Ben Chiarizio was named the Week 2 winner of the Jerome Bettis Leadership Award, a recognition that sends a $1,000 donation to Franklin Regional’s football program. The senior lineman is the second Westmoreland County player to take the honor this year.
Steelers Youth Football announced the award, and Chiarizio said it meant a lot to know people see him as a leader and respected peer on and off the field. He said it also reflects the hard work and extra hours he has put into his craft as a young man and football player.
For Franklin Regional, the award is more than a personal nod. It puts money directly into the program and gives teammates a player they can lean on for guidance on how to play the game the right way.
Chiarizio, listed at 6-2 and 260 pounds, also holds a college offer to play at Division III Wooster. He said he could not thank his parents enough for the influence they have had on him, and added that the honor carries special meaning because it tells him he is viewed as an influential person and leader in his community.
The award is tied to Jerome Bettis, and the comparison is not accidental. Bettis built his reputation on leadership, and Chiarizio’s selection follows that same idea, even if the specific actions that set him apart were not detailed in the announcement. Connor Wilson, a senior at Greensburg Salem, was the Week 1 recipient, which makes Chiarizio the latest in a short early-season run of players being recognized for more than what they do on a scoreboard.
What comes next is straightforward: another Week 3 winner will eventually follow, but for now the focus is on Chiarizio and what his selection says about the kind of players Franklin Regional is producing. The award money is already headed to the school, and the larger measure of leadership will be whether his example keeps carrying weight with the teammates around him.
