Image courtesy of Orion Yates/CVU

In our inagural edition of the Underclassmen Spotlight, I got a chance to chat with Champlain Valley Union Quarterback Orion Yates about his special sophomore season, winning Gatorade Player of the Year and what is next for this Vermont rising star.

Orion comes from a football family and his maturity is evident when you talk to him. He is a special young man.

Here is my interview with Orion.

NEFJ: Talk about when you started playing football and who got you into the sport?

O.Y: “I started playing football the moment I was born. I’m lucky to have some really cool football roots in my family. My grandfather, Bob Yates, played for Syracuse, then six seasons in the pros for the Boston Patriots (1960-1966) as a tackle and kicker, along with my dad being the inaugural Gatorade Player of the Year for football and twice for track and field as a discus and shot put thrower, where he went on to Maryland for track and field. I never remember the moment I fell in love with football I just truly believe I was born with it, and it’s always been a dream of mine to play in the NFL like my grandpa. Growing up, I played every sport possible but I always had a clear favorite in football. My grandma would ask me all the time, So what’s your favorite sport now? Second and third place would change between baseball, basketball, or skiing, but first was always football. My first year of real football was in 3rd grade playing for the Buccaneers, which is the feeder program for CVU Redhawks.”

NEFJ: When did you start playing quarterback and what attracted you to the position?

O.Y: “Throughout peewee football I never played quarterback because of my size made me too heavy to play. In 3rd and 4th grade I played center and nose guard as a chubby kid I was. As I grew older, I moved to guard to be able to pull, which is still one of my favorite parts of football. Then around 6th and 7th grade, I had a huge growth spurt. my 7th grade year I made weight TE. That year I played TE and linebacker, then went back to guard in 8th grade but luckily I could still play LB. Going into high school, I always dreamed of playing QB because I always had a really good arm. From baseball and all the countless hours playing catch with dad outside, I naturally could throw the ball very well but I didn’t think I would actually end up playing the position. That changed at lift one morning at CVU with the high school team over my 8th-9th summer. Coach Fleming walked up to me and said, “Have you ever thought about playing QB?” Coach Fleming describes me smiling ear to ear when he tells the story. I said, well, I’ve always wanted to, but I’ve always been too big. From that point on I knew I was going to be a QB.”

NEFJ: You had a magical sophomore season. How special was this season to you personally? Have you had a chance to reflect on it?

O.Y: “I will remember that season for the rest of my life. I am so, so lucky to have the guys I did on that team. First off, getting the chance to watch Ollie cheer the senior QB when I was a freshman greatly helped me. He was exceptional with the IQ part of playing QB, and while I could throw I knew nothing about how to read defenses and all the things you have to know as a QB. He taught me the mental side of the position. Then I want to talk about the juniors that became my seniors last year. They are some special guys. They brought me under their wing from the very beginning and we all bonded as a team. Those are the best athletes and friends I know. They set the standard after we lost to Burr and Burton in the semi-final my freshman year that we were going to dedicate ourselves to the off-season and win a championship. We lifted every other day and conditioned on the days in between lift days together. We threw routes every single weekend, whether we were outside in the cold or inside at UVM when it got too cold. And we held each other accountable. I was so happy that I could do my part to win the championship for them. It also meant the world to me because I never expected to play like I did. Going into the first game, I had never played one snap of QB. Being able to have so much success felt almost like I was dreaming. I had to take moments throughout the season and after to appreciate it because it was all happening so fast that I didn’t really get to stop and think about it a lot. Reflecting now, I just feel lucky knowing that season goes down in history as one of the most dominant teams in Vermont history. I believe we had the largest scoring differential ever.”

NEFJ: What does it mean to you to play at CVU and to win Gatorade Player of the Year?

O.Y: “Being able to play for CVU means a lot to me. CVU has a secret weapon in Rahn Fleming, our head coach. His job description at the school is “Leader of CVU school spirit”. He is the heart of our school and just a phenomenal human. We were the most bonded team last year and he is why. Along with him, the entire coaching staff is amazing. Being able to win Gatorade Player of the Year was amazing. It was a surreal feeling when halfway through the season people are telling you that you are going to win the award when I went into the season just trying to not throw four interceptions per game. I’m so honored to be given the award, and I couldn’t have done it without the guys.”

NEFJ: What’s next? How do you follow up this season and take another step in your career?

O.Y: Unfortunately, I recently tore my ACL and meniscus, but I had a really good surgery and am healing way ahead of schedule and plan to be back for next season. Just a setback that I’m overcoming. Next year I’m evaluating my options. I’m looking into a prep school route to better my athletics and academics, but I have not made a decision as to where or if I’m going at all yet so that is to be determined. In terms of play, I am going to work like a dog to get this leg as strong and ready to play as possible and continue any training I can do with this injury over the summer. Then depending on when I get cleared I will go out and play like I can. While I sit here not able to go run around, I’m learning more about how to play QB from the mental side of things, which I have come to love, and just trying to do the most I can with my limitations to be ready for next year.