The speed of 2013 Port Allegany High School graduate Nick Conway has always been very noticeable.
Whether it was catching deep balls from his high school quarterback Matt Bodamer or running in a spring-style race, Conway was one of District 9’s fastest athletes of the early 2010s.
But while he became a very decorated athlete, it was not always so simple for him.
In the fifth grade, Conway made the move from Delaware to McKean County to live with his father, Hunter Conway. When Hunter was a high schooler, he won a state title in the 110 meter hurdles in the state of Delaware, and he was the first coach Nick had in track and field.
“I can never unhear his consistent reminders of his high school statistics. I set out on a mission to simply beat my dad’s times,” Nick Conway said. “I believe I was in the ninth or tenth grade when I bested his hurdle times, to which I could never let him live down. That consistent desire to be better, and critique every specific movement over the hurdles or high jump bar became extremely addictive to me and helped me become a better track athlete.”
Despite his speed and great leaping ability, though, Conway admits he was a benchwarmer during his middle school athletic career, and so it took an impressive freshman track campaign for the former Gator to be noticed by his football coaches.
“I credit having a solid freshman season of track and field for the football coaches finally noticing me. It changed their thoughts of me and being able to play,” he said.
As a sophomore, Conway finally got a chance to show out on the football field. He became starting safety for the Gators, but still did not get many reps on the offensive side of the ball.
Over his junior and senior seasons, Conway got the chance to play some offense, and the Gators benefited from it. Conway became an AML All-Star, a Big-30 All-Star, a MaxPreps small school All-American and a 1,000-yard receiver in his senior season. After catching 17 balls for 237 yards and seven touchdowns as a junior, he wanted to prove he was capable of even more. As a senior, he responded with 77 receptions, 1,482 yards, and 24 touchdowns. Conway also averaged 19.2 yards per catch and 105.9 yard receiving per game.
“I pride myself by working hard and doing the little things. I learned to be a better route runner, and Matt (Bodamer) and I had great chemistry,” he said. “I remember playing Clairton having to come up with audibles and hand signals at the line of scrimmage in order to get open in that game.”
Despite his success on the gridiron, Conway kenw after high school that football would come to an end for him, as he made the decision to run Division I track and field at Saint Francis University in Loretto.
Going to Saint Francis was the perfect fit because he also got to go to a school with a reputable physical therapy program that allowed him to graduate in six years with a Doctorate of Physical Therapy.
The decision to go to Saint Francis has proven to make all the difference because it has helped Conway achieve his goals of being a great track and field athlete at the Division I level, a physical therapist and also an entrepreneur. The former Gator picked up a masters in business administration after completing his physical therapy coursework, and now he manages a physical therapy clinic in Charlottesville, Va.
Looking back on Conway’s time at Saint Francis competing for the Red Flash, there are a few key accolades that he thinks back to most.
One of those was winning the high jump in the indoor Northeast Conference (NEC) meet. Conway was an underdog coming into the event, and forced a jump off to win the conference title. He was able to win the tie-breaker to capture the gold. He also in front of his entire family at a meet at Bucknell, during which he broke the Bucknell Stadium and Saint Francis program records in the 400-meter hurdles.
His time at Saint Francis allowed him to reach great heights, but Conway mentioned many memories from high school football as well. One of those was matching up with Tyler Boyd, a Clairton High School graduate and a current receiver for the Cincinnati Bengals. The two met in the semifinals of the PIAA state playoffs for the chance to go to the state finals.
Even though Boyd and Clariton got the victory, Conway played well for the Gators. He caught seven passes for 140 yards and a touchdown despite the loss.
“Playing Tyler Boyd was a fun memory because we went back and forth. Some of the hits he put on me were the hardest I have ever been hit,” Conway recalled. “He is a great athlete, but I was able to have success against him. My wife has not forgotten the stats I put up from that game against him.”
Conway and his wife, Jena, have been together for around nine years in total and have been married for just over a year. The two each enjoy careers in the medical field, as she is a registered nurse working in the medical intensive care unit with COVID-19 patients.
The former Port Allegany star has excelled in each venture he has embarked in, and attributes that to hard work.
“I credit a lot of my reason for working hard because of my father. I consider my dad to be my biggest role model. He was the first of my family to break a mold from poverty to successfulness, and for that I am very grateful,” Conway said.
“He has taught me the importance of separating work and home life so that you may be more present in your family life. Without his consistent guidance and coaching, my track and field career would have likely never reached the heights that it had.”
