Brian Pickup had established himself as one of the top athletes at Rye High School long before he picked up a lacrosse stick.
After all, that didn’t happen till just under two years ago.
Following plenty of arm twisting from friends and teammates, the football/basketball standout gave lax a try.
The immediate results were a clear testament to his potential down the road, as Pickup earned a spot on last summer’s Hudson Valley Empire State Games team.
And it’s where his future will be at the next level as well.
The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Pickup, a defenseman, has given a verbal commitment to attend one of the nation’s top Division I programs, Princeton, following a post-grad year at the Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts.
Here’s a Q&A with Brian on his commitment:
What other schools were you considering and where did you visit?
I was also considering UPenn, Brown and Lehigh. I visited both Penn and Lehigh.
What were the main factors in your decision to attend Princeton?
The main factors for choosing Princeton came down to three things. Great lacrosse, great academics and a great campus.
What adjustments do you think you will need to make to play at the next level?
The biggest adjustments I will need to make as a player are my stick skills and my overall speed so I can cover all types of attackmen.
What are your strengths as a player and how would you describe your style of play?
I consider my lacrosse game and style of play to be athletic, tough and raw. I’m still pretty new to the game and just try and do whatever I can to keep my guy in front of me.
What players have you looked up to as you have moved up through the varsity ranks?
Playing the game for such little time has made my teammates my biggest role models. Guys like Max Bonsall and Michael Collins showed me the ropes when I started playing and I wouldn’t be where I am now without them.
When did you first realize you had the potential to play at the college level?
I decided I wanted to play college lacrosse after I made the New York Empire State Games team over the summer. I was told by my peers in order to get recruited I had to do a PG year, and things just worked out from there.
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Congratulations Brian! It was a lot of fun watching you play football and lacrosse at Rye. Your hard work and dedication has really paid off. Good luck at Deerfield.
Great Job Brian! Never had a doubt. Excelled in 3 sports. Who will ever forget the the drive against Harrison (3 4th down catches and the game winning TD with 4 seconds left Rye 21 Harrison 20). ESG 2010 Hudson valley Team member. Under Armour All-American 2011 Champions. What a great ride. If you ever decide to play football at Princeton they have a midfielder who is outstanding at QB (Tommy Schreiber) who can throw a few your way. Enjoy Deerfield and best luck in 2012 @ Princeton.
Knew Schreiber was a great football player but didn’t think he was gonna play in college?
Congrats and good luck at Princeton. Thanks for giving 100+% to Rye during a great football, basketball and lacrosse career
Brian,
Very nice article. I am proud of you bud!! I miss you <3
Nana and Baba are here with me reading and they are realllyyy proud and maybe with luck they said they would get to see a game. haha Nonnie wants to watch you on television soon!
Love you,
Sarah and Nana
Congrats Brian!