By JEREMY SELLEW
Like any young boy in the Mid-Mon Valley, Rostraver Township native Dave Yurkovich had dreams of playing in the National Football League.
Now, at the age of 36, he could see his dreams come true.
Yurkovich, who currently lives in Clearwater Beach, Fla., will hopefully be heading south to Miami on May 15 to participate in mini-camp with the Miami Dolphins. He is looking to land a spot on their roster as a tight end.
“At Belle Vernon and Muskingham, I was a big boy. I was a lineman,” Yurkovich said. “I was never under 300 pounds for as long as I can remember.
“Now at the tight end position, it’s taken so much for me to break those tendencies of being a lineman. There, you’re taught to explode. Now it’s you have to get on your feet and get moving. That’s definitely one of the biggest challenges.”
Instead of using his legs as much for blocking, Yurkovich is forced to use his hands for blocking and catching the football. They’re two “different animals” that he’s still mastering.
“It’s been a blast learning the position,” he said. “You still get to be a lineman to an extent. You’re a blocking tight end or a receiving tight end. Miami sees me as more of a blocker, but I have to be able to do everything.”
While being 36 and looking to make an NFL roster is an uphill climb for any athlete, it’s just another step in a remarkable journey Yurkovich has made.
He played at Belle Vernon Area High School before signing to play at Muskingham College in Ohio. He played semi-pro football before coming back home to play with the Pittsburgh Power in the Arena Football League.
“After that, I made life about business,” Yurkovich said. “I still loved playing football, but I wasn’t sure my dream was going to pan out. So I started my business.”
Yurkovich formed Patriot One, a local natural gas and energy company. That chapter of his life is coming to an end now that he’s one step closer to his NFL aspirations after taking the biggest risk of his life just over two years ago.
“I literally picked up everything I own and I moved to Florida,” Yurkovich said. “I just decided I wasn’t going to stop until I get on an NFL roster.”
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