Pete Giannakoulis: Forgotten leader

He was named to the first team all-Ivy squad in 1993. Al Bagnoli said there is no one more important to the Penn program. But the best way to describe his ability is this: Pete Giannakoulis is as good at the game of football as he is at the game of life. Both obstacles are simply no match for him. He started as a fledgling football player trying to carve his own niche in one of the very best high school programs in the nation. Then he had to face the fact no big-time program wanted him coming out of high school, and that his grades weren't enough for the top-flight academic schools. So he went through a fifth year of high school. Things still weren't perfect even after he finally made it to Penn. At one point, a radio announcer said Giannakoulis was a liability because he was the shortest lineman in the entire Ivy League. Now he is the best center in the Ivies, a senior and a team captain, yet he still has to cope with always being overlooked on the offensive side of the ball. He is a lineman, and not Terrance Stokes or Miles Macik. Through it all, the Brockton, Mass., native has persevered to become "the complete package -- the way you draw it up to happen," according to Penn coach Bagnoli. He's gotten this far by maintaining an even keel outside the take-no-prisoners attitude he displays between the stripes. Need to find Giannakoulis the night before a road game? Try his hotel room, where the 270-pound behemoth, who specializes in driving opposing linemen into the ground, can usually be found with his laptop computer, checking out stock quotes on the Prodigy network. One moment he's quieting the nerves of first-year starting quarterback Mark DeRosa with a joke or two in the huddle. Then he's taking control of the game, trying to run out the clock, as the Quakers are backed up to their own goal line in the closing seconds at Dartmouth. "He just said, 'Follow me.' I ran right behind him and that allowed us to run out the clock," DeRosa said. "You trust him because he's just got a lot of smarts, plus a combination of toughness and power." Those traits were necessary to survive in Alvin Columbo's legendary Brockton High program. So was the ability to take advantage when an opportunity presented itself. Brockton was ranked No. 1 in the nation, and the offensive line was comprised of players destined for Miami, Michigan and Pittsburgh. But there was a spot open at guard. Though his forte was defensive tackle, Giannakoulis jumped at the chance to play. "That was an unbelievable program," Giannakoulis said. "When we came to practice it was just full-go, everyone hitting each other. The work ethic developed from there, because in order to play at that level, I knew I had to pick it up. I didn't want to take a backseat to anybody." But when graduation came, he was forced to take a backseat. Giannakoulis watched as his teammates took off for the top programs, while only a few Division II and III schools came knocking on his door. The Ivy League looked at his grades and college boards and shied away. Tommy Columbo, the son of the coach, suggested a year at a prep school couldn't hurt. Giannakoulis agreed. A year at Avon Old Farms in Connecticut followed. Giannakoulis got his house in order academically and became bigger and stronger. When it was over, the Ivies wanted him. So did the Patriot League. And the Yankee Conference. "I followed my heart, that's exactly what I did," he said of his choice to attend Penn. "And now I have no regrets whatsoever. It's been a great experience." Most of it, anyway. His first dose of varsity competition came on 1992 opening day at Dartmouth, when he was inserted at offensive tackle against the Jay Fiedler-led Big Green. The worst part of the 36-17 defeat, for Giannakoulis, was when the man he was blocking swatted two of Penn quarterback Jim McGeehan's pass attempts. That led to the remark about Giannakoulis being the shortest lineman in the league, a comment he still hasn't gotten over. It wasn't long before things took a radical turn for the better. The coaches decided to try Giannakoulis at center four games into the 1992 season. Giannakoulis hasn't budged since. "They needed someone for center, and I was like, 'I'll play center, just let me play,' " Giannakoulis said. "I think of all the positions I've played, that's my position. I'm basically a natural at it." Giannakoulis finally reached his peak in 1993. He started every game at center during the Quakers' perfect 10-0 season, anchoring an offensive line skeptics figured would be too inexperienced. By the end of the season, it may have the best in the league. Giannakoulis was first-team all-Ivy. No one really noticed. On Media Day this past August, the press asked for the three team captains. Stokes and defensive end Michael Turner got all the questions. Giannakoulis got ignored. He knows it's simply the plight of the offensive lineman. "If I were a reporter, I wouldn't want to talk to me either," he said. "You want to talk to people who are scoring touchdowns, making things happen on the field. But we know it all starts up front. My coaches respect me. My teammates respect me." That was evident when the team elected Giannakoulis a co-captain prior to the start of the season. The decision was a no-brainer for most of the Quakers. "I think it has a lot to do with consistency," senior guard Dave Broeker said. "He's someone who's performed well over the years. The guys know he'll always be there. No matter what, they can always count on him." Giannakoulis captains a team that is the proud owner of the nation's second longest winning streak. He can even take solace that he is no longer the shortest lineman in the Ivies -- teammate Rick Knox, whom Giannakoulis swears is shorter than his listed height of 6-foot-1, gets that honor. He can do it all on the field, and loves every minute of it. As soon as the buzzer sounds, however, it's right back to Nintendo and watching Saved By the Bell. And, he makes sure to add, studying. He's slated to graduate with degrees in finance and marketing in May. That's more important to him than any accolades he has earned on the field. "Of all the things I've worked for, my proudest moment is probably getting into the University of Pennsylvania," he said. "It will be an even prouder moment when I graduate." It will be a bittersweet moment for his coaches, because they will be losing a true star. Offensive coordinator Chuck Priore had to pause when asked what Giannakoulis means to the team. Finally he said: "We win because he's a winner."