Cavallaro: Former Rocky Hill Footballer Tackles Fitness

Former Rocky Hill quarterback Danny Cavallaro is a certified personal trainer, working on a degree from Springfield College. Cavallaro is helping others reach their fitness goals. Left is a picture of him in Feb 2018 and the right is a picture of him in July 2019

Two years ago, Danny Cavallaro was fresh off quarterbacking Rocky Hill High School to a second straight playoff appearance, which included a trip to the Class S championship game in 2016. The three-year starter became a household name thanks to his impressive right arm, charismatic personality, and gritty play behind center.

The former high school student athlete is now a college scholar at Springfield College, pursuing a career in Physical Therapy and helping others achieve their fitness and nutrition goals as a NASM Certified Personal Trainer.

“I had the mindset that I wasn’t going to play football, so I wanted to pick a good academic school. I had heard it was a good school and a good community, and I wanted fewer kids in the classroom so I could connect more with the teachers and my classmates,” said Cavallaro, who is currently working on a bachelor’s degree in Health Sciences in Springfield, Mass.

It’s a new and exciting adventure for the Rocky Hill native, who has changed both his surroundings and his physique.

There was never any doubt about Cavallaro’s athletic abilities in high school, but over the last year and a half he’s transformed into a model of peak physical fitness through his intense body building regimen.

“It's a habit, it’s a lifestyle. It’s not about doing a certain diet or a workout. I’ve just adapted these methods and once I started getting used to it, it really became my lifestyle. If you would have asked me a couple of years ago about working out the way I do or eating the way I do it would have been a little scary, but now I love it. You have to love the process as much as you love the results.”

Cavallaro documents his wellness journey on his Instagram account, where he connects with others in the fitness community while attracting new clients. The young entrepreneur will soon have over 10,000 followers and has been able to monetize his efforts through in-person on online personal training.

“What social media allows us to do is reach out to hundreds of people a day. Instagram is where it’s at, there’s always eyes on Instagram,” said the 2018 graduate, “I try and market through my story. If they see my content, they will reach out to me and I reach out to others and ask how I can help. Once they sign up with me they have my full availability, because they’ll have a lot of questions once they are going through the process.”

During his holiday break from Springfield, Cavallaro was able to shadow Eric Milman at the Physical Therapy Center of Rocky Hill.

Milman, who has a Master’s degree from the University of Harford and a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Simmons College, helped the former football player rehab injuries and improve muscular movements during his playing days in high school. Cavallaro said that Milman is now a mentor who inspired him to pursue Physical Therapy.

“I’m very, very lucky to have the people that I’ve had in my life” said Cavallaro, who also has a cousin working as a personal trainer, “I wouldn’t have known the stuff that I know without asking the questions from these great people like Eric. Eric has gone to years and years of seminars for Physical Therapy. He taught me more in a day than I learned in this whole semester. He knows a ridiculous amount, he’s an encyclopedia.”

Cavallaro added that playing quarterback has been beneficial during his latest endeavor.

“Being quarterback thought me about leadership, influence, and character. It’s so much more than just throwing touchdowns. You have to know what everyone else is doing, what the defense is doing, there’s a lot of things. I now know what makes other people tick, I know how to help them reach their value.”

“When I’m lifting with someone, I compare it to throwing a football because you have to move a certain way. Your body is a machine, it’s very mechanical and the same thing when you’re throwing a football. It’s all step by step, it’s a process. Throwing is just like doing a rep.”

Cavallaro offered some tips for those looking to achieve their fitness and weight loss goals during the New Year’s Resolution season.

“Find a strong ‘why’. If you’re just motivated in that second it’s going to wear off, so that ‘why’ will get you up the next morning and the next morning, and when you do that it will become a discipline habit and that’s when you get consistency. Remember a time when you were motivated and how that made you feel, go back to that mental state. Rewire your brain, find your ‘why’.”

He added that no single diet or workout is universally ideal, and that body type and fitness goals are more important when creating a fitness and wellness plan.

Cavallaro’s long-term goal is to open his own establishment, meshing personal training and physical therapy.      

“Have the gym side of the building with the Physical Therapy side of the building. It goes hand in hand. It’s all health related and about taking care of the body.”

Now a sophomore in college, Cavallaro will either stay in Springfield for his post-grad or explore other opportunities to complete his Physical Therapy degree.

One thing that is certain, physical fitness is a major part of his life now and into the future.

He lives by his slogan, “My goals are to achieve your goals” and approaches fitness from a bigger picture perspective, wanting to influence those around him and making sure his words and actions outlive him.

​For more information about Cavallaro’s journey follow him on Instagram @dannycavs_fit or contact him directly at dcavallaro@springfieldcollege.edu or 860-729-9413.