Dylan Joslin Signs with Stony Brook University

Lacey Township High School senior Dylan Joslin signed to play football at Stony Brook University at last week's National Signing Day.

“Dylan Joslin came to Lacey Township High School four years ago as a basketball player but on the college signing date in February 2011, he will leave a football player,” Coach Lou Vircillo said.

Stony Brook University is a Football Championship Subdivision (formerly 1-AA) school on Long Island.

“I would tend to think that he’s taking on a big challenge by going to Division 1-AA, but he has the capability to develop and be a player there,” Vircillo said.

According to Joslin, he chose Stony Brook over other schools because the coach really reached out to him.

“He’s a really nice guy, and I liked the location. It was a very nice school, and the football program is very good,” Joslin said.

Joslin, a 6’3’’, 260-pound defensive end, played football all four years of high school and was on varsity for the past two years.

He said he will either play defensive tackle or defensive end in college.

“I am looking forward to being a part of the football community and getting a further education of what I want to do in life,” Joslin said.

Joslin plans to go into education and become a teacher. According to Joslin, football had a hand in his choice of profession. He said football shaped him and without the sport, he would not be looking at college the same way.

“He added his newly developed skills to that of his fellow teammates to have his Lacey team dominate the gridiron and lead this Ocean County squad to an undefeated 12-0 season and a South Jersey Group III State Championship,” Vircillo said.

Winning the state championship this past fall was Joslin’s best memory of football at LTHS. Following the undefeated season, Joslin was named First Team All-Conference, First Team All-County, and Second Team All-Shore.

“Besides being a very good football player and adding to the fine senior class that we had, he has a great sense of humor and he keeps everything light and that gives us a lot of energy in the locker room,” Vircillo said.

Viricllo said that Joslin’s greatest contribution this year was the pressure he put on quarterbacks.

“He had big games in rushing the passer against Manchester High School and in a playoff game against Timber Creek where he had nine pressures,” Vircillo said. “Otherwise, he’s a very steady performer on the defensive line.”

Joslin recorded 31 tackles, five sacks, and 18 pressures on the quarterbacks. In addition, Joslin excelled in the classroom as an honor student with a 3.6 grade point average.

Joslin’s greatest influence on the field was Vircillo, but he got his drive to play from his family.

“'Coach V' just pushed me. I really didn’t start when my friends were starting but I kept going through it and he just told me I’ll get through it and I did,” Joslin said. “I got my drive to play from my family because they want me to succeed and I want to succeed, so that pushes me.”

It was not until high school that Joslin got into football because he was always too big for Pop Warner Youth Football in Lacey Township, he said.

Joslin also played varsity basketball for three years.

“Starting varsity basketball for three years made Dylan competitive and athletic while his off-season workouts in the weight room gave him the needed power to dominate play on the line of scrimmage,” Vircillo said.

Joslin is one of nine senior football players at LTHS who plan to play at the collegiate level.