How Slippery Rock football receiver John Sabo is following father’s footsteps
SLIPPERY ROCK — Slippery Rock University helped set up John Sabo’s professional career. Its community turned out to be his home.
His son is reaping the benefits.
Sabo graduated from SRU in 2001 with a degree in safety management. A Steel Valley High School graduate, he is now CEO of Deep Well Services, based in Zelienople, a registered technology and training company focused on development and innovation of hydraulic completion unit technology.
The company serves more than 70 businesses across North and South America.
Sabo also played four years of football at SRU and was part of four PSAC West championship teams from 1997-2000. He started 47 games at either fullback, tight end or defensive tackle during that time.
Now his son, John, is in the middle of his own football career at The Rock.
“I think it’s awesome,” Sabo Sr. said. “That ‘relentless’ thing that the program goes by now. ... We started that tradition in 1999. I’m thrilled John is a part of that now.”
Sabo Sr. and his wife, Tammi, moved from Baldwin — a community in the South Hills — to Slippery Rock 10 years ago.
“We love this community. We thought it’d be a great place to raise our family,” Sabo Sr. said.
Sports have been a big part of their children’s lives. Their daughter, C.J., is a women’s basketball player at California (Pa.) University. Another daughter, Samantha, is a freshman athlete at Slippery Rock High School.
Sabo Jr. earned 10 athletic letters at SRHS, including four in football. He caught 47 passes for 633 yards and eight touchdowns his senior year. He tallied 110 catches for 1,551 yards and 20 TDs in his high school career, becoming a prime college recruit.
“I grew up watching some great teams and players here,” Sabo Jr. said of SRU. “I saw (Minnesota Vikings guard) Brandon Fusco play, all those standout receivers like Henry Litwin, Jermaine Wynn, Kyle Sheets. My dad played here, my second cousin, Ryan Sabo, played here.
But he said he didn’t initially plan to play at SRU. He wanted to “look around, maybe leave the area and try to build something.”
“All of the PSAC schools wanted him, a couple of Division I schools. ... It was entirely his decision where to go. It’s his life,” Sabo Sr. said.
Ultimately, the culture of SRU football kept him at home.
“That family thing isn’t an overrated term at Slippery Rock,” Sabo Jr. said. “That’s how it is here.”
And he’s realizing much of the same success with The Rock his father enjoyed.
SRU won the PSAC West title during Sabo Jr.’s freshman year. The Rock reached the national semifinals his redshirt freshman season. His father played on SRU’s 1998 national semifinal team as a sophomore.
While Shawn Lutz is Sabo Jr.’s head coach with The Rock, he served as Sabo Sr.’s position coach in the late 1990s.
“They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree,” retired SRU head coach George Mihalik said. “Nobody out-worked Senior when he was here. Nobody is out-working Junior now.”
A starting receiver for SRU this season, John has 11 catches for 150 yards, sharing the team lead with four touchdown receptions. A redshirt sophomore, he continues to play on special teams as well.
“John was No. 2 on our depth chart coming into spring ball,” Lutz said. “He just worked his way into a starting role. He’s one of those first-one-on, last-guy-off-the-practice-field kind of guys. His teammates respect him so much.
“You just don’t see guys start at receiver here before their junior year. We couldn’t keep him off the field.”
They can’t keep his father away from the program, either — not that they would want to.
Sabo Sr. employs more than 25 SRU safety management graduates. He’s helped more than 100 Rock graduates find jobs in the field. He has members of the current Rock football team over for dinner and a day of watching NFL games each Sunday.
“I’d say 15 to 25 players come over on Sundays,” he said. “It’s like they’re part of our family.”
The Sabo residence also has workout facilities, a hot tub and other amenities for the team to use.
“Some of our guys go over there for treatment,” Lutz said. “I love the way the Sabo family has stayed involved in the program.”
Sabo Sr. also serves as an assistant coach on the Slippery Rock High School football team.
“I just want to give back, any way I can,” he said.
Sabo Jr. will not be following his father in terms of a career. He is majoring in integrated marketing and communication.
But he has a lot of football to play first.
“Our goal here is always to win a PSAC championship and go on a long run from there,” Sabo Jr. said. “Personally, the numbers guys like Litwin and Sheets put up ... I want to chase those numbers. I want to leave my mark here.”
“I love wearing this uniform. I want rings to go with it.”
