On almost any Friday night during the 2013 football season, fans can spot Donald Bedell sporting a purple and white jersey as number 41 on the Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School football team.
But, come next fall, this football standout, who plays on both the defensive and offensive lines for RFH, will be donning Rutgers scarlet as a defensive end for the Rutgers University Scarlet Knights football team.
Bedell made a verbal commitment to the Scarlet Knights in June, choosing Rutgers University over offers from University of Connecticut, Temple University, Delaware University, University of Massachusetts, Colgate University, Bucknell University, and Lehigh University.
"I'm really excited about playing for Rutgers," said Bedell. "Who wouldn't want to play in the Big Ten Conference?"
At a height of 6'4" and a weight of 235 pounds, Bedell is known as a powerful and versatile presence on the RFH football team, a release said.
As a defensive end, he has been called a "quarterback's worst nightmare." He possesses a skill set to match his size, and was responsible for 60 tackles — 20 of them solo — during last year's RFH football season when he shut down any and all runners who ventured to his side of the line.
"He's a strong kid, with high intensity and high motivation," said RFH Head Football Coach Bryan Batchler. "He has terrific stats."
Bedell posted a sub-4.7 second run in the 40-yard dash, and scored a 4.3 in the pro agility test which is used to evaluate agility and change of direction performance.
"I was hoping to impress the coaching staff at Rutgers Big Man Academy," said Bedell. "And when Defensive Line Coach Jim Panagos told me that he would be keeping an eye on my performance, I knew that I had a shot."
While at the Academy, more than 60 prospects took to the turf of High Point Solutions Stadium for the opportunity to impress the Rutgers coaches.
"I had the opportunity to get to know Coach Panagos and review the day's film with him and we just clicked," said Bedell. "I knew that I wanted to play for him, and I was thrilled to get the offer."
Bedell was also drawn to Rutgers by the football program's facilities -- which he describes as "second-to-none" -- and the top-notch academic opportunities.
The team's support for and pride in Eric LeGrand, the defensive tackle who was paralyzed as the result of an injury suffered during a Rutgers-Army game on Oct.16, 2010, also factored into Bedell's decision.
"I saw how close-knit the Rutgers team and coaching staff was, and how they all rallied around Eric LeGrand," said Bedell. "That was inspirational."
Bedell was also drawn to the Scarlet Knights by the standout performances of team members past and present, naming two in particular.
"I remember watching Darius Hamilton, a defensive tackle who started for Rutgers as a true freshman in 2012, and his style of play really impressed me," said Bedell. "Steve Beauharnais was a terrific linebacker for Rutgers as well, and he now plays for the New England Patriots."
The Rutgers University Football Team, which ended the 2012 football season with a record of 9-4 under Head Coach Kyle Flood, is slated to join the NCAA Big Ten Conference along with University of Maryland for the 2014 season.
The Big Ten, the oldest collegiate Division I athletic conference in the United States, is currently comprised of 12 teams including Ohio State, Michigan State, Northwestern, and Penn State.
Bedell, who is undecided on a college major, will make his written commitment to the Rutgers football program at National Signing Day in early February.
He is the son of Paige and Don Bedell, of Rumson.
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