Watching John Trainor practice as a plebe, Navy head coach Rick Sowell was convinced he had a standout short stick defensive midfielder on his hands.
Trainor possessed all the traits a college lacrosse coach looks for in the players that fill that specialty role.
"John seemed like a natural defensive midfielder to me. He just had that gritty mentality," Sowell said. "John is not going to back down from any battle and makes up for any weaknesses with toughness and tenacity."
Trainor, who grew up in a blue collar neighborhood on Long Island, was more than willing to accept the unheralded role.