Mike Willey – New England Football Journal®

BB&N’s Anochie “AJ” Azuakolam commits to UMass

June 25, 2024

On Tuesday, BB&N defensive back Anochie “AJ” Azuakolam announced his verbal commitment to UMass and coach Don Brown. Azuakolam has been a multi-year starter for the Knights, one of the top programs in New England and always home to many prospects. This is, without question, one of the more underrated players in the class of 2025. At 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, Azuakolam has the type of great length that defensive coordinators…

It’s a family affair for the Kelley’s when it comes to BB&N football

September 20, 2023

0 comment

Back in the early 2000’s when BB&N head coach Mike Willey was an offensive lineman blocking for former Natick star running back Keven Kelley at Tufts, there’s no way he could have envisioned coaching multiple generations of the family years later. Jack Kelley is a senior captain playing edge and wide receiver on Willey’s team while Sam is a sophomore fullback and linebacker on the squad. Both are sons of…

Quick conversation with Mike Willey

September 12, 2023

0 comment

WATERTOWN — On Tuesday, we went over to BB&N’s practice in Watertown to do a feature on Knights running back Bo MacCormack. We wanted to also pick the brain of BB&N coach Mike Willey. We did not get a chance for a lengthy conversation, but we did ask him a couple questions about how things were progressing with the opener against Milton Academy fast approaching. Here’s what he said. Adam…

Recruiting: Elite New England Football Camp draws athletes from 37 different states and several countries to Tufts

June 23, 2022

0 comment

The Tufts campus was buzzing as you pulled into the parking lot at the football field early on Thursday morning. For the 17th straight year, the Elite New England Football camp was a sellout as players from 37 states, Mexico, Canada and Denmark all flocked to Cambridge for day one of two. The camp – ran by John Pappas, BB&N head coach Mike Willey, Tufts head coach Jay Civetti and…

The League kicks off second season with tryouts at Tufts University

March 8, 2022

0 comment

The League kicked off it’s second season on Sunday with the first of three tryouts at Tufts University. The League, which was founded by Elite Football Clinics owner John Papas had a successful debut last spring and is expanding this season from four teams to eight with teams in Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Maine and New York and New Jersey. Quarterbacks throwing at Sunday’s tryout. 100 players tried out…

Shane Waldron has earned the opportunity to coordinate with the Seahawks

August 14, 2021

0 comment

The chance to coordinate has been a long time coming for the former Patriots, UMass and BB&N assistant Seattle Seahawks Offensive Coordinator Shane Waldron will make his debut tonight against the Las Vegas Raiders. It has been a long time coming for the former Tufts tight end and long snapper. Waldron wasn’t raised in Massachusetts. He grew up in Oregon but attended Phillips Andover Academy and stayed in the state…