WPIAL Alum Q&A – Luigi Lista-Brinza

By: HSSN Staff
Monday, December 7, 2015 | 2:03 PM

Nine days ago, the Central Catholic Vikings captured their fifth WPIAL football championship, defeating Penn-Trafford at Heinz Field in the Class Quad-A Championship.

Prior to that, the last time Central Catholic captured gold was 2013, when running back Luigi Lista-Brinza paced the offense. That season, Lista-Brinza totaled more than 1,600 yards on the ground. As a result, he was named to the first team All-Conference, and second-team All-State.

After his career with Central Catholic concluded, Lista-Brinza, a McKees Rocks native, matriculated to the Indiana University of Pennsylvania. As a freshman, he made key contributions for the Crimson Hawks, rushing for more than 800 yards and 10 touchdowns. As a first-year player, Lista-Brinza earned honors as a second team All-PSAC West performer.

His 2015 campaign was plagued by injuries, however, as Lista-Brinza was limited to just seven contests. The highlights in that span included his 164-yard performance against Mercyhurst, as well as a three-touchdown effort against Cheyney.

IUP qualified for the postseason, and the sophomore running back contributed in the team’s victory against Charleston in the opening round. Lista-Brinza was not available in the second round, however, as the Crimson Hawks fell to Shepherd to conclude their season.

Despite undergoing surgery recently and with finals quickly approaching, Luigi took time from his schedule to chat about his time at Central Catholic, his ups and downs at IUP, and some interesting aspects of his life off the field, as well.

Q: You made an immediate impact for the Crimson Hawks as a freshman. Why do you think you were able to produce right away, and what was the biggest transition from high school to college football?

A: Playing at Central Catholic was definitely a big reason for an easy transition. It was always a fast-paced style of football and we never stopped working hard all year round. It was kind of like being at a small college.

Q: You started 2015 strong, including a huge performance against Mercyhurst, but then missed some time before finishing the regular season on a high note. How would you evaluate your play as a sophomore?

A: My sophomore year definitely did not go as I planned it to go. I worked really hard all off season, but a couple of injuries held me back from performing to my fullest ability, as I missed most of season. But all I can do is stay motivated and get ready to lead my team next season.

Q: Did you always know you wanted to be a running back? And what led you to playing the position?

A: I always loved playing running back but I also do love playing slot back a lot, as well. Just catching passes and being able to show my athletic ability in open field is very fun to me. I was pretty much put at running back at age 6 because I was one of the fastest kids on the team and it just sort of developed over the years.

Q: What led to your decision to attend IUP?

A: I enjoyed the coaches’ attitudes and the respect they had toward the game. Also, I knew many IUP graduates who played football, especially one of my high school coaches. Coach Camp, who recruited me, also had a big impact on my decision. He went to Central Catholic and also Woodland Hills and was a successful WPIAL player.

Q: What was your fondest memory from Central Catholic?

A: My fondest memory at Central Catholic was definitely winning the WPIAL championship my senior year. It was a special team with a great bond, and we refused to not come out on top down at Heinz Field.

Q: You have former high school teammates now playing across the state, and even across the country. How often are you able to stay in contact, and with whom have you stayed closest?

A: We still stay very close from calling each other from time to time, and we also have a group message that everyone still participates in. (We’re) always supporting each other and still supporting our high school, especially since it just had a big win down at Heinz Field again.

Q: What was the best quality of Central Catholic Coach Terry Totten, and how does he compare to IUP Coach Curt Cignetti?

A: Coach Totten and Coach Cignetti have different styles of coaching. Coach Totten is more of an up in your face kind of guy, having no voice after every game and even after long practices sometimes, and Coach Cignetti is a more calm and chilled-out coach. Coach Totten’s best quality was being able to get us so fired up before games, we would honestly believe we were unstoppable and play like a bunch of mad men on every play for 48 minutes.

Q: How would you describe your running style?

A: I would describe my style as a hard downhill runner and I’m starting to get more elusive as I have gained more speed over the past couple of years.

Q: What are you studying, and what is your ideal profession after football?

A: My major is Sports Administration, with a minor in business. My dream job is to be able to train high-level athletes. I want to help them stay on track on the field and in the classroom so they have the best opportunity to participate in college sports successfully.

Q: Who has been your biggest influence, either in football or life in general?

A: The biggest influence in my life has been my father. He has always pushed me to the limit, never letting me slack and always being there for me when times get hard. He has never missed any of my games in any sports that I have played my whole life. He is definitely my biggest supporter and fan.

Q: Your name can sometimes trip up announcers. What is the worst or most inaccurate pronunciation of it that you recall?

A: I can’t even explain how many times my name has been messed up at events. I would think people would at least get the Luigi part right since it has been a famous name from restaurants to videos games, but you’d be surprised how many people say that wrong, as well.

Q: What is your favorite food?

A: Wings. I can eat them everyday.

Q: What is your favorite sport aside from football?

A: Basketball.

Q: Which celebrity would you choose to take on a date?

A: Margot Robbie from The Wolf of Wall Street

Tags: Indiana