DAVID GIANESIN DURING HIS FOOTBALL DAYS AT BLUEFIELD COLLEGE.
DAVID GIANESIN ON THE BLUEFIELD COLLEGE CAMPUS PLAYING A PICK-UP GAME OF FOOTBALL, THE GAME HE’S NOW GETTING TO PLAY PROFESSIONALLY.
FORMER BLUEFIELD COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYER DAVID GIANESIN ON A GAME DAY WITH THE CHICAGO EAGLES.
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Originally from Modesto, California, where he was a standout athlete at Pitman High School, Gianesin transferred to Bluefield College from Modesto Junior College in the fall of 2013. While pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in management at BC, he played football and men’s volleyball for the Rams.
Nearing the end of his spring 2015 volleyball season and having exhausted his eligibility on the college gridiron, Gianesin said he was missing the sport of football. That’s when he decided to talk to BC football coach Ordell Walker, who suggested he use Europlayers, an online service that helps connect professional teams with players from around the world.
“I put my size and highlight tapes on the site,” recalled Gianesin, “and after two days I got a phone call from the head recruiter of the Chicago Eagles (from the Champions Professional Indoor Football League).”
Still needing to finish the requirements for his bachelor’s degree in business, Gianesin had a decision to make. He decided to pursue his love for football, but only because Bluefield College allowed him to continue his studies online, which he said was a huge blessing.
“Big schools don’t care about you like that,” claimed Gianesin, who said the transition to the professional level and to the smaller indoor football field, where wide receivers easily get knocked out of bounds, was extremely challenging.
“It’s a business,” he said. “It’s a tough position to play, and if you get hurt you’ll get thrown to the side and they will replace you, or if you’re really good they replace you until you get better.”
Despite the difficult transition, Gianesin has thrived. During his 2016 rookie season with the Eagles, he had 16 catches for 135 yards and two touchdowns, including a personal best seven catches in a single game against the Bloomington Edge. In addition to his success on the field with Chicago, Gianesin said he has enjoyed great support from his family, hometown, and from the Bluefield College community, not to mention signing autographs and “having maids clean (his) room.”
“I’ve been very blessed to have the opportunity to play my sport at the professional level,” said Gianesin. “It’s funny looking at my resume and seeing arena football on there as my recent occupation.”
Gianesin has also since earned his degree from Bluefield College. While a student-athlete at BC, he was invited to play in the USA College Football Senior Bowl in 2014. That same year, he set the team’s single game receiving record with 126 yards in a game. He also received the Ram EFFORT Award for men’s volleyball in the spring of 2015 and served as a football coaching assistant before going to play pro.
“I loved it,” said Gianesin of his experiences as an athlete at Bluefield College, where he added that he considered those on his team not only his teammates, but also his friends and brothers. He shared the same enthusiasm about being a student at Bluefield, speaking highly of the professors that made Bluefield “such a great place for me to be.”
“Perks of being a small school,” said Gianesin. “Everyone knows you, and you know everyone.”
Story by Bluefield College student marketing associate Whitney Browning.