For Sean Lavine and his father, Mark, football is life. And life is football. The game has created a deep bond between them.

Sean Lavine began his pigskin path on the sidelines with his father at the age of six, and the duo continued to be immersed in the game. The elder Lavine — a Tamaqua standout — played cornerback at King’s College and graduated in 1994, and his son later followed in his footsteps.

From the beginning, it has a ride between the two that has certainly shown plenty of signs of a football connection meant to be.

“I was always around football from a young age,” recalled Sean. “I was a water boy for a majority of my dad’s teams growing up, so that got me involved the most. Then as I grew up I began to start playing football and fell in love with it from there.”

His father, who is the current head football coach at Panther Valley, had a familiar young presence at his side.

“Sean has been around football his whole life,” noted the elder Lavine. “He was on the sideline with me (when I was an assistant at Northern Lehigh) since he was six or seven.”

The younger Lavine graduated in the spring of 2024 from King’s University, but he was able to participate for a fifth year of football this past fall by working toward a master’s degree. Lavine lost the 2020 freshman season due to COVID.

This past season, Lavine played in all 12 games as a defensive end for the Monarchs, recording 16 tackles, two sacks, and a fumble recovery. For his career, Lavine recorded 48 tackles and 6.5 sacks.

At the end of this past season at King’s, Sean experienced a surreal moment with his father, one that occurred on the same date five years ago.

“I have two memories that are five years apart to the day,” noted Sean. “At Tamaqua, we won the district championship my senior year, and my dad and I have a picture of us hugging once the game was over.

“Then at King’s, we won the MAC championship my graduate year, and we were able to take a picture after that as well. It was truly just a great representation of growth, and I wouldn’t have been there if it wasn’t for my parents.”

It was one example of many along their road of devotion and dedication to each other.

“My dad has been a huge influence on my football career,” stated Sean. “He really wanted me to play multiple sports more than anything growing up. I wrestled, and played baseball when I was young and then began football in junior high.

“Once I started football, he wasn’t only a great mentor, but a great dad as well. He stopped coaching once I reached high school in order to watch me play, and that meant the world to me. He then took a spot coaching defensive backs and quarterbacks my junior and senior year, and it was awesome for him to be a part of our state playoff run.”

Sean cherished the brief time on the Tamaqua sidelines with his father.

“It was awesome having my dad on the Tamaqua staff my final two years of high school,” he boasted. “Not only was I able to share a lot of memories with him, but he also was able to bring a lot of his insight and knowledge to our team as a whole, which benefited us in the long run.”

Through the years, Tamaqua head coach Sam Bonner saw Lavine’s steady stream of determination and grit.

“Sean started for me as a 155-pound sophomore center,” recollected Bonner. “He worked hard and was a consistent anchor on the offensive line that took us to the Eastern final. Sean also stepped in to start at defensive end his senior year and became a big part of the defense.

“I had the opportunity to see him play this year for King’s, and it was amazing to see how he grew as a football player. It’s awesome to see the success he and his team had.”

Aside from his father, the younger Lavine hasn’t forgotten about his other major source of motivation and support.

“Although my dad was more involved with the football side of it, my mom (Jennifer) was there every step of the way,” stressed Sean. “She was always there to pick me up from practices, drive to games that were hours away, and also make sure that I ate more than enough to ensure that I maintained my weight during the season. Those things don’t go unnoticed and I am truly grateful for her.”

Experiencing success in his youth and middle school levels, Sean expected more challenges ahead in high school.

“Although we were a good team in middle school, it was a little more difficult making the transition to high school football,” remembered the younger Lavine. “Once I was able to hit the weight room the right way and understand football more as a whole, it made it a lot easier. Once I became a starter my sophomore year, I was able to become more confident as time went on.

“Coach Bonner was a great mentor during my high school years. Not only was he a great coach, but he also was great at getting young guys invested in the weight room aspect of football. Learning how to lift the right way played a huge role in our team’s success moving forward and also my football career as a whole.”

His father watched him work diligently to reach another level in high school and college.

“He has come a long way,” emphasized coach Lavine about his son. “He didn’t play defense until halfway through his senior year, being a three-year starter at center. Sean was undersized going into college. He lost his freshman year due to COVID, which led to him eventually getting a fifth year of eligibility. He worked really hard in the weight room and put on weight.

“It paid off as a two-year starter at King’s.”

The older Lavine has appreciated all of his son’s accomplishments and opportunities, matriculating down the field of football and life.

“He has been fortunate to play on some really good teams with really good players and coaches through his career,” his father reflected. “He was a part of Tamaqua’s first knee-high championship as a sixth grader.

“Sean was a part of the 2019 Tamaqua District 11 championship and run to the Eastern finals. He then got to finish his career with a MAC championship at King’s, an NCAA playoff win, and part of the most wins in school history. He really enjoyed a great career.”

The younger Lavine will continue on the graduate track to complete the remaining 15 of his 21 credits. He plans on being a graduate assistant football coach next season, helping to become a teacher and high school coach in the future.

Along with Lavine, his former coach envisions the same future.

“I’m sure he’s going to make a great teacher and coach if that is the path he decides on,” beamed Bonner.

With a football life in the forefront for the Lavines, it will be like father, like son.

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FAST FELLIN ... Marian graduate Michael Fellin earned PSAC Men’s Indoor Track Athlete of the Week honors after running an NCAA provisional time of 6.73 to win the 60m and improve upon his school record in the event at the Widener Indoor Classic Saturday. The time is tied for fastest in the PSAC this season with Slippery Rock’s Kanye Thompson. He also had a 21.93 in the 200m, which ranks fourth in the conference and placed third overall out of 51 competitors.

College Corner highlights local athletes who are playing in college and appears periodically. Please submit any potential candidates to tnsports@tnonline.com.