By Craig Sachson
PrincetonTigersFootball.com
Joey Wassler cut inside, found a spot between three Albany defenders, and caught a laser from sophomore Ty Ciongoli. He secured the ball on his way down to the Powers Field end zone, giving Princeton a 7-0 lead in its eventual 22-0 home win over the Great Danes last weekend.
He stood and excitedly celebrated his first collegiate touchdown with his offensive teammates. Wassler was undoubtedly excited to get his elusive first touchdown, but the focus was far bigger than his individual goals. It had been too long since Princeton football found itself on the right side of the score column, and he was ready for that drought to end.
That reaction wouldn’t be surprising to anybody who has known Wassler throughout his life. Competing is second nature to him. That’s what happens when you are one of six siblings, many of whom would also end up playing college sports.
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Joey Wassler, all 6-5 of him, looks up to his brothers. Physically, he looks up to them.
“They’re all huge,” Joey says of brothers David, Jackson, Jacob and Josh (sister Samantha is a basketball/volleyball standout as well). “We would beat the crap out of each other in the backyard. If my brother scored 20 points in his morning basketball game, I went to my afternoon game looking for 21. That competitive spirit wasn’t just about athletics, but academics as well. My siblings are great students too.”
The competitiveness never got toxic within the close-knit Wassler family. They supported each other at every game — and there were plenty of them — and every career milestone. Instead, that competitive drive helped them become the best version of themselves.
“Our household was like very loving, very fun and lighthearted, but the second we would step out and play sports together, the switch flipped,” he said “I have always wanted to beat the guy across from me on every single snap. It reminds me of playing 1v1 in my backyard.”
He played 1v3 against Albany for that first score, and he won that battle. It didn’t surprise head coach Bob Surace in the least. After all, one of his closest friends vouched for Wassler many years ago.
Surace was glad he listened.
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Wassler is a lifelong Cincinnati Bengals fan. The earliest memories of Cincinnati football likely include teams that had Surace on its coaching staff. Before winning four Ivy League titles at his alma mater, Surace spent nine years coaching in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals. One of the offensive tackles he worked with was local product Alex Sulfsted, who had his own Princeton connection before he even arrived to Cincinnati (Sulfsted roomed with Princeton graduate Ross Tucker when both played for Washington).
The Suraces and Sulfsteds became close friends, so when Alex coached Wassler at Saint Xavier High School, he knew exactly where to send his film.
“I feel like I’ve known Joey forever,” Surace said. “He has grown every year as a player and as a leader, and I love the jump he has made this past offseason. He is a more well-rounded player and will be a big part of our offense this fall.”
Like many freshmen, Wassler spent his first year adjusting to the physical and mental demands of the sport while also finding his way at the top university in America. It wasn’t culture shock when he didn’t see the field as a freshman; he had to wait out two future NFL draft picks at Saint Xavier. That experience taught him that not everything comes immediately, but his consistent work ethic would eventually pay off.
“You have to have confidence in yourself to be a good athlete, but you also go into the weight room as a freshman and you can tell the difference with the guys who were there four years,” Wassler said. “I knew if I could gain on the bench and in my squat, learn the playbook and excel at run blocking, maybe I could sneak onto the field.”
He did far more than sneak on the field. He has been a regular in the tight end rotation over his sophomore and junior seasons, catching 16 passes for 134 yards while being a reliable blocker in the run game. His drive to improve and his team focus impressed his peers enough that he was voted one of four captains for the season.
“It was a big honor, because I remember how I looked up to guys like Liam Johnson, Ozzie Nicholas, Jalen Travis and Blake Stenstrom and watching how they would do things,” Wassler said. “Those guys had big influences on my life. Fast forward four years, and it means a lot that there’s 110 guys who respect me like that. I’m very thankful for the opportunity.”
He is also thankful for one more chance to help return Princeton football back to the top tier of the Ivy League. The last two years have been a struggle, but Wassler felt a new vibe during the preseason. There was something different happening at the quarterback position, a new swagger coming from a group that was mostly young, but full of energy. Wyatt Becker became the first Princeton freshman to ever start a season opener at the position. Ciongoli, a sophomore, was the one who fired the touchdown to Wassler in between three Albany players.
“There’s a different confidence and swagger that’s being exuded from the quarterback position,” said Wassler, who bonded with all four quarterbacks during the summer and preseason. “I feel like that time together really carries over the field and helps with chemistry.”
Chemistry is still in its early days, but the results are promising so far. The true test starts this weekend when Ivy League play begins Saturday at Columbia (12 pm, ESPN+), and Wassler feels like the work he has put in over the last 5-6 months has put him in position to succeed.
“My biggest focus after the season was homing in on my diet and getting into better shape,” Wassler said. “I can really feel a big difference. As seniors, we have tried to focus on staying positive, bringing a different level of energy during lifts, pushing guys to work as hard as possible.”
That’s the only way Wassler knows how to play. And how to live.
