Hills West's Gelman will play D-I football and tennis

There's no truth to any rumor that Nolan Gelman can make dogs love cats. But he does have Division I football and tennis coaches working together.

Gelman is a Renaissance Man at Half Hollow Hills West. The All-Long Island soccer star/Long Island football champion kicker/three-time All-State tennis player is headed to Bryant University in Rhode Island next year to play football and tennis. The majority of the individual tennis tournaments are on autumn weekends, the same as college football games. But Gelman said the coaches at the Division I school are working together to make sure he is able to compete for both teams.

"The tennis coach has been great about it,'' said Gelman, who will have a chance to compete for starting place-kicker. "It makes him look good if I hit a game-winning field goal.''

Playing two sports in the same season is nothing new for Gelman. He has been doing it since his sophomore year when Hills West football coach Kyle Madden showed up at soccer practice looking for a kicker. Gelman kicked the ball the farthest and earned the job.

Later that season, in a 24-hour span, he made a game-winning corner kick in the Long Island soccer championship and a 31-yard, fourth-quarter field goal in a Division III football semifinal playoff game. In his final high school football game, with crosswinds of more than 30 mph, he was 6-for-6 on extra points as Hills West won its first Long Island championship.

Gelman has played soccer and tennis since age 5. The football success was a surprise. "My guidance counselor was saying to my parents the other day, 'four years ago would you ever imagine him being a Division I football player?' Never.''

Before he goes on to major in multitasking, Gelman has one final high school goal: a Suffolk singles tennis title. Last season in doubles, Gelman and Matt Stevens reached the county final and state quarterfinals. Before his junior year he won the singles gold at the Empire State Games. He has been the Colts' top singles player since eighth grade.

"It's been a pleasure watching him transition from a middle-schooler,'' said Hills West tennis coach Kim Langendorfer. "He has a really unique opportunity. I don't know of anyone else who has ever done this.''

Gelman was even on the varsity basketball team, but decided not to play his senior year. That might have been a good idea - his closet is already so full of varsity letters that he lost count.

Said Gelman: "My friends were trying to count it the other day. It's close to 15 or 16.''