How Nick Rinaldi’s Confidence and Love for Football Has Grown

The former walk-on has turned into a leader in Vanderbilt’s linebacker room. As his career progressed, his belief in himself has evolved.

Nov 22, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Vanderbilt Commodores linebacker Nick Rinaldi (24) celebrates the sack of Kentucky Wildcats quarterback Cutter Boley (8) during the first half at FirstBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

NASHVILLE – At a Vanderbilt football practice in the fall of 2022, then walk-on Nick Rinaldi was just trying to do what he could to find a role for himself on the roster. He lined up as a defensive end against a Vanderbilt offense where Mike Wright Jr. was the quarterback.

Rinaldi read the zone read play well, took the correct angle and made a play. His teammates at the time quickly got excited for him. To many, that moment may have just been a good play that a teammate made. But for Rinaldi, it was the moment that changed his career.

“After that point, I felt like coaches viewed me as more of an asset to the team. The next week, I ended up starting on third down against Kentucky, which we beat. And that was a big game for the program. So since that moment, I think my trajectory altered a lot,” Rinaldi said Thursday after Vanderbilt’s fall camp practice Thursday.

Up until that point, Rinaldi admits that he had a lack of self-confidence in his ability to compete with his teammates, especially for meaningful playing time. The now-fifth-year senior did not start playing football until his senior year of high school.

In fact, Vanderbilt linebackers coach Nick Lezynski used to joke around that Rinaldi never saw football before arriving in Nashville.

Because of that lack of experience he had compared to his teammates on defense, it did not give him much confidence in his ability or with what role he could carve himself. In his own words, Rinaldi “counted himself out.”

But when he had his assisted tackle in Vanderbilt’s 24-21 win over the Wildcats in 2022, he knew he could play with not just his teammates but with other athletes in the SEC.

If you asked Rinaldi five years ago as he was getting ready to begin his college years where he thought he would be standing today, he may not have a concrete idea of what his life would look like. But he knows he did not think it would be his current reality.

“So I definitely wouldn’t say that I’d be here standing in front of you guys in my fifth year of football, getting ready to play in the NFL. I’ve come a long way and I’m really proud of myself for that. But yeah, five years ago I would not have been thinking that,” Rinaldi said.

Over the course of five years, RInaldi has gone from a player that would have been happy to just end up in the box score in one game to feeling like he can have a career at the next level in the NFL.

That is a result of how he has grown to love the sport of football as much as it is a growth in confidence. Rinaldi has been able to soak in knowledge through his time at Vanderbilt like a sponge.

Nowadays, Rinaldi spends more time in Lezynski’s office watching film and tape than Lezynski himself does. Perhaps as his confidence grew, so did his love for the game. And he has grown in it so much that Lezynski sees Rinaldi as a player that can be seen as an additional coach on the field.

“I don’t know if he’s always loved it. He loves it now. So that’s been really cool to see because he’s watching more tape than I’m watching. He’s coaching the younger players now, so he’s become a voice and an extension of the coaches and that’s been the cool part to see about him,” Lezynski said.

It has all led up to this season, where Rinaldi will have his opportunity to cement his legacy as a linebacker for Vanderbilt football. Rinaldi’s career arc is one that is difficult for athletes to pull off, but he has.

When he first stepped first on campus, Rinaldi was a guy fighting to get live reps in games. Now, coaches like Lezynski believe Rinaldi is “the most versatile player” Vanderbilt has.

“The love has grown so much since I got to college, you’d be surprised. Like, it’s been exponential as I’ve started to play more and become a leader in all these new things. So, I’m just super excited for the next few years, especially here. And for the love for the game continuing to grow,” Rinaldi said.

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