14 October 2023
St. Thomas head football coach Glenn Caruso has known Tommies sophomore starting free safety Ryan Calcagno since the now strapping 19-year-old was a baby.
St. Thomas sophomore safety Ryan Calcagno
Caruso can still picture a young Calcagno running around his family’s yard in suburban Chicago, determined to no end to get the best of a slew of cousins and siblings in whatever contest they were involved in, and remembers being convinced that no matter what Ryan would end up doing in life, his competitiveness would drive him.
Today, when he watches the 6-foot-3, 206-pound Calcagno excel on the field as a first-year starter, another famous image comes to mind — one of former Arizona Cardinals safety Pat Tillman running off the field after a forced turnover. Helmet in hand, his long hair blowing in the breeze, Tillman is letting loose with a primal scream.
“It reminds me of what I want our safeties to be like,” Caruso said. “(Calcagno) is obviously at a different level, but the idea of, ‘know thyself,’ the idea of being a free spirit, the idea of sprinting to the football at all costs, those are things that lie in both Ryan and Pat Tillman.
“Off the field, there is a free spirit about Ryan that resonates very deeply with me.”
Luke Glenna, the Tommies’ starting free safety from a year ago, earned All-America honors in his final season and is now playing professionally in Europe. The emergence of Calcagno, whose big-hit ability is matched by impressive speed (4.56 in the 40), has narrowed what could have been a gaping hole in the heart of the defense.
“He just plays so beautifully free back there,” Caruso said, “which allows him to play confidently. The thing that continues to amaze me is that with the speed that he covers ground, he is almost always in proper position. That smacks of Luke Glenna.”
Calcagno played as a freshman, but primarily on special teams, with Grif Wurtz serving as Glenna’s backup. While Wurtz has continued to see plenty of action this season, with the Tommies defense rotating in players at a number of positions, Calcagno’s strong play is making it less and less appealing to take him off the field.
“He didn’t get a lot of opportunities on Saturday afternoons in the fall last season,” Caruso said, “but he got a ton of opportunities taking every practice rep with a guy (Glenna) who really held the status as almost a player/coach.
“I think the meteoric rise between freshman and sophomore year was certainly due to the hard work he put in, but a lot of it has to come back to Luke Glenna and Grif Wurtz, and the time and the care they put in.”
Knowing an opportunity was presenting itself, Calcagno entered spring practice determined to raise his game and become a regular contributor to the defense.
“Last year I was only really succeeding in my pass coverage,” Calcagno said. “Coming into spring ball I know I needed to get tighter with my run fits. One of our strengths as a defense is bringing pressure and stopping the run. I’ve been able to establish myself as more of a run stopper.”
Caruso has known the extended Calcagno family since 2000, when he was an assistant coach at North Dakota State and convinced head coach Bob Babich to recruit the Chicago area for the first time. Caruso asked everyone on the staff to pass along any coaching contacts they had in the area, and Babich related that he had coached Ryan’s uncle at Bowling Green.
Caruso reached out, and a lasting relationship was born.
Ryan has two older brothers who played college football and a sister who plays volleyball at Western Michigan. His dad, Pasquale (Pat), played professional rugby in Europe for over 20 years.
“Needless to say, Pat is a competitive and aggressive guy,” Caruso said, “and the apples did not fall far from the tree.”
Ryan has professional aspirations of his own: to play in the NFL.
“I think I’m athletic enough,” he said, “but I think it will be about how I continue to advance with the mental preparation. As our program continues to grow, there will be opportunities for guys on this team.”
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