University of Connecticut Athletics
Joly Big Part Of Huskies' Youth Movement
10/6/2022 7:58:00 PM | Football
Oct. 6, 2022
Playing high school football at Iona Prep High School in New Rochelle, N.Y., Justin Joly had several college offers to continue his football career. Joly committed to play for the University of Connecticut as a tight end. Standing 6-3 and 215 pounds on signing day, UConn's incoming freshman was excited to meet his new Huskies teammates and establish chemistry right out of the gate.
"I came here throughout the spring while I was still in high school so I could meet the guys," Joly said. "As time went on, they just kept on feeling like brothers. They're all my brothers. If they ever need me for anything, I got them and I'm sure they've got my back, too."
Joly committed to the Huskies as one of the program's 21 freshmen. With a talented freshmen class that included running back Victor Rosa and quarterback Zion Turner, Joly knew that he and his teammates all had the same mission when they committed to UConn.
"We came here because we have a mission and we came here to win," Joly said. "That's what we're here to do. I can say for our quarterback, Zion Turner, he's done a phenomenal job. Our running back, Victor Rosa, they've all done a great job stepping up."
Under head coach Jim Mora and tight end coach John Marinelli, Joly was anxious to get working. He had already committed to the goal of winning football games, but now was the time to put in the work. Under the direction of coach Matt King, Joly began to push himself harder than he ever had before.
Throughout the many months, he began to see his work pay off as he trained under UConn's coaching staff, gaining 13 pounds of muscle to weigh in at 228 pounds. It was an experience that Joly had never experienced before in his football career, but that didn't mean he wasn't up for the challenges thrown his way by the UConn football staff.
"It was something different," Joly said, remarking on the experience of working under an FBS coaching staff. "I didn't like lifting weights. It wasn't one of my strong suits. It wasn't something that I was particularly good at, but I've learned to love it because I know it's going to help me at this level and the next level."
Along with the physical benefits he was seeing, he acquired plenty of lessons working under Coach Mora that he's used to fuel his improvement.
"When you get the opportunity to do what you have to do, do it perfectly and execute," said Joly when remarking on coach Mora's lessons.
Joly knew that along with the work he was putting in on a daily basis to help his team win games, he was also going to have to show patience, especially in a deep tight-end rotation.
"Through practice, I just had to play my part and wait for my time. A lot of wide receivers went down so we had to have the next man-up mentality. That's what coach Mora said, so I stuck by it, waited for my time and it came," Joly said.
After injuries hit the team, Mora was ready to put his freshman class to the test and Joly was a part of that plan. While Turner and Rosa were getting their own opportunities to shine, Joly finally got his major opportunity to showcase the hours he put in to perfect his craft.
In Uconn's 19-14 upset win over Fresno State, Joly was a vital part of the victory, grabbing three catches for 34 yards. At such an early stage in his UConn career, Joly was incredibly appreciative of the opportunity to go out and help his team win.
"I was just happy to have the opportunity to support and help my team when they needed me and when my name was called," Joly said.
As the Huskies head into a road matchup in Florida against FIU, Joly is continuing to put in plenty of effort for his team. Even when the Huskies were considered as underdogs during their tough schedule, Joly has learned to turn that doubt into fuel to perform at 110 percent every time he steps on the field.
"We always use that doubt for energy," Joly said. "It's like our fuel. The more you doubt us, the more we have a reason to prove you wrong. We're not only doing it to prove people wrong, but we're also doing it for ourselves to show that we're a better team than in years past."
