On The Yard

This fall, Navy football fans have even more to celebrate: Two Firsties, Eli Heidenreich (Number 22) and Alex Tecza (Number 46), have been named to the prestigious Doak Walker Award watch list, an honor that recognizes the nation’s top running backs. Their achievement adds a new chapter to Navy football history, and it’s even sweeter since these two childhood friends from Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania (commonly called “Lebo”) are reaching this milestone together. We caught up with them here.

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From Youth League to the Bigger Leagues

Their story starts back in first grade, when they were football rivals on the rec league gridiron with a healthy dose of mutual respect. “We started off playing football against each other initially,” Heidenreich remembered. “I think we mainly just knew each other as the ‘good kid’ that we played against in football.”

As the years went by, this football friendship took root. “Eighth grade was the first time we were on the same team,” Tecza said. By high school, their bond had solidified. “We were on a freshman team together, and then we both got the opportunity to start sophomore year. We got super close, and I think we became best friends that year.” What began as a strong friendship evolved into a much larger story beyond what they could have imagined!

A Moment Made for the Movies

High school brought big moments - and none was bigger than their senior year in the fall of 2021, when the Mt. Lebanon football team clinched both the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) and the Pennsylvania state championship - the first time in school history Lebo captured the coveted state title.

“That year is pretty special. I don't think there will be another football season that I play in quite like that,” Tecza noted. “We were one of the closer classes in the state at that point…we were all best friends. So I just think that's why we were so dominant - football is a team sport, one of the greatest out there. And so what you need is that camaraderie, that brotherhood, those friendship bonds.”

Heidenreich smiled, citing some of the everyday moments that also stood out: “The memories that I cherish the most and think about the most are the time that I spent, obviously with Alex, but also all my other teammates back then, I think just little things like spending time in the locker room together, hanging out or going out with the O linemen on Wednesdays and getting dinner with them. It’s really kind of the smaller things and the friendship, the brotherhood that I miss the most from high school and all those guys back home in Lebo.”

Alex chimed in, “[Some of the older players] showed us what it's like to treat underclassmen. And I feel Eli and I did a good job, and really the whole team did a good job of including those younger guys, and it definitely helped us out. So I just think it was special overall, the pieces kind of fit together with Coach Palko [Head Coach Bob Palko, who had led them since Sophomore year] coming in…and then we just had that bond.”

These little and larger experiences on and off the field helped the team grow even tighter. Then the championship culminated in surreal fashion with a parade in town. “That was a really special moment. It almost felt like it was right out of a movie,” Heidenreich said. “There were people lined up on the street for probably a mile, and people looking out the windows. And it was just a really cool experience to be with all your best friends from high school, walking down the street, bands like in front of you, people yelling your name.” Tecza laughed: “We were told that there's gonna be a little parade for us. And I was thinking, it's gonna be awkward - there might be maybe 100 people there. And then there were thousands of people. It was unbelievable. Straight out of a movie, and definitely something we’ll remember forever.”

It was a moment that would prove hard to top.

The Sequel

About six months later, the two found themselves reporting to the Naval Academy. Their shared path continued through Plebe Summer, training, and the grind of Division I football.

Tecza recalled his favorite Navy football memory so far: “Both of our first starts were the Memphis game… I just remember being nervous, and then I walked onto the field, and I saw Eli there too; I didn't even know Eli was starting until then. Just getting your first starts in college is a big deal, and then doing it with someone I've grown up with was amazing.”

Heidenreich echoed this feeling: “I think a cool memory I look back to was our first win at home, and I think it might have been the first time we both dressed together. Neither of us even got on the field, but we won that game. And I remember we went over to our parents after, and they were just super proud of us, taking pictures of us, and we were both still bald [from summer haircuts].”

This was just the start of a remarkable Navy football career for the two friends, who now find themselves in line for one of college football’s most celebrated achievements.

Making the Doak Walker Watch List

The Doak Walker Award is named for the three-time All-American SMU halfback and 1948 Heisman Trophy winner. It recognizes excellence in football and beyond, honoring stellar athletic performance, sportsmanship, and academic achievement.

Learning they were both on the Doak Walker Award watch list was a huge moment. “It did feel cool having that recognition for both of us,” Heidenreich said. “[Being on a list] doesn't usually happen at the same time for both of us…it was the first time that I remember us being on anything the same in that sense. And I think it just goes to show a little bit about our offense and how much we're doing, and how they spread the ball around to different guys.” Tecza agreed: “I remember a lot of support from back home, like we always do. Those people check in pretty frequently back in Lebo and around Pittsburgh, so I just remember getting a whole bunch of texts…so definitely a cool story there.”

Senior Season

Their story continues. As they tackle another exciting Annapolis football season, both friends are hungry for more. Tecza is pumped for their matchup against Notre Dame: “This is our first year playing Notre Dame at Notre Dame, and it’s a 7:30 pm game. It's going to be crazy. It's going to be a lot of fun.”

Heidenreich is also focused on building momentum: “I think for the first time in a while, we've had a little bit of buzz coming into this season…I do think that really gives us a good chance if we live up to those expectations to make it into something like the college football playoffs. Just to even have that opportunity right now is pretty cool and not something we take for granted.”

The longtime friends are fired up and focused. As they go head-to-head against some of the best sports colleges in the nation, they’re taking nothing for granted.

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More Than Just Football

For Heidenreich and Tecza, being on the Doak Walker Award watch list is another exciting chapter in a story that began decades ago on neighborhood football fields. From Lebo kids, to state champions, to Navy Midshipmen, their friendship has been the constant. And whether or not they advance as college football award finalists this November, they’ve already cemented their place as part of Navy football history.

Be a part of this history. Whether you’re cheering on the Midshipmen at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, taking a USNA tour, grabbing a bite at the Drydock Restaurant, or buying some REAL Navy swag at the USNA Gift Shop or Navyonline.com, you’re supporting Tecza, Heidenreich, and the entire Brigade. Your support helps fund the extracurricular activities that fuel exceptional teamwork and camaraderie throughout USNA. Let’s keep these incredible stories going. There are more great chapters to come.