ANTHONY FLOYD Lariccia's sponsorship is benefit

Faith, motivation and persistence enabled Anthony Floyd to make the Colts.
By JOHN KOVACH
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
BOARDMAN -- Tony Lariccia believes that Anthony Floyd, a former All-American free safety for the University of Louisville football team from Youngstown, made the Indianapolis Colts' 53-man roster as a free agent because he was able to turn obstacles into stepping stones.
"I think he worked so hard by not being drafted in April. That motivated him and got him to work extra hard," said Lariccia of Boardman, a stockbroker and philanthropist who has been Floyd's sponsor since he was a senior at Chaney High.
"He worked out this summer to get ready to be a free agent in camp [and] he outworked his competition," Lariccia said. "He took [the draft rejection] as a positive thing. He didn't get down that he wasn't drafted. He really wanted to prove them wrong."
Lariccia said Floyd had high expectations to be drafted. But when he wasn't, he felt that his height -- he's 5-foot-10 -- was a factor.
"It was all over Youngstown that he was going to be drafted in the second round, and he heard the same thing," said Lariccia, a Struthers High graduate. "He said that his height was against him for the draft, and he felt that if he was 6 feet that he definitely would be drafted."
Lariccia said Floyd also underwent a spiritual transformation that helped him to persevere and make the roster.
"He got connected with Darren Barbour, a minister from Louisville, and that made him get connected with God," Lariccia said. "[Barbour] gave him the spiritual insight to believe in himself and God, and he is so much better now as a person because of his faith in God and himself. [God] helped him to get through it."
Lariccia said Floyd's recent preseason performance for the Colts was telling.
"He had an interception against the Broncos, and made it late in the game and that helped [the Colts] to win [28-23]. I think that [Colts coach] Tony Dungy was impressed how hard Anthony was working to make the team."
Has a lot of drive
Lariccia believes that Floyd "has tremendous determination and persistence" and got a big boost this year from Barbour who "helped him spiritually to get closer to God. He has a lot of inner peace.
"When we go out to lunch, he says prayer before lunch. That is impressive to me, when a young boy says a prayer before lunch," Lariccia said.
Floyd is one of 13 Chaney graduates that Lariccia sponsors.
"I helped sponsor him since he was a senior at Chaney. He is one of a number of girls and boys that I sponsor, and about half of them were athletes," Lariccia said.
kovach@vindy.com