Mahler picks Delaware over UConn, Pittsburgh
Township football star chooses to stay close to home
BY MIKE WHITE
Staff Writer

Statistics show that high school recruits usually select the first or last college campus they officially visit.

Rob Mahler of Brick Township’s football team is another case in point.

After making his third and final official visit to the University of Delaware, he decided on a scholarship offer from the NCAA Division I-AA program where the tight end/defensive end will play on the defensive side.

“It was my final visit, and I got to compare it with my other two to the University of Connecticut and Pittsburgh. It was as close as anywhere else and I felt more comfortable there.”

Although Connecticut and Pittsburgh are Big East rivals who played in holiday bowl games, Mahler had cooled off over them. He has been recruited as a defensive end, although he also played very well at tight end while making the All-Shore first team.

“Pittsburgh changed coaches [from Walt Harris to Dave Wannstadt] and I hadn’t heard from the new staff. It was a turnoff,” said Mahler. “Delaware said I was the No. 1 guy they were bringing in and they treated me like that. Connecticut said I was their No. 1 guy, but that if I didn’t commit soon they wouldn’t wait for me, and that didn’t seem fair.”

Brick Township coach Warren Wolf said he “strongly endorses” Mahler’s decision.

“He had another outstanding year for our team, and Delaware is a great program,” said Wolf. “It’s close enough for mom and dad to come see him play, and for him to go home when he has to. It’s an excellent program, a wise decision.”

Delaware won the NCAA Division I-AA title two seasons ago and lost in the semifinals last fall.

Mahler played down the reasoning that he picked Delaware mainly because it might allow him to continue competing in track and field in the throwing events after football season, although he didn’t discount that possibility. Mahler won the county outdoor title in the javelin last spring with one of the best throws in the state, and is throwing consistently well in the shot put indoors these days.

“I just have to talk to their track coach to see if I’m good enough, although I see I’m up there with their best guys right now in the javelin,” said Mahler, whose field events coach at Brick Township, Bill Brunner, is a Delaware alumnus.

“And I have to see if I’ll have enough time for it.”

Brick Township boys track coach Pete Panuska, who played college football at the University of Tennessee, supported Mahler’s decision.

“It’s a good move,” said Panuska. “He can go there and have more of an opportunity to play than at a big Division I program, like what happened to me when I went to Tennessee.”

Mahler said he is happy to have made his decision so he can go back to concentrating solely on his current responsibilities at Brick.