For captain Conor Casagrande, football has never been just a game. It's the place where he has learned discipline, built friendships, and shaped the kind of person he wants to become.
Casagrande first picked up a helmet in fourth grade, inspired by his older brother Brian who was an impressive football player at Hand and Trinity College. “I started playing because of my brother,” he said. But Conor didn't just see Brian's skill, Conor saw the type of man he was: disciplined, hard working, but also kind, and a player that lifted others up. Conor set out to also achieve this through football.
Since then, football has done more for Conor than he had ever imagined. “Football has made me a better person. I've become friends with everyone I play with, and the coaches make me a better person every day,” he said.
Now that Conor is captain, he has taken on the responsibility of passing those lessons down, showing the team what it takes not just to be good players but good people. He holds his teammates to the same standards he learned, even if they don't always appreciate it. “People can sometimes get upset with Conor because he's pretty strict as a captain, but really, he just cares about everyone,” said Andrew Seehusen, a senior on the team. Conor's discipline, which is rooted in kindness, is a rare and admirable form of leadership.
Conor has grown as a player and a person each year of football, but now that it's his senior season, everything feels different. “It's surreal, I feel like I was just watching my brother graduate, and now that's me,” said Conor. Now he is the one carrying the responsibility like his brother did.
For Conor, discipline isn't just about following rules or showing up on time, it's a tool he can use to approach challenges. “If you can stay disciplined, you can stay positive,” said Conor. That focus drives him, and it's the same lesson he hopes to pass down. By staying disciplined, he believes you create a foundation that allows you to be happy, where you can stay strong in times of hardship, and in doing so, you inspire others to do the same.
As he leads his teammates through his final season of Madison football, Conor continues to be the type of player who doesn't need recognition to make an impact. His voice is steady, his work ethic is unwavering, and his positivity is contagious. Long after he leaves the field for the last time, his influence will remain.