This foray into football began innocently enough for Giorgio Tavecchio. It was fun.

A catchy Italian song from the 1950s, “Eh, Cumpari!” by Julius La Rosa, bounced from the stadium speakers at Campolindo High in Moraga, California, whenever the Italian-American took the field for a field goal or extra point. He relished the time spent with friends. The sport unexpectedly morphed into a college opportunity; he was set to play Division I soccer at UC Davis before California extended a late invite to be a freshman walk-on.