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LYNN — For the past few years now, there hasn’t been any doubt in Classical football standout Eusebio Quintana’s mind about where he wanted to continue his education.
“Ever since I visited WPI my junior year in April, I knew that was the school I wanted to go to,” Quintana said. “Really, it became my dream school right away.”
That dream is coming true this fall with an added bonus for the Lynn native. Quintana officially committed last month to continue not only his education, but also his career as a cornerback on the gridiron at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
“It’s just about how I got better on the field over the years,” Quintana said. “As a freshman, I didn’t expect that I would still be playing football in college. But I improved and it’s really an honor to be seen by the school that you knew you already wanted to go to.”
During his first visits to WPI, it was the atmosphere around the campus that helped Quintana decide it was the fit for him.
“One thing that stuck out right away was the community they had there,” Quintana said. “It was very happy. You go to some schools and the students are walking around campus just looking down. At WPI the students there were all smiling and looked like they were all having a good time. It’s a small campus too which is one of the things I like about colleges.”
As time passed and Quintana was recruited by WPI on the football field as well, he found that WPI coach Chris Robertson and the Engineers program were just as welcoming.
“What really stuck out was the first meeting with the coach,” Quintana said. “He knew I was a freshman coming from Classical, a kid from Lynn and he shook my hand, said his full name and introduced himself. It let me know that he cares about all his players, not just the star ones.”
On the field for the Rams, Quintana quickly became a cornerstone for coach Brian Vaughan’s defense at cornerback while also playing slot receiver.
“Eusebio is a great kid,” Vaughan said. “He did a great job at corner and inside receiver for us. He was our No. 1 corner last year and he brings a lot to table. He’s a decent height at six feet and an all-around great player for us.”
But it’s the hard work Quintana puts in off the field that Vaughan is most proud of.
“I’d say the best quality about him is he gets it done in the classroom,” Vaughan said. “He understands how important that is and it’s really translated to his college selection because WPI is really known for their academics. My oldest daughter is a graduate from there so I know firsthand the work it takes and how hard it is to get in.
“Not a lot of kids get to go to their No. 1 school, and he’s doing it,” Vaughan said. “And then you add on top of that he gets to continue to play football. It worked out great for him and we’re really excited for him.”
While Quintana will be playing for the Engineers on the field, he’s also set on studying mechanical engineering in the classroom.
“WPI is known for being a great engineering school and that’s what I’ve been wanting to go into for a while now,” Quintana said. “As for football, I’ve been focusing on just working and training even if I don’t have weights or dumbbells right now.
“The team sent out a workout packet full of summer workouts and I’ve followed it,” Quintana said. “I know the coaches have high expectations for us coming in and my goal is to exceed those expectations.”
