Considering he will playing lacrosse at the Division I collegiate level, it may be surprising how TJ Heagerty’s nickname came about.
The sophomore attackman at national power St. Anthony’s is known as “Dusty.” It’s a relatively new nickname — and it’s stuck.
“I got the nickname ‘Dusty’ in eighth grade when my friends and I were watching a video about the baseball manager Dusty Baker,” Heagerty said. “My friends thought it was funny how much I liked his name, so they started calling me ‘Dusty.’ ”
It’s a nickname Heagerty will undoubtedly still have when he arrives on campus. That campus will be in Ann Arbor, Mich.
Heagerty became Michigan’s second Class of 2016 commit when he verballed to the Wolverines last week, a decision first reported when it was made by Joe Lombardi on LaxLessons.com’s Lacrosse Insider premium coverage section.
The 5-foot-10, 140-pound Heagerty, a righty who plays club for Long Island Express Orange Barracudas 2016, attended Nike Bluechip and the summer Philly Showcase, where he was named an all-star. This past fall, he attended the Philly Showcase, where he was also selected to play in the all-star game.
You can watch his highlight reel here.
Now, here’s a Q&A with TJ on his commitment.
What were the main factors in your decision?
The main factor was Michigan’s strong academics. With a degree from Michigan, I will be able to open doors to my future that are endless.
The athletic tradition at Michigan was also a major draw. Not only will I be a part of a new lacrosse program, but also a sports tradition that goes back 100 years.
(Michigan Head) Coach (John) Paul, (Assistant) Coach (Ken) Broschart and (Assistant) Coach (Ryan) Danehy made me feel so comfortable during the recruiting process that I knew Michigan was the place for me.
What other schools were you considering and what schools did you visit?
Denver, St. Joe’s, Ohio State, Richmond, Lehigh and Villanova. I visited Denver, St. Joe’s, Richmond and Villanova.
What are your strengths as a player and how would you describe your style of play?
I can use both hands equally and my vision. I would describe my style of play as a guy who gets to the right spot at the right time and a dodger who keeps his head up to find the open man.
What area of your game do you need to work on?
An area of my game that I have worked hard on is not letting a bad play affect my next play. I use it as incentive now.
Any final thoughts?
First, I would like to thank my older brother Mike, who would always let me participate in all the pick-up sports he had with his friends.
Also I would like my to thank my coaches Mike Chanenchuk, Keith Wieczorek and George Powers.
Lastly, my parents for all the time they spend driving me to games, practices and tournaments.
Have a recruiting commitment to report? Send an email to info@laxlessons.com, contact Joe Lombardi directly at joe@laxlessons.com or send a Tweet to @Joe_Lombardi or @LaxLessons.
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