Wesley Chapel, January 30, 2019- Today, we’re kicking off the week right with another E7TC camper feature, and some background behind this rising sophomore’s unique come up. Without further ado, here’s a BCP insider on the up n’ coming kid under center and what his household dynamics entailed, growing up around a professional atmosphere so early on.
“For my sophomore year, I want to help lead my team to the playoffs and make a run at states for sure. I pray before each game to do well and accomplish some of the things my dad has done, while being a great leader along the way,” the incoming second-year student-athlete remarks.
There’s a new young Bull grazing the gridiron for Wiregrass and he’s already making major strides as a starting freshie signal caller. This past 2018 debut, Rocco led the JV boys to an undefeated season (8-0 overall, 7-0 in district), and won the 2018 Under Armour Flag National Championship alongside his Flag Football Mountaineers.
“I loved everything about it, cheering him on at games- I just loved picking up the ball and tossing it around; players shared tons of knowledge with me so it was really cool to be around all that. He’s [dad] always been there for me at my games, kept mentally focused and prepared, and helped me acknowledge plays and the overall game better as a role model.” QB Rocco Becht exclaims when asked about growing up in the professional atmosphere and the influences along the way.
On tape, he’s undeniably decisive with his punctual releases in the shotgun and possesses that extra charisma in his mechanics, while still being calm and collected in the pocket. He can unleash some dimes down-field or thread the needle with the slow-killer shorter-range passes, and the best part is he won’t shy away from snapping under center either. Don’t underestimate his gun-slinger capabilities; he’ll take you deep 10/10 times with his effortless step-up, leaving you with your hands on your hips and gawking at that scoreboard.
“I’d say my favorite movies are the Rocky series and the Blind Side- other than football, I like to play to golf and corn hole. I like listening to Drake, Lil baby and country music as well on game day; artists like Florida Georgia Line, Sam Hunt, Luke Brian and Kane brown are some of my favorites.”
According to MaxPreps, in 5 games played, Becht let it fly, totaling 377 passing yards on 23 completions of 46 attempts, with 75.4 PYG, a .500 completion percentage, 7 total TD’s, 1 with his legs and an accumulated QBR of 100.9! His top performances surfaced in a 41-0 blowout W, trampling Pasco High on their own turf, throwing for 70 yards on 4 completions of 6 attempts, totaling a 145.8 QBR, put on a touchdown clinic, tallying 3 TD’s and was awarded Overall WRHS Player of the Game. In ‘The War on 54’ against their local rival, Wesley Chapel, he threw for 79 yards, going 5 for 8, 1 TD and a QBR of 134.9 in a 26-7 victory.
“For me, I was not a highly recruited player or a ‘five-star’ prospect, I was very tall and skinny; the epitome of hard work and getting lucky. Rocco’s got to put the full time and effort to get to where he wants to be; you have to do more to out-work your opponent- have open ears and more importantly, be able to understand the coaching. I’ve been around some very talented players over my time, so I just want to guide him along the way and help him reach whatever goals he has in mind,” states father Anthony Becht. “I was very fortunate to play twelve seasons among five organizations, giving me a scope of everything, especially how players failed and succeeded, so I’m trying to give my son the whole element of that. He was always around those players and the game, teaching him life skills as well as technical ones.”
“I’ve been putting on a camp in Philadelphia for 1st-8th grade kids since 2006, and brought it to Tampa in 2010; didn’t get to host it this past year, but starting it up this year again in the Pasco County area. Great football players are well-rounded in every aspect on and off the field- talent alone doesn’t get you there. Also trying to help him be a leader and be successful with both himself and his teammates in his skill on the field.” In Becht’s 167-game NFL tight end career, stretching over a decade (the average NFL career lasts around 3.5 years, talk about longevity!), the 6’6” 270-pounder played for the New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, St. Louis Rams who now reside in L.A., Arizona Cardinals and finished with the Kansas City Chiefs. In those 12 seasons, Anthony registered 1,537 yards on 188 receptions, averaged nearly a first down (had 97 of those) with 8.2 YPC, collected 21 TDs and even racked up 18 total tackles on the opposite side of the ball.
The multi-faceted pro continues, “It’s vital- there’s a lot of critical factors for players after retiring from the league; everybody thinks that when most guys exit and go broke, they’re just spending all their money. I know a lot of players with a lot of money, but they just weren’t at a good place in life. The Players Trust program (powered by NFL Players Association) is devised for guys leaving the NFL; assisting them in achieving a start to a new career or simply in their next desired goals in life.”
“We’ve developed programs for them to go back to school, full body treatment assessments, or our free 12 to 18-month program for current guys in the league that were cut and still want to train to get back to tip-top shape to re-enter the league.”
“It’s about taking those next steps, job searching, resume building- the structure changes when you’re not in the game anymore so whether it be guys retired from the NFL for twenty years or guys around now, I wanted to put my name behind something that was helping players and wasn’t looking for any hidden agendas.” replied Anthony Becht compassionately when asked about his involvement with Players Trust as captain and the support system provided when athletes decide to hang em’ up and start their next chapter.”
Along with his career of accolades, the family man and West Virginia University alum still manages to find time for his other various passions, including the Alliance of American Football’s San Diego Fleet tight end coach, analyst of College Football for ESPN, the Jets Preseason Color guy, Tampa Bay Bucs contributor, the Players Trust captain as mentioned above and a community backer- truly a man of many trades.
Mr. Becht concludes, “For [Rocco], it’s all about the growth, he’s a young man developing in his body. I was a bean pole growing up, but I sprouted in my last two high school years. Understanding the position and its responsibilities is a big part, and I tell him to always have a back-up plan; what’s the next move going to be if the original play fails.”
“Rocco has been training with QB coach John Kaleo (retired Arena Football League quarterback and owner of Kaleo Quarterback Academy) in Tampa over the past year, continuing to be the best he can. It’s a process he has to work on relentlessly- another thing I preach is just to be humble, it’s not all about you; it’s about the team and holding up your end of the bargain as a QB and as a leader of his football team with some weight on his shoulders.”
Vaughan Sixbury, BCP Contributor