Q&A with St. John's of Shrewsbury ATH Eamonn Dennis
SOUTH WEYMOUTH — There are few players in Massachusetts who are quite as explosive as St. John's of Shrewsbury junior Eamonn Dennis.
Whether it is in the return game, as a runner, or as a receiver, the Worcester native can take it to the house from anywhere on the field.
With the Pioneers, he can line up just about any place on offense, including running back, so his versatility is another aspect that makes him such a special talent. At 5-foot-11, 175 pounds, Dennis caught 28 passes for 379 yards and six touchdowns in 2018, good for 13.5 yards per catch. He also ran the ball 54 times for 444 yards and three touchdowns (8.2 yards per attempt).
His efforts helped the Pioneers reach the Division 3 state semifinals and finish with an 8-4 record. Colleges have begun to take notice of his skills, too, as he sports offers from UMass, Michigan, Mississippi State, UConn, and others.
On Saturday, MassVarsity caught up with Dennis at the Union Sports Complex, where he and his NE Red teammates were competing at the first day of the Legacy New England Football 7-on-7 games.
Here is an edited version of that conversation.
MassVarsity: How long have you been coming to Legacy events, and how does it help you?
Eamonn Dennis: This is my second year doing this. It helps during the offseason just to get you warmed up. We're from New England, so there's a lot of snow, so this is helping us get prepared for the season.
MV: What has you offseason been like? It seems like a lot of schools have jumped forward with offers.
ED: Just grinding. Just keep working, everything will come. Keep praying.
MV: You're in Worcester and you have to come all the way down here. Is it worth the trip?
ED: Yeah, it's worth it just to get warmed up because I'll do track in the spring, but I didn't do it in the winter.
MV: What are some of your best track times?
ED: It was a long time ago, but freshman year I got an 11.08 (in the 100 meters).
MV: What was it like getting a Mississippi State offer? Not a lot of kids up here get offers from the Bulldogs.
ED: It was nice because I went down there over the summer. I was just praying, and they reached back out and offered me.
MV: What's the recruiting process been like for you? I know it can be an overwhelming thing sometimes.
ED: It's long. I don't really like it, but it's cool to see all these schools coming in and all that.
MV: I was just talking to (St. John's and NE Red teammate) Jay (Brunelle) about your team goals for next year and the offseason. What are they?
ED: Help the younger guys to prepare for next year, and also to help us to get better over the season. I'm looking forward for the season.
MV: It's kind of funny how big this (Legacy) thing has grown . . .
ED: Yeah. The first year wasn't that big, but over time, continued playing with it, it got better. It's all about patience.
MV: Do you like the fact that you get to meet so many kids from so many different teams and stuff like that?
ED: Yeah, see what they do over the offseason, too, learn from them, get better, and use that.
Whether it is in the return game, as a runner, or as a receiver, the Worcester native can take it to the house from anywhere on the field.
With the Pioneers, he can line up just about any place on offense, including running back, so his versatility is another aspect that makes him such a special talent. At 5-foot-11, 175 pounds, Dennis caught 28 passes for 379 yards and six touchdowns in 2018, good for 13.5 yards per catch. He also ran the ball 54 times for 444 yards and three touchdowns (8.2 yards per attempt).
His efforts helped the Pioneers reach the Division 3 state semifinals and finish with an 8-4 record. Colleges have begun to take notice of his skills, too, as he sports offers from UMass, Michigan, Mississippi State, UConn, and others.
On Saturday, MassVarsity caught up with Dennis at the Union Sports Complex, where he and his NE Red teammates were competing at the first day of the Legacy New England Football 7-on-7 games.
Here is an edited version of that conversation.
MassVarsity: How long have you been coming to Legacy events, and how does it help you?
Eamonn Dennis: This is my second year doing this. It helps during the offseason just to get you warmed up. We're from New England, so there's a lot of snow, so this is helping us get prepared for the season.
MV: What has you offseason been like? It seems like a lot of schools have jumped forward with offers.
ED: Just grinding. Just keep working, everything will come. Keep praying.
MV: You're in Worcester and you have to come all the way down here. Is it worth the trip?
ED: Yeah, it's worth it just to get warmed up because I'll do track in the spring, but I didn't do it in the winter.
MV: What are some of your best track times?
ED: It was a long time ago, but freshman year I got an 11.08 (in the 100 meters).
MV: What was it like getting a Mississippi State offer? Not a lot of kids up here get offers from the Bulldogs.
ED: It was nice because I went down there over the summer. I was just praying, and they reached back out and offered me.
MV: What's the recruiting process been like for you? I know it can be an overwhelming thing sometimes.
ED: It's long. I don't really like it, but it's cool to see all these schools coming in and all that.
MV: I was just talking to (St. John's and NE Red teammate) Jay (Brunelle) about your team goals for next year and the offseason. What are they?
ED: Help the younger guys to prepare for next year, and also to help us to get better over the season. I'm looking forward for the season.
MV: It's kind of funny how big this (Legacy) thing has grown . . .
ED: Yeah. The first year wasn't that big, but over time, continued playing with it, it got better. It's all about patience.
MV: Do you like the fact that you get to meet so many kids from so many different teams and stuff like that?
ED: Yeah, see what they do over the offseason, too, learn from them, get better, and use that.
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