Two seasons, one leader

Naperville North's Jordan Tassio won't have to choose between football and baseball in college, as he'll play both for Western Illinois.
(Kate Szrom/Naperville Sun)

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His right arm threw 18 touchdown passes last fall, including three in the Class 8A state championship game.

His right leg averaged 37.6 yards per punt and kicked 59 points after touchdown.

Altogether, his arms and legs helped him score a city-best 46 runs this spring and a team-high .716 slugging percentage.

Yet ask Naperville North senior Jordan Tassio what his best attribute in football and baseball might be, and he mentions none of his limbs whatsoever.

He offers leadership.

"Not so much a leader through voice but a leader through actions and demeanor on the field - trying to stay composed," said Tassio, The Sun's 2008 Male Athlete of the Year.

No wonder Tassio was able to score five touchdowns - including North's last four - in a comeback loss against fellow unbeaten Wheaton Warrenville South.

No wonder Tassio scored five more touchdowns - three passing, one receiving, one on a kick return - against Glenbard North in the state title game.

No wonder Tassio returned to the lineup in extra innings against Naperville Central six innings after leaving the game with an injured hamstring. Sure, he popped out to first and the Huskies' comeback bid fell short, but Tassio still led.

"Kids look up to me," he said. "It shows them if I get flustered, they can get flustered and things can go bad."

Tassio rarely experienced that kind of result during his senior year though.

The Huskies finished 13-1 in football and captured the program's first state title since 1992. Tassio also grabbed the Sun and Chicago Sun-Times Player of the Year awards.

In the spring, the Huskies claimed a share of the DuPage Valley Conference crown and managed revenge against Central in the playoffs. Tassio garnered Sun All-City First Team honors.

"It was probably like the greatest year of my life, doing all that stuff," Tassio said. "It's also sad because it's done and over. It goes by so fast."

Fortunately for Tassio, he won't have to decide which sport to play in college.

It's common for athletes at Western Illinois to play both, and he plans to play rover back for the Leathernecks in the fall and second base in the spring.

"I thought they did a real good job of coming into the area this year," North football coach Larry McKeon said of Western Illinois' recruiting. "And I sincerely feel they got the best player in the area with Jordan."

In terms of his favorite sport, Tassio loves whatever's in season the most. He'll narrow his focus to one sport only if he's not excelling at one of them.

For now, however, around Western's recommended summer fitness and conditioning program, Tassio will focus on winning recreational sports such as Frisbee golf.