With the loss of a fall season, KO class of 2019 alumnus and Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) wide receiver Kyren Petteway is giving it his all on the field, in spite of the limited practices and abnormal schedule. He has taken matters into his own hands and created his own football league and season known as Juice League.
Petteway attended the Kingswood Oxford Upper School for his last two years of high school. During his time at Kingswood Oxford, Petteway was a three-sport varsity athlete. He played football, basketball, and baseball for his tenure as a Wyvern athlete. Petteway obviously excelled at football, becoming a team captain. His accomplishments are still felt at the school today. Currently, he holds the record for the highest number of touchdowns scored in a single game. “I loved my time at KO,” Petteway said. “It helped me get to where I am today.”
During his senior year, Petteway committed to CCSU, a Division I school located in New Britain. “I started the recruiting process later than most,” Petteway said. “I’m not the ideal size for a D1 wide receiver.” However, Petteway knew that Central Connecticut was the best place for him.
Petteway described the transition from high school to college as being painless and pretty easy. He said the hardest part was adjusting to the demanding schedule. “Once I got to school, I always had something going on,” he said. Days typically started with an early morning lift followed by morning practice. After that, Petteway rushed to a class or two followed by an afternoon practice or team meeting. He said he did that five days a week starting the day he stepped on campus.
It seems that his hard work is paying off. During his first season, Petteway displayed enormous talent, despite only being a freshman. By the end of the season, he had amassed a total of 346 yards, averaging 17.5 yards per reception with four touchdowns. Petteway made a name for himself early on in his freshman season. During the second game against Bryant and the first game Petteway played in, he caught two deep passes and both resulted in a touchdown. “That game really helped me get the attention of the coaches,” Petteway said. “It showed that I was able to play at the college level.”
Sadly, COVID-19 ended up canceling the entire 2020 season. Practices were reduced and regulations were put in place to comply with guidelines. So, this past summer, Petteway organized a 7v7 and 1v1 league called Juice League. “I wanted to give people a chance to compete safely,” Petteway said, “so I created Juice League to do just that.”
As for the future, Petteway hopes that they will be able to play in the spring. Past that, Petteway wants to continue to elevate his level of play and competition every day. Academically, Petteway is also a communications major. He doesn’t have a definitive plan yet but has various paths to take if his football journey ends. Petteway is looking to be a fierce competitor more and more each day and with his determination and drive, he has set himself up for much success in the future.
