Leon Modeste is old-fashioned.
So old-fashioned, in fact, that when the 23-year Phillips Acadamy football coach attempted to find an accurate comparison for his former player, Tufts safety Tom Tassinari, the only name that came to mind was Gary Cooper, a film actor born in 1901 who was known for his emotionally restrained Western flicks.
At the end of his movies, Cooper, a tall, lanky man, would stoically walk into the sunset, satisfied that he had saved the world one last time. Likewise, at the end of football games, Tassinari walks away quietly, seeking no pats on the back for an individual effort but rather content with the team win.
Though this stoicism links the film legend and the football star, the similarities stop there. Cooper's film career ended in 1961. For Tassinari, his story begins on the fields of Andover, Mass. at age nine and continues through his years at Tufts. The last chapter in the "Book of Tassinari," however, has yet to be written.
A senior quad-captain, Tassinari returns to the gridiron for one more season in what has already been one of the more prolific careers by a Jumbo safety in program history. He's been named First Team All-NESCAC for the past two years, and in 2008, he became the first Tufts player since 2005 to be selected to the New England Football Writers' All-New England team. Surely, that would be enough for most, but Tassinari is always hungry for more.
For someone who was unsure about playing college football, he has certainly done well for himself. On July 28, Tassinari was named a D3football.com 2009 preseason All-American, the only defensive player from New England to make either the first or second team.
The story of Tassinari can be traced back to Andover, where his mother was the treasurer for the in-town football league. While Tassinari began playing under his mom, he eventually worked his way up to Phillips-Andover.
"He is just one of those kids who just kept coming and developing," Modeste said. "It's the whole package. He was just a monster his senior year … and never looked back. Tom was just great, one of those guys who just steps up."
Modeste recalled one time in high school when Tassinari scored on the opening drive of a big game. While the entire sideline exploded in excitement, Tassinari, the "calmest person in the stadium," flipped the ball to the official, jogged back to the huddle and readied himself for the next defensive assignment.
"Tom never said a word, but in the first minute of the game, he would stick somebody," Modeste said. "That's him in a nutshell. Tommy wasn't the guy who was all hyped up before the game. He just came out and did the right thing. He will cover the best guy or the worst guy, in zone or man."
ide receiver and safety in high school, defense always struck a particular chord with Tassinari.
"Defense wins championships — I know it's cliché," Tassinari said. "I like hitting people and the mentality of defense, trying to stop them. I just figured I was a better defensive player than offensive player."
Yet from a simple conversation with him, it becomes evident that humility, not physical strength, is Tassinari's greatest attribute.
"I've been fortunate to play with a lot of good guys," Tassinari said. "I couldn't have gotten these awards without them. I consider this a team honor and attribute a lot of my success to the whole defense in general."
Humility sees no recognition without skill, though, an attribute Tassinari boasts plenty of. Last year, Tassinari tied for 17th nationally in Div. III with 0.63 interceptions per game, and he returned a pick for a touchdown for the second consecutive year. But his most important impact often goes unnoticed in the box score.
"There's nothing better than seeing a big hit or seeing a big play to get people excited and ready to go," senior quad-captain Alex Perry said. "He's just that type of guy who always seems to make those types of plays, even though you might not expect it. He's a force back there and will always be."
In 2006, Tassinari's freshman year, he "tried to get in any way possible" and ended up playing primarily on special teams. He saw the field in just three games, recording three tackles.
But in his sophomore campaign, both starting safeties got hurt, opening the door for the next chapter. With a work ethic rivaling anyone on the team, Tassinari quickly proved himself to his coaches and his teammates. He went on to lead the team with five interceptions and finished second on the squad with 51 tackles that year.
"We thought that Tom had ‘it,' and when you think right, you hit it in Vegas," Tufts coach Bill Samko said. "We did that with Tom. He is what he is, which is pretty damn special. He certainly breaks the stereotype about what the football dumb jock is supposed to be."
Being named a preseason All-American means a lot to Tassinari, but he is quick to note that it has little bearing on how his senior year will play out.
"It's a nice award and all, but it's a preseason award, and it doesn't really mean that much," he said. "It's based on the past. You still have to train as hard, maybe even harder now that people are coming for you. It doesn't affect the outcome of the season because you still have to do all your running and lifting. It's nice, but it doesn't win games."
Even with the honors, Tassinari insists that winning comes first, looking to improve on the Jumbos' .500 mark in 2008.
"I don't think there's anything to get cocky about; there are plenty guys who are as good as I am," Tassinari said. "We could go 8-0, and I could have zero tackles and zero interceptions, and that would be totally fine with me."
"The ideal defensive player is a leader who knows what's going on and has a certain type of instinct," Perry added. "[Tassinari] embodies that type of player. It's leading by example for Tass. He'll do anything to get better. He deserves all the recognition in the world for what he's done."
Though this fall will be the conclusion of Tassinari's football chapter, his passion and drive make it clear that his story is far from finished.
"I've coached 30-plus doctors, and Tom's at the top of what we've had," Samko said. "He's a winner and is going to be successful at whatever he chooses to do. I tell the guys on my team, ‘be like him, be like him.'"
"He is a throwback to a time when athletes didn't think they were owed something just because they could play a game," Modeste added. "In the game of life, hitting someone is irrelevant. You have to be a good citizen and a good student. Playing football is a bonus, but it does not define him. When it's over, he'll still be Tom Tassinari, quietly walking out into the sunset."
Just like Gary Cooper.
