Dominic Hess is a senior double‑majoring in mechanical engineering and finance and an Academic All‑American. He still dedicates about 20 hours a week to practice, workouts, and games, a bit less in the spring. For him, football does not detract from his studies; it actually amplifies the MIT experience.\n\nHe grew up in Damascus, Maryland, a small town with a storied football program that has won 12 state titles. In high school he was a 5‑foot‑10, 135‑pound player competing alongside a 6‑foot‑6, 280‑pound teammate, which gave him a taste of high‑level competition and reinforced his academic seriousness, leading him to pursue football in college.\n\nAt MIT, he often hears “MIT has a football team?” when he mentions the sport. As a freshman he used the team’s network to learn about majors, courses, and career paths, which helped him navigate a curriculum far tougher than high school. Although the workload is massive, the camaraderie lets him step onto the practice field and focus solely on football – his daily mental reset.\n\nBecoming a captain was not immediate. He captained his high‑school team, but at MIT he had to start over, earn his place over three years, and eventually gain the coaches’ and teammates’ trust. He emphasizes asking teammates about their goals and the steps to achieve them, stressing that each small improvement builds toward a NEWMAC championship. He cites Nick Saban’s “six‑second play” mantra: stay present and give everything for each play.\n\nCommunity motivates him most. With a tech‑consulting dad and a mom who raised four boys, he sought a new family at MIT and found it in football, the DKE fraternity, and the Catholic community, where many teammates share his faith.\n\nAfter graduation he has secured a full‑time position in New York, where his two older brothers already live and work. He will move in with them, becoming a Jets and Yankees fan (and, reluctantly, a Knicks fan).\n\nReview: Dominic’s story illustrates how a rigorous academic setting can coexist with competitive athletics, offering a blueprint for students to balance study, sport, and community involvement.