Raider Football Profiles: Vincent “Goose” Tortaro

By: Port RichmondAthletics.com Writer Chris Scott

He’s big, he’s strong, he’s reckless and he’s a funny character. Vincent Tortaro is one of those guys you want to be friends with and one of those guys you want on your football team. As a freshman this year, Varsity football coaches took notice of his size and decided to bump him up to Varsity next season. When asked about going up to varsity as a sophomore next year he was quoted saying “I want to be up there(Varsity) not just to learn, I want to be up there to make an impact. Any position needed. Any position I will play. I want to make an impact.” Vinny plays defensive tackle and offensive tackle with his tremendous body build.

Vinny’s favorite football team is the New York Giants and his idol is Cleveland Browns defensive Tackle Shaun Rogers. If Vinny were to play like Rogers, that would be amazing. But his real idol is Jimmy Johnson Jr., His JV lineman coach this year. Johnson is the son of Varsity lineman coach Jimmy Johnson Sr. and Jimmy Jr. is also the brother of defensive end and waco back Sean Johnson, who has made a huge impact on the football team the past 4 years. This year Vinny will be wearing number 74, the number worn by his idol Jimmy Johnson Jr. and his father Jimmy Johnson Sr. Also Sean Johnson wore number 47. When asked about why number 74? Vinny responded “It has a lot of history family” That it definitely does, all the Johnson Family members were great football players in Port Richmond.

As a freshman being bumped up his sophomore year, Vinny has a chance to obtain a spot on the team that used to be a seniors spot last year. The seniors in there JV year, 4 years ago, won the JV championship and have finally won the first Varsity Championship in there final year. That team was a team not for two years, but a whole 4 years. When asked about the seniors run being over in Port Richmond and replacing them, Vinny responded with “I think to replace that beside replacing the talent you have to replace the chemistry. Hangout outside of practice, laugh with eachother, just develop a teammate relationship.

Vinny loves to talk and when asked How is Port Richmond going to win the championship again? Vinny was quoted “Handle it all on the field, put it all together on the field. Just do it! Like the Nike commercial, JUST DO IT! Don’t take plays off, look to kill and go all out!” According to Vinny, this season we’ll expect “Hardwork, Support to the team, helping the team out in an anyway and, winning games.”

Vinny is a funny character, and a player with HUGE potential!