Pizzotti's Columbia Connections

Former CU coach John DeFilippo may be the Ivy's best friend in the NFL


2008 Ivy League MVP, (or Bushnell Cup winner, whichever you prefer), Chris Pizzotti signed a free agent deal with the New York Jets on day 2 of the draft Sunday.

One of the new names on the Jets coaching staff explains why: John DeFilippo.

John was an assistant coach for Columbia during the Shoop years and was known for his excellent recruiting skills. He not only had a good eye for talent, he was a fine salesman too. Many of the graduating seniors on the current Columbia team got their first mailings from the Lions in the form of postcards from John DeFillipo.

I'm happy that John has left the crazy place known as the Oakland Raiders organization and is hooking up with the more promising Jets francise under new coach Rex Ryan.

DeFillipo was instrumental in getting ex-Lions Michael Quarshie and Jeff Otis on various Raiders rosters, and now he could do the same for some of the Lions rising stars.

The other Ivies signing free agent deals yesterday were Yale's Bobby Abare (Chiefs), Brown's Colin Cloherty (Colts), and Harvard's Desmond Bryant (Raiders).