Harrison High Alum Maldonado Tackles New Career

HARRISON, N.Y. - Sammy Maldonado was “The Bull” -- a force of nature on the football field –running over defenses at Harrison High, then Ohio State and the University of Maryland before graduating in 2005.

A four-year letter winner and 2000 graduate of Harrison High School, Maldonado rushed for more than 7,000 yards and 99 touchdowns in his prep career. He was a Parade All-American and high school Player of the Year in the state of New York, lifting the Huskies to a New York State Public High Schools Class B state title.

Today Maldonado is married to Anagilda Torres, working in the mental health field at and looking forward to future as a family man. “I’m married and just enjoying life with my wife,” said Maldonado, who turned 29 this year.

"Eventually we plan on having a little Sammy," Maldonado said. “I got into my current job because I wanted to help people. With my degree I can be a social worker, but I really didn't want to do that. So, I was searching for jobs and decided to go into psychiatry because I had a friend who worked at the hospital I work at now. I work in-patient care in a locked up psychiatric ward in NYC.”

Maldonado was highly recruited out of Harrison by Ohio State, Syracuse, Florida State and Georgia Tech, chose Ohio State and moved to Maryland . After two years at Ohio State, he transferred to Maryland, but lost a year to a torn anterior cruciate in 2003.After rehabbing, he led the team in rushing with 560 yards in his senior year.

He is a legendary player at Harrison. “I work every other weekend so whenever I have a weekend off and I'm free I'll always try and make it to a football game,” Maldonado said. “I love going back to my old stomping grounds --that way I'm able to reminisce whenever I come back and watch.”

After having enjoyed the glory in high school, surviving a difficult injury during his college career and now working in the mental health field, Maldonado has learned what it takes to be a successful student/athlete.

“For a high school kid to be successful in life, the No. 1 thing is to get a good education,” Maldonado said. “They must always do the right thing in school. Also they must be able to take good advice and follow through with it and have a mentor someone they can always talk to.” Good advice from an all-time great.

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