Hens’ Pawlowski doesn’t let being a walk-on keep him from starting

By Andy Walter

NEWARK — Andrew Pawlowski never really expected to be a college football player.

And even when he walked on as a freshman at Delaware, he wondered what he was getting himself into.

“When I first got here, the first practice I saw Nasir Adderley, Troy Reeder and Bilal Nichols,” said Pawlowski, naming his former UD teammates that are all now in the NFL. “I was like, there’s no way I could possibly start here, whatsoever.”

Yet, here the senior is, a first-year starter at the KAT linebacker spot for the No. 11 Blue Hens (2-0), who have a noon CAA showdown at No. 18 Rhode Island (2-0) on Saturday.

Not only is Pawlowski starting, but he was named the CAA Defensive Player of the Week after posting a career-high nine tackles in Delaware’s 31-3 win over Stony Brook two weeks ago. That was a pretty big accomplishment for a player who had just 12 tackles in first three seasons combined.

“He’s doing a great job,” said UD coach Danny Rocco. “With every week through the fall and into the winter and into the start of spring. ... it became more and more apparent that he’s the guy. He’s the guy who’s going to man this position. He’s got all the skills set to do that.

“He’s really taken a lot of pride in his ability to master the wide range of techniques that that player has to be able to play.”

Rocco said that with Pawlowski solidifying that KAT spot on the defense, it allows other players — especially the Hens’ safeties — to just focus on their own responsibilities.

A former safety who stands 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, Pawlowski can do a little bit of everything, depending on what’s needed on any particular play.

Despite Pawlowski’s more prominent role now, he said he’s never lost the underdog mentality that comes with being a walk-on.

While he was put on scholarship last fall, Pawlowski is back to non-scholarship status because of the number of players in the program right now.

“When you come in as a walk-on, you understand that you’re probably not necessarily getting every single opportunity,” he said. “You’re going to have to earn your way. I think just having that kind of mentality — knowing that nothing is just going to be given to you — definitely pushed me. ... It makes you want to just keep going and achieve a lot more.

“I think I’ve done a good job and earned what I’ve been given. I just want to keep pushing myself. ... Just being able to (start) right now with the guys I’m next to, I mean it’s an amazing feeling.”

At Huntingtown (Md.) High, Pawlowski always thought he’d end up playing baseball in college. But a new football head coach his senior year convinced him to send out a recruiting tape to a few schools.

He was already interested in UD as a student. So when they recruited him as a walk-on, he said he signed right away.

“It really just sort of fell into my lap,” said Pawlowski. “But I think I would have been here even if football hadn’t been an option. I guess that’s also part of the reason why I stayed motivated. I know, even if football wasn’t here, I would still love being in this school.”

Moving on

Rocco said it was after practice last Tuesday evening that he first heard there might be a problem with the Hens’ game last week.

He got a text from Delaware athletic director Chrissi Rawak saying ‘Coach, give me a call regarding New Hampshire.’

“I kind of knew what that might have meant,” said Rocco.

By 10 a.m. on Wednesday, the CAA announced that the contest, slated for last Saturday at New Hampshire, had been canceled due to COVID issues with the Wildcats.

Delaware looked into a finding a new opponent for the spot but Rocco also said he’s not sure what game he would have agreed to.

Having games canceled at the last minute is just part of the pandemic landscape, of course. UNH has called off its game with Villanova this Saturday, as well, while James Madison previously had two games canceled.

Rocco thought the best think he could was get his players quickly moving on and preparing for this week’s matchup with Rhode Island.

“It was just, we’re on to the next one,” said Rocco. “We can sit here and ‘what if,’ and ‘how do you feel?’ and all those kinds of things. But really, when it’s all said and done, the sooner you can be on to the next opponent, the better off you are. I made a really big deal about that Thursday and Saturday.”

One man’s highlight ...

Mateo Vandamia’s touchdown two weeks ago against Stony Brook, in which he picked up a teammate’s fumble and ran it 21 yards in the end zone, was the kind of highlight people wanted to watch a few times.

But you’ll excuse receiver Gene Coleman if he was the one Delaware player who wasn’t thrilled to see the play again.

That’s because he was the player who fumbled the ball after a 16-yard reception and run.

“You can ask anybody, I’m a perfectionist when it comes to this game,” said Coleman. “But when you’re chasing perfection, you also have to realize that perfection is just not possible. ... I don’t dwell on my mistakes, I move past it.

“Maybe three minutes after Mateo scored that touchdown, there’s a picture of me smiling on the sidelines. I couldn’t believe it. That’s the second time I’ve fumbled in like the last nine years of my life. Look, we scored a touchdown so I couldn’t be too mad about it but I still expect better of myself.”

Coleman, who is the Hens’ leading receiver with 11 catches for 113 yards, would rather remember the 21-yard scoring pass he caught from Nolan Henderson in the season-opening win over Maine. For some reason, the Black Bears’ defense left him basically uncovered on the roll-out play.

“It was probably one of the easiest touchdowns I’ve ever had,” said Coleman.

Extra points

Delaware moved up one spot to No. 11 in Monday’s Stats FCS national poll. No. 1 James Madison (3-0) is still the only CAA squad ranked ahead of the Hens. ... Rocco said there were three players who wouldn’t have traveled to UNH but are expected to play this week ... Including Vandamia’s fumble return, all four of Henderson’s scoring passes this spring have officially covered 21 yards.