Fox Chapel Area head football coach Dave Leasure has a unique tradition of awarding the No. 1 jersey to a player who meets a stringent set of criteria in the offseason. He doesn’t necessarily issue the number every year; it is only awarded to a player who demonstrates exceptional commitment, a superior work ethic, and inspiring leadership.
This year, the coach and his staff found their guy in senior Victor Nernberg.
“Victor stole the show in this offseason and was a unanimous pick for captain,” says coach Leasure. “He is a tireless worker and team leader, and one of the few players who will start on both sides of the football at halfback and linebacker, so he will be No. 1 this season. On top of all of this, he has a 3.57 grade point average and is just a great kid.”
When Victor learned he had earned this badge of honor, he was excited. He said, “It made me happy to get the opportunity to wear the No. 1 jersey because it meant my hard work was being seen and paying off, and it motivates me to push even harder.”
What to Know
Victor’s journey with the Foxes spans three years. He has been a varsity starter for two of those seasons. Victor has made some big strides this year, ironically because of a knee injury. That injury cost him the last two games of the 2023 season and forced him to mix up his offseason workouts.
While rehabbing his knee, Victor was limited in what he could do with lower-body workouts, so he concentrated on upper-body conditioning. He increased his bench press from 190 pounds to 260 pounds this season and also dropped close to 20 pounds, which has increased his speed. As a result, Victor became the overall champion during the squad’s competitive spring Olympics, which tests players’ speed and strength.
Before the season even kicks off, Victor wants to clarify a few details about the team’s evolution.
“When the team went 0-10, and then 0-10 again last year, we got down on ourselves, but that also motivated us to work exceptionally hard,” Victor says. “I want to emphasize that we are not the same team as we were the past few years. We have put that behind us. Everyone is fully committed, and we are locked in as a group with our intensity.”
He continues, “Every single senior is a leader, and we’ve been pushing ourselves and each other harder than last year. It has been a collective effort to build good team chemistry with not only each other but the younger players as well. I believe we’re way ahead this season than where we were (at the same time) last year. Everyone has a good mindset now.”
Victor’s own strengths as a player are his poise, confidence, and ability to remain calm in clutch situations. Those qualities have been especially important as the Foxes face powerhouse opponents.
But Victor says his toughest hurdle was a personal one as he fought to overcome his knee injury. He even found a silver lining in the experience.
“My biggest challenge was coming back from my injury,” he says. “It taught me to keep my head up and to push myself to my limits to get to where I want to be physically and mentally.”
Beyond the Field
Victor’s achievements extend beyond the field. He is a member of the National Honor Society and is ranked in the top five regionally with Future Business Leaders of America. He says his key to managing sports and school is to study and do as much of his homework as he can during the day at school.
Plus, Victor laughs and adds, “No one believes me when I say this, but I’m one of the best basketball players on the football team!”
Perhaps Victor will take his chops to the court in his senior year, but right now, there is no doubt about his No. 1 focus – getting that losing record off their backs and returning to the WPIAL Class 5A playoffs.