Prestigious Football Award: South Euclid Man Nominated

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, OH — A local man has been nominated for the 2017 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, a prestigious award that honors off-the-field service work. Patrick Mohorcic, 21, an offensive lineman and captain for the College of Wooster football team, Gilmour Academy graduate and South Euclid native, is one of 146 finalists for the award.

The 22 members of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team will be announced in September. The winners will be selected by a panel of judges that includes former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow. From the 22 team members, fans will then be able to vote on a team captain.

Mohorcic, who will be a senior in the fall, was nominated for his work revitalizing the group Men Working for Change, which advocates for the prevention of sexual violence at College of Wooster and also spreads awareness on ways to prevent sexual assaults.

Men Working for Change was founded several years prior to Mohorcic's freshman year. When he arrived on campus the group had been disbanded, so he decided to revitalize it.

"This was shortly after the allegations with Ray Rice went public," Mohorcic told Patch. "There was also more attention being paid to sexual and domestic violence on college campuses. So myself and five other students reformed the group."

Mohorcic said he wanted to counter the image of football players as uber-violent monsters. He jokingly called football players "puppy dogs."

"We may attack on command, but we really just want a pat on the head," he said. "We really wanted to show that this was a big issue. I think it means a lot coming from men. It’s not just a women’s issue. It’s a men’s issue. Whether it’s men being assaulted or men assaulting others. We need to prevent this violence by going to younger kids, whether that’s freshmen at the campus or men and boys in the community, and raising awareness."

Since its revitalization, the group has grown from five members to 12, a trend Mohorcic hopes to see continue after his graduation. Through his efforts with Men Working for Change, he has also been a seminar leader and conversation facilitator for the One Love Campaign, which works to raise awareness of domestic violence and signs of domestic violence among young people.

He is also in the process of co-founding ScotsCare, a group working to develop a positive connection between Wooster's athletic program and students with special needs at Ida Sue School. He wants to bring those students to various athletic events and give them a chance to interact with players and coaches and get the feeling of being part of the action.

He said that providing resources for children with special needs is a cause near to his heart.

While attending Gilmour Academy, he volunteered for Frontier Day Camp, a summer camp for children with special needs that was hosted at Ursuline College. Mohorcic describes those summers as the best of his young life.

"I loved interacting with the kids. That comes from my mom instilling the need to help other people," he said. "Those were the best summers of my life. I got up for football workouts at 8 a.m. and then I would drive right over to Frontier Day Camp, work until 3 p.m., and then go play baseball. Those were the best summers of my life."

As he looks at the horizon and ponders his future, Mohorcic sees a "boatload" of possibilities but would most like to run for public office. He's already had some experience working in local government.

Mohorcic helped create Rock the Block, a community event in South Euclid that promotes economic prosperity and community collaboration throughout the city. He was serving as an intern with the city at the time. He's also interned with Fairport Harbor in its economic development department.

"I’m queasy around blood, so I can’t be a doctor," he said. "So government gives me a route I can take to help people. I’d love to work with small businesses, or maybe as a financial adviser. I do hope to run for political office one day. I’m just excited to take everything one step at a time."

Photos from Patrick Mohorcic