Video captured a heartwarming moment at Eastern Michigan University when a senior football player surprised his teammate with a full-ride scholarship.
Watch the video to see a walk-on get the surprise of his football life
The surprise came at a critical time for Zach Conti, who considered dropping out of school due to the high tuition and housing costs, before his teammate Brian Dooley presented him with the scholarship.
“Football is something I really love, so ever since I got to school, I’ve had to do whatever it takes to stay here and stay in a good position with academics and football and everything,” Conti said.
“I work a landscaping job, and I rip out carpets, and I demo tile floors whenever I’m not working or not doing football or going to school. It’s been a grind my whole life, but, I mean, when you really want something, it’s like you do what you need to do to keep it going.”
Conti, who is from Trenton, Michigan, joined the team in 2019 as a walk-on, implying that he did not receive a scholarship. According to Eastern Michigan’s website, it charges $7,600 per semester if you are a full-time student with a $55 registration fee.
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Eastern Michigan’s head football coach Chris Creighton said Conti had to work multiple jobs and sell his plasma to pay for bills.
The program never offered Conti a scholarship because the school is limited in the amount they can give.
Conti juggles football, financial commitments, and a family health crisis. His mother, Karen, requires a kidney donor, and he has been supporting her throughout this difficult time.
“Sometimes asking for help is not easy, but the team usually would see me coming back from work or going to work and they would know what’s going on,” Conti said. “It wasn’t really hard to be open to them about anything because I know they’ve got my back.”
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‘That guy deserves it’
Upon learning that Conti was contemplating quitting the football team this season, Dooley, a graduate student in his final year of eligibility, confidently stepped forward to offer his valuable assistance.
“He does a lot more than just football,” Dooley said. “Being a walk-on, he’s got to make up a lot of money. Putting that kind of work in on and off the field pushed me harder.”
Dooley walked into Coach Creighton’s office and expressed his desire to give his scholarship to Conti. He told his coach, “That guy deserves it.”
Dooley shared that he and Creighton teamed up to provide Conti with a complete scholarship supporting his undergraduate and graduate studies.
During a team meeting this month, Dooley and Creighton awarded Conti a scholarship in front of the whole team, who joined in on the celebration as Dooley and Conti embraced each other.
“The offensive line brotherhood is something that is hard to break,” Dooley said. “We have each other’s back. That’s why I wanted to get Conti’s back. If Conti wasn’t here, I’d give it to somebody else too. If somebody is working that hard and they deserve a scholarship, I want to give it to them.”
