Gearing up for the biggest game of the Lehigh football season — Lehigh versus Lafayette — three resilient offensive lineman are washing their lucky socks, queuing up their pregame playlists of DMX and Metallica, and adding a bit of prayer to stay motivated and support their team however they can.
No limits
The ability to participate in Rivalry is not one Jack Kempsey ’23, George Padezanin ’24, and Jackson Wiles ’24 take for granted. All three have experienced injuries that have challenged them to support their team in new roles this season.
Kempsey, a fifth-year senior, tore his ACL last season, missing the LeLaf game. He came back early this season, only to fracture his tibia against Monmouth on September 30. Since then, he has been offering his support to the freshman players who stepped up to fill his role while he recovers.
“I haven’t been able to lead as much on the field, but last year I became more of a coach, so it just required me to take on a different role helping the other guys.” Kempsey is hopeful that he will be back for the November 18 Lafayette game.
Padezanin is recovering from surgery to repair a torn ACL and is slated to miss the remainder of the 2023 season, including LeLaf. He describes the time off as “the hardest few months of my life,” having put everything into the preseason only to be sidelined when the season began.
While he misses taking the field this year, Padezanin says the injury has been a test of leadership. He’s taking the chance to support others and encourage new leaders to emerge on the team. “I have the opportunity to spectate, but I will play again and am reprogramming my body, which will help in the long run.”
With Padezanin out, Wiles — who missed last year’s game due to his own season-ending injury — has moved from guard to center. He recalls starting the LeLaf game as a sophomore in fall 2021. “It was the craziest game I’ve ever played in. We won, and it was a day I will vividly remember. There is so much passion and energy from both sides. It’s a magical thing.”
Opportunity meets passion
Lehigh’s financial aid opportunities have opened the door for Kempsey, Padezanin, and Wiles to attend a top-rated school and play the game they love for a respected football program.
Each man has made the most of the opportunity, achieving Patriot League Honor Roll and starting positions on the gridiron. Speaking for Wiles and Padezanin, Kempsey praises the Lehigh coaching staff for keeping them motivated, noting, “We are fortunate for what we have. Coach [Kevin] Cahill warns against taking advantage of that. I was told to think of scholarship not as a reward for what you’ve done, but for what you will do.”
Managing the strict football schedule and meeting the expectations to achieve honor roll was a challenge for the students when first arriving at Lehigh.
“It was a shock early on,” says Wiles, who admits to struggling freshman year while simultaneously confronted with the pandemic. “Sophomore year was difficult on campus, but the academic support staff helped with time management and planning out my days.”
Kempsey adds that the limited time actually helps with his time management strategy. “You make use of whatever time you have. After the season ends, it’s harder because there is more free time and you lose the structure.”
For Wiles, hailing from Arizona, the academics and prestige of the historic Lehigh football program inspired him to move across the country to take the opportunity. Lehigh’s scholarships and financial aid opportunities keep him motivated as he aims to keep growing as a player, continue on Patriot League honors and to play football as long as he can.
The spirit of Rivalry
Kempsey, Wiles, and Padezanin value the privilege of being part of the Lehigh football tradition, including the chance to have front seats at the most electric event on the Lehigh calendar.
“The whole week is contagious,” says Kempsey. “Even people who don’t know the rules of football get into it.”
Padezanin agrees and encourages the community to jump into the uniquely Lehigh experience of the week. “At a highly academic school like Lehigh, there isn’t another with a tradition like this. It’s important to get out and take advantage of this tradition.”
“You get four of them as a student,” says Wiles, encouraging everyone who can to come out to the game. “It’s a magical tradition. There aren’t many like it. The more you get involved, the better the experience is.”
The 159th edition of the most-played rivalry in all of college football will be on November 18 at Goodman Stadium. Follow through the week for full coverage of the week’s events leading up to Rivalry 159.
