Long Island's Nick Karika participates in Jets rookie minicamp, calls it a 'dream come true'

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Nick Karika went from being a running quarterback in high school to trying to chase them down in college.

The St. James native is now a defensive tackle, a position he had to grow into — literally. The 6-3 Karika was 205 pounds when he graduated from Smithtown East High School in 2021. He now weighs 300 pounds.

Karika’s goal now is to make an impression on the Jets. He is one of the players trying out at the Jets' two-day rookie minicamp this weekend.

“I'm hoping to show that I belong because I think I truly believe I belong here, and I deserve a shot,” Karika told Newsday after Friday’s practice.

Karika’s football journey is a unique one to say the least.

He played quarterback and cornerback most of his time at Smithtown East. Karika became a full-time quarterback as a senior. He loved it and said to himself, “I'm so glad I don't have to play defense ever again in my life.”

Karika was thrown a curveball, though.

He committed to walk on at Wagner University as a quarterback. Karika said a couple months before getting there, he was told the best chance for him to play was to switch to outside linebacker/defensive end. That would require bulking up and gaining weight.

“I love football,” Karika said. “So I was like, ‘Sure, why not? Let's do it.' Then when I got there, I kept putting more weight on.”

Then the Wagner coaches told him they planned to play him on the interior defensive line. No problem, Karika thought.

“I kept putting more weight on,” he said.

Karika eventually transferred to Delaware, where he bulked up even more and played nose tackle.

"Just to play football and get on the field, that was the sort of thing I had to do,” Karika said. “It wasn't a fun experience, but it was just something if I wanted to play football, it's something I had to do.

“I was always into lifting and stuff. My dad's a personal trainer, so that helps. Just hitting the gym hard and eating a lot, I put on weight.”

Steve Costello, who was the head coach when Karika played at Smithtown East, could never have imagined how Karika would transform himself physically and as a player.

Costello said Karika was always one of the strongest kids in the weight room and one of the fastest on the field. Costello could still see Karika’s athleticism when he watched Delaware games.

“He was always a strong quarterback, but he just became super strong,” Costello told Newsday. “He turned into a monster. Watching him at Delaware, I was like, ‘Holy geez, this kid was a quarterback for me.’

“You still see the athleticism that he has. But now he's 300 pounds.”

Karika appeared only in seven games in two years at Wagner and totaled four tackles. He said Wagner “wasn’t a good fit.” Karika was far more impactful and happy after transferring to Delaware.

He had 27 tackles, including seven for loss, three sacks and two forced fumbles in three seasons for the Blue Hens. He was a walk-on there as well and eventually received a scholarship as a defensive tackle.

“Delaware's awesome. That changed my college experiences for sure,” Karika said. “The coaching staff there and I would say the whole vibe of school is just like, they actually cared, they cared about me.

“They put a lot of effort into me. All the coaches, even though I walked on to Delaware also in the portal, and the coaches there really gave me a shot. They didn't treat me as a walk-on and eventually I earned a scholarship there.”

Karika wants his football life to continue.

Jets coach Aaron Glenn said during this camp “sometimes you’ll find a diamond in the rough, maybe two.” Glenn said they’re looking for players who demonstrate that they can follow what’s being taught and put those techniques to use.

Karika, a Giants fan growing up who went to a lot of Jets games with friends, noted that everything is at a different level than in college and he’s looking to make the most of this opportunity.

“It's a dream come true because I went to Jets games when I was little,” Karika said. “Just being here and just being in the building around the guys, it's a really cool, cool experience.”

By Al Iannazzone

al.iannazzone@newsday.comAl_Iannazzone

Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.