 
| Basketball player Jeff Kalapos can always count on both his teammates and his family. | |
 Since coming to URI, Jeff Kalapos has learned the importance of overachieving and the value of keeping family close. The Stratford, Conn., native kept alive a family tradition by following his three older sisters—Jennifer ’98, M.B.A. ’02; Jessica ’00; and Jaclyn ’03—to URI. He then achieved a life-long dream of playing college basketball. “Growing up, I would always cheer for URI,” said the junior walk-on. “I’ve wanted to play here my whole life. Playing, traveling with the guys, and being a part of the team is incredible.” This, however, is more than a hoop dream. While his entire family makes it for most games, Kalapos has a special fan in grandfather Al Zera, 83, who is legally blind. Every game Zera sits in the front row, directly behind Kalapos, listening to radio broadcasts, thanks to Steve Antonson, the director of technical services for the Ryan Center. Antonson set up a direct feed of WHJJ broadcasters Steve McDonald and Don Kaull into a special headset for Zera. On top of Zera’s own health battles—his doctors recently warned him of possible congestive heart failure—his wife, Florence, is battling breast cancer. They never miss a game, despite the nine-hour day involved in driving to and from Connecticut every time. The trips are even longer when the team plays in New York, Massachusetts, or Philadelphia, but the Zeras are always there.“Growing up, I was always around him,” Kalapos said of his grandfather. “He’s always been a huge part of my life. Seeing that he can be here for every game is a relief. When he’s not there, it makes me worry. It’s the same with my whole family. When they come, it just makes me feel a lot better.” Coming out of high school, lower-level DI and DII schools recruited Kalapos, but a freak injury scared coaches away. Instead of giving up, Kalapos worked his way onto the Rhody roster. “How could I pass this up?” he asked. “We play in front of pretty much a full house every game, and we are a part of a team that is succeeding. When I started here, we weren’t all together. Coach Baron pulled us together. It’s fun being a part of a team that is turning it all around and making a name for our school again.” This summer, Kalapos will be on Wall Street as an intern for Merrill Lynch. “It’s kind of funny because I don’t like math,” said the Centennial Scholar. “But when it deals with money, that’s a different story. I want to be that guy in the shirt and tie walking down New York City Boulevard or Madison Avenue.”Eventually he will be, but Kalapos still has one more year left. “URI has been the best time of my life, and I know I’m going to miss everything here,” Kalapos said. “I’ll be ready when the time comes, but I want that last year here with my friends and teammates. I consider my teammates my family.” And we know the value of family. Shane Donaldson ’99 is a reporter for The South County Independent. | Top | Next |
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