IS GETTING ITS DRAFT BOARD READY
And that might have been just fine. There are several career opportunities for someone with a criminal justice degree from Villanova.
But Canci wanted to play football. The only problem was he didn't get a scholarship to play football at Villanova, or any other university.
At Sun Valley High School, Canci was a good, but not great, player. He had eye-popping statistics, but not the eye-popping speed to lure recruiters.
So Canci appeared destined to become nothing more than a college student. And eventually, at age 40, he might have been like every other Joey Bagadonuts has-been, embellishing his high school career to a coworker.
But for some reason, while some people settle for what is in front of them, Canci reached out and grabbed his dream - and hung on for dear life.
The 22-year-old from Brookhaven turned his dream into a reality. He is now the Wildcats' fifth-year senior fullback, and he's on a full scholarship.
A situational player who stands out on special teams, Canci has six receptions for 58 yards. Four of those receptions are for touchdowns, tying him with wideout Brandyn Harvey for the team lead.
Not bad for the 5-foot-11, 220-pounder, who only had one receptions for 4 yards before this season.
He'll look to add to his totals in the Nov. 7 Colonial Athletic Association South Division game showcasing ranked Football Championship Subdivision programs. Fourth-ranked Villanova (7-1, 4-1 CAA) travels to top-ranked Richmond (7-0, 5-0) for the 3:30 p.m. game.
"It's all about hard work," said Canci, who earned his criminal justice degree in May and is working on a sociology degree. "That's the biggest thing. I knew what it took" to become a contributor.
"I could have quit from my freshman year. Even after my sophomore year, waking up 5 o'clock in the morning. People were saying, 'Why are you on the team? You are not on scholarship.' "
He stayed because he loves football. He has a passion for it.
Teammates recognize Canci for his perseverance and selflessness.
"He's all about the team, and whatever he can do for anybody else," Villanova safety Ross Ventrone said. "You see him sacrifice himself on kickoffs or blocking for [wideout] Matt Szczur or [running back] Aaron Ball or any of those guys. He puts his body on the line for everybody."
That's different from the role he had at Sun Valley.
Canci rushed for 2,323 yards and 32 touchdowns as a senior in 2004. He tied a state record with eight touchdowns in a single game.
Despite those impressive statistics, Canci only attracted interest from Division III Widener and a few Division II schools.
Without any offers, he enrolled at Villanova, a school where his family has close ties.
Canci's mother, Joan, has been employed there for 12 years. His three older sisters are all Villanova graduates. And since employees' family members get free tuition, it was only fitting for him to follow suit.
Realistic, Canci knew he wouldn't get opportunities to showcase his running style.
"I knew coming in here, the way I was going to get looked at by the coaches was on special teams," he said. "So I was busting my butt on special teams in practice the whole time. So that's when they saw me."
Impressed, Wildcat coaches put Canci on the punt return and kickoff teams during his redshirt freshman campaign. He even blocked a punt against Towson in the seventh game of that season. The following season, he played on most of the special teams' units.
At the conclusion of last season, head coach Andy Talley did something he rarely does for walk-ons. He invited Canci back for a fifth season and gave him a scholarship.
"He plays flat-out 100 percent," Talley said of Canci. "He is extremely coachable."
Canci is also an example of dreams coming true. And he doesn't care that, unlike in high school, he's not the featured back.
"It's a different role," Canci said. "But at the same time, I think I'm having just as much fun."
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