Trevor Nailor shied away from contact during his freshman and sophomore football seasons.
With his sports background consisting largely of bowling, he felt more comfortable knocking down pins than players. But that changed as a Liberty junior. He grew bigger and stronger, and became more aggressive.
So, as a senior safety, he was better at filling the lanes in Liberty's defensive line than those in the bowling alley.
Nailor emerged as a stout run-stopper despite his undersized 155-pound frame, and he finished as the Eagles' leading tackler last fall. That performance, and his prowess on the lacrosse field, helped make Nailor the 2017 Fauquier Times Liberty Boys Athlete of the Year.
It's a credit to him and his hard work ethic, Eagles football coach Sean Finnerty said. He worked until he's doing something I don't think anybody thought he was capable of when he was younger.
Never the biggest guy, Nailor didn't play football or lacrosse until he entered high school. Bowling, on the other hand, entered his life at age 5.
It was the family sport. His parents, Patti and Keith, met at a bowling alley and later ran the Quantico Youth Bowling League for nearly a decade. Trevor Nailor's league team often won, but he eventually stopped bowling competitively as high school neared.
In eighth grade, he tried baseball but didn't enjoy it. He also dabbled in track and field by competing in the Fauquier County middle school championships.
Trevor was one of the fastest kids in the county in seventh and eighth grade, Nailor's mother said. He was always fast.
He has an athletic ability to him, she said. Whatever he's tried, he's done well. I think it's just natural for him.
But Nailor didn't enjoy running competitively. He joined Liberty's winter track team as a freshman only to leave the team after a few weeks. He did the same again as a senior, but his endurance still proved helpful as a football and lacrosse player, especially as a midfielder in the latter sport.
I run really long distances without getting tired, Nailor said. It's [helpful] being able to get in the game whenever I need to.
Play it, safety
Liberty's football coaches have a plus-two motto that Trevor Nailor eagerly adopted.
So 20-yard sprints turned into 22-yarders for him.
He would always be that kid, Sean Finnerty said. He would always go plus-two.
He was our hardest worker, the coach said. No one equaled his work ethic.
That was a constant throughout Nailor's four years with Liberty, but it wasn't quite enough for him to crack the starting lineup until his senior season.
He always was one of the smaller kids, Finnerty said. It took time for him to kind of mature and develop.
He just finally caught up. He got big enough and strong enough, Finnerty said. He's just one of those kids that kept working and made it a goal to be a starter.
Nailor was listed at 5-foot-9, 155 pounds as a senior.
During Nailor's first three seasons, he learned from film study and playing on the scout team.
He did all the little things that you want from a kid, Finnerty said. Became an extremely smart football player.
Regardless, Nailor was still undersized as a senior safety. He sought contact, nonetheless.
He did not worry about his body, Finnerty said. Coming up to make tackles, he didn't care how big that guy was he was tackling. That kind of makes you a good tackler.
Nailor finished his senior season with more than 80 tackles, which led the Eagles.
Trevor's small, but he just works harder, Nailor's mother said. You can't tell him, 'You can't do' something, because he's going to do it.
That's a quality that eventually forced Finnerty to put Nailor in the starting lineup.
He was very good at playing near the line of scrimmage, the coach said. He never had any issues diving in there.
One of those kids who would just take on the biggest kid on the field, Finnerty said. He might get knocked down especially hard, but he'd be the first one up every time.
So Nailor made the all-Conference 22 second team as a defensive back.
His Eagles finished the 2016 season with only a 4-10 record. It was their first sub-.500 record since going 2-7 in 1999, but they still won the regular-season finale Bird Bowl against county rival Fauquier for the 14th consecutive season.
Liberty's defense recovered a fumble with 59 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to set up its offense for an 86-yard, nine-play touchdown drive that gave the Eagles a 29-28 victory.
I'm not really the best safety out there, Nailor said. One of the plays, I was supposed to be guarding my zone and they ended up getting a touchdown.
I messed up in that game, he said, so winning that trophy again was amazing.
Nailed it
As a senior, Trevor Nailor became a full-time starter for Liberty's boys lacrosse team.
That coincided with the Eagles' best season in more than a decade.
Liberty posted a 5-9 record to tie for the program's most wins since at least 2005 and finish with a better winning percentage than the 2012 Liberty team that went 5-10.
We had really good teamwork and we were really fitting together, Nailor said. This year the seniors helped everybody. There was a lot of leadership.
During Nailor's previous three seasons, the Eagles amassed a 2-37 record. Yet they started 2017 on a 3-2 run, including an early win over James Monroe, 10-8.
Playing that close game ... really helped us, Nailor said. And Gar-Field in the scrimmage. That really helped us boost our confidence. We beat them by a lot and that hyped everybody up.
The Eagles ended up scoring 88 goals in 2017 after producing only 32 last season en route to a 1-11 record. Nailor nearly matched that 2016 total by himself this past spring.
He led Liberty with 31 goals on 96 shots as a senior.
Good motor, good speed and a determination to find the cage, Eagles coach Michael Gesiotto said. Better ball movement and spacing creates opportunity for good scorers.
Also helping were Nailors increased lacrosse IQ [and the] evolution of our offense, Gesiotto said.
The midfielder finished with 12 assists, 35 ground balls and 13 solo clears, which helped him earn a spot on the all-Conference 22 second team.
Nailor, who hopes to next play lacrosse at Northern Virginia Community College, also emerged as a Liberty leader during his senior season. As a captain, he became a sort of on-field offensive coordinator, Nailor said.
Heart of the team, Gesiotto said. Led by example.
He was a gamer, the coach said. No matter the circumstances he kept pushing, playing and encouraging his teammates.
Nailor may have developed that attitude inside his Goldvein home, which can be a busy place at times.
We're foster parents, Nailors mother, Patti, said of herself and her husband, Keith. We always have different children in our home and it's always possible to have more at any moment.
He just kind of goes with the flow, she said of her 18-year-old son. He's really good with them, helping to show them the ropes.
Nailor has a pair of adopted 4-year-old siblings in Ryder and Lily. One of his fathers high school friends, Krystle, also lives with the family. They have shared their home with the 31-year-old for Trevor Nailors entire life, since she fell on hard times at age 11.
Nailor also has pair of 21-year-old twin brothers, Kevin and Matt. So there was plenty of competition for attention in his household, but he adapted fine.
Trev's an all-around good kid, Nailors mother said. He's very personable. ... Just a pleasant young man.
More here:
Trevor Nailor is the 2017 Fauquier Times Liberty Boys Athlete of the Year - Fauquier Times
- Information Overload - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Same-Sex Marriage Gains - Iowa, DC and Vermont - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Obama and the Muslim World - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Nordyke - Incorporation of the Second Amendment to Apply to the States - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Obama's First 100 Days - Reclaiming the Constitution* - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Education Reform - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Legalize (and Tax) Vice - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Obama World vs. Cheney World - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- National Rifle Association v. Chicago (McDonald v. Chicago) Oral Arguments* - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Reconciling Liberty and Progressive Government - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Obama in the Middle East - A Respectful, Rational Voice - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Second Amendment Incorporation Update - Seventh Circuit Decision - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Strong versus Weak Judging - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Drawing the Line on the Obama Administration's National Security Practices - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Supreme Court Amicus Brief in McDonald v. Chicago - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- McDonald v. Chicago Amicus Brief - Volokh Conspiracy Link - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Healthcare Reform - Voices of Reason from Senators Wyden & Bennett - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Time to Legalize Drugs - Sensible WaPo Article - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Article in William & Mary Bill of Rights Journal: Rescuing the Fourteenth Amendment Privileges or Immunities Clause - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Just Do It - Obama Needs Backbone for Meaningful Healthcare Reform, a la FDR - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Nordyke v. King Rehearing - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Huge News - Supreme Court Grants Certiorari in McDonald v. Chicago re: Privileges or Immunities - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Obama Needs to Take Stands on Principle - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Kudos to Harry Reid for Including Public Option in Proposed Health Care Bill - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Free Radicals - Individual Efforts Can Change the World - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- - November 8th, 2009 [November 8th, 2009]
- Destroy the Filibuster - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- McDonald v. Chicago - Petitioner's Brief - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Something on Which We Can All Agree - Less Government in Criminal Justice - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- Obama Approach to Governing; Afghanistan Policy - December 13th, 2009 [December 13th, 2009]
- McDonald v. Chicago - Law Professors' Amicus Brief - December 15th, 2009 [December 15th, 2009]
- Senate Passes Health Care Insurance Reform - Reflections - December 25th, 2009 [December 25th, 2009]
- "Radicals In Their Own TIme" - Introduction & Selected Excerpts - January 1st, 2010 [January 1st, 2010]
- Terrific WaPo Farewell Column by Ellen Goodman - January 2nd, 2010 [January 2nd, 2010]
- Same-Sex Marriage Case in California - January 20th, 2010 [January 20th, 2010]
- Health Care; Corporate Speech Case - January 23rd, 2010 [January 23rd, 2010]
- McDonald v. Chicago - Essay in Cardozo Law Review de novo Online Journal - January 29th, 2010 [January 29th, 2010]
- Another Response to Citizens United: Remove Supreme Court Appellate Jurisdiction - February 11th, 2010 [February 11th, 2010]
- Olympics Idealism - March 1st, 2010 [March 1st, 2010]
- Framers Believed in Virtuous (ie, Humane) Government - March 21st, 2010 [March 21st, 2010]
- McDonald v. Chicago - Yesterday's Oral Argument - March 22nd, 2010 [March 22nd, 2010]
- Radicals in Their Own Time: Four Hundred Years of Struggle for Liberty and Equal Justice in America - May 21st, 2010 [May 21st, 2010]
- McDonald v. Chicago decision - October 11th, 2010 [October 11th, 2010]
- OpEd on McDonald v Chicago Case - June/July 2010 - October 11th, 2010 [October 11th, 2010]
- New Blog Format - October 11th, 2010 [October 11th, 2010]
- New Book - Radicals in Their Own Time - February 14th, 2011 [February 14th, 2011]
- Liberty Property Trust Hosts First Quarter 2012 Results Conference Call - March 31st, 2012 [March 31st, 2012]
- Liberty Property Trust Announces First Quarter 2012 Results - April 25th, 2012 [April 25th, 2012]
- Liberty Energy Announces Creation of Advisory Board and Appointment of Its First Member - April 25th, 2012 [April 25th, 2012]
- Liberty Tire Recycling, Keep Atlanta Beautiful and City of Atlanta Tire Commission Join Forces for Large-Scale Tire ... - April 25th, 2012 [April 25th, 2012]
- Liberty Bowl set for afternoon kick New Year's Eve - April 25th, 2012 [April 25th, 2012]
- Liberty Bowl Announces Date and Time - April 25th, 2012 [April 25th, 2012]
- Liberty ship sinking remembered - April 25th, 2012 [April 25th, 2012]
- Liberty Union searching for girls basketball coach - April 25th, 2012 [April 25th, 2012]
- How to Do a Liberty - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- Review: The "Liberty I" Ultra Compact Compound Bow vs. "Razor Edge" and "Slingbow" - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- Heavy Rain in Liberty City: Episode 1 (Grand Theft Auto IV Machinima) - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- Jordan Page "Liberty" (Acoustic Version) - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty - Cinematic Trailer - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- China 9 Liberty 37 - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- Liberty`s Kids: #05 "Midnight Ride" (1/2) - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- Madness - The Liberty of Norton Folgate Live - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- I Pledge to Join Young Americans for Liberty - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- Steve Vai - Liberty - Video - April 30th, 2012 [April 30th, 2012]
- North Liberty fire chief: Email blasting staff was meant to motivate - May 4th, 2012 [May 4th, 2012]
- FCC dismisses Liberty Media request for control of SiriusXM - May 5th, 2012 [May 5th, 2012]
- Liberty FCC Request to Control Sirius XM Radio Rejected - May 5th, 2012 [May 5th, 2012]
- FCC rejects Liberty Media bid for Sirius XM control - May 7th, 2012 [May 7th, 2012]
- Liberty Rocket Targets 2015 - May 10th, 2012 [May 10th, 2012]
- Liberty boosts SiriusXM stake above 45% - May 10th, 2012 [May 10th, 2012]
- One Liberty Properties, Inc. Reports First Quarter 2012 Results - May 10th, 2012 [May 10th, 2012]
- Liberty to boost stake in Sirius XM to 45 pct - May 10th, 2012 [May 10th, 2012]
- ATK Announces Complete Liberty System to Provide Commercial Crew Access - May 10th, 2012 [May 10th, 2012]
- Penn Liberty Wealth Advisors Expands - May 10th, 2012 [May 10th, 2012]
- Romney Woos Evangelicals at Liberty University - May 13th, 2012 [May 13th, 2012]
- Liberty opener moved to MSG due to hockey game - May 13th, 2012 [May 13th, 2012]
- Romney Defends Marriage and Faith in Liberty University Speech - May 13th, 2012 [May 13th, 2012]
- Romney Speaks At Anti-Gay Liberty University Alongside Baptist Billionaire - May 13th, 2012 [May 13th, 2012]
- Liberty Center girls, Archbold boys reign - May 13th, 2012 [May 13th, 2012]
- Romney Courts Christian Conservatives at Liberty U - May 13th, 2012 [May 13th, 2012]