cool playing with these kids," Dello Iacono said. "It's definitely a higher level of football."

Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect that Mike McLeish, a 1988 graduate of DHS, played for Ole Miss of the SEC from 1989-1992. He walked on in 1989 and started at tight end in 1992.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here