Growth On And Off The Field: The Hallmark Of Andre Baccellia’s Husky Career
Madison MacPhee
10/31/2019
With the 2019 football season already winding down, it is hard to think back to that opening game against Eastern Washington. You might remember a dominant offensive performance from the Huskies, and for wide receiver Andre Baccellia, it was the start to a big season.
In that contest, Baccellia recorded a 50-yard touchdown on the first play of the second drive. With it being Jacob Eason’s first showcase as a new Husky, this display of arm strength from Eason and catching ability of Baccellia left Husky fans excited for the future offensive possibilities ahead.
“That play set the tone for the season,” Baccellia said. “It showed what we are capable of as an offense with those types of explosive plays. Our wide receiver group has a lot of speed as a unit, but in the opening game coming out like that was just an awesome play.”
After that first week, there have been ups and downs, as all teams go through. The UW offense is still trying to stick to their game plan and focus on the little things to propel them to success. Baccellia also credits consistency with being the glue that holds everyone together.
“We try and do the same thing week by week,” Baccellia shared. “We keep focusing on the details, as receivers. We work a lot on route breaks, catching, just simple things and taking things day by day.”
Along with the day-to-day mindset, Baccellia, now a senior, is coming into more of a leadership role on the offense – even if he isn’t the most vocal or outspoken player on the team. This senior leadership is important for the young receivers like Puka Nacua and redshirt freshman Austin Osborne and Marquis Spiker on the team.
I think I have stepped into more of a leadership role now that it is my senior year. I'm not really a huge ‘rah-rah’ guy or anything though, so I try and lead by example. That means always coming out to practice, work as hard as I can, whether that's in the weight room or film room and showing the young guys, it's just about working hard at the end of the day.Andre Baccellia
Baccellia also emphasized that leading by example goes beyond just the fall season. It takes hard work year-round, especially in the off season, to prepare and accomplish your goals. He is a good example of this off-season work, after a redshirt freshman year, Baccellia’s playing time and contributions on the field steadily increased and got him the recognition he deserved.
“The off-season is all about being in the best physical shape you can as a player. Getting in the weight room and the film room and watching is what the best NFL guys and best college guys are doing so I’m trying to take notes from the best in the game.”
With hopes of going to the NFL next year, Baccellia is also grounded and has a practical view on life and a career after football. As a sociology major, Baccellia also recognizes the student aspect in his student-athlete title and works just as hard in the classroom as on the field.
“After football is all said and done, I will be looking at becoming a firefighter,” Baccellia shared. “My stepdad just retired from being a fire chief. He worked in the fire department for 30-plus years, so I saw through him how rewarding it is and other than that I just think it’s an awesome job.”
As Baccellia looks into the future, it is also a time to reminisce about the past as his senior year gets under way. Baccellia is originally from Thousand Oaks, California and was a part of one of the first recruiting classes under Head Coach Chris Petersen. Being a part of a new legacy at the University of Washington is something that Baccellia will always hold sacred in his heart.
“Coming in and seeing what he has done with the program as a whole, not just winning games, but also behind the scenes stuff is amazing,” Baccellia said. “This program is all about ‘Built for Life’ and life after football. Seeing that in his coaching style and what he has done with this team is awesome and amazing to watch.”
As Petersen paves the way for a new generation of Husky football, the entire coaching staff at Washington is looking to better the overall lives of the men in the program, just as much off the field as on. After five seasons with Washington, Petersen has turned this program back into something extremely special and Baccellia is thankful to be a part of that journey.
Baccellia has found a role model on the coaching staff in Bush Hamdan. Hamdan, the offensive coordinator, has worked closely with Baccellia over the past four years and has made a lasting impact.
“One of my biggest mentors is Coach Bush,” Baccellia said. “He works a lot with the receivers and has really helped me improve my game and be a better person on and off the field. Being from California, the weather obviously didn’t draw me here, so the coaching staff is a huge reason why I chose UW. After hearing the game plan for the whole team and individually for me, it was a perfect fit.”
With every year and new season, Baccellia grew. Now, looking into the future of his senior season his growing is not done yet. Baccellia hopes that he personally and his team can finish out the season strong by making it to a bowl game and to leave a lasting mark on Husky Football and the University of Washington.