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UCF's Joseph Puopolo eager to inspire others as he wraps up his career

For Joseph Puopolo, the dream of playing college football began and ended with UCF.

From his days as a 10th-grader at Barron Collier High in Naples, Puopolo envisioned himself one day playing football for the Knights. Even when he wasn't a highly-sought after recruit, he still wanted to play football at UCF.

The determination helped him eventually earn a spot as a walk-on with the team. A moment that now seems a lifetime ago is still fresh in his mind as he prepares to wrap up his college career in the coming weeks.

"I remember trying out for the team and the process of it and how hard it was," Puopolo recalled this week as UCF (0-10, 0-6 in American Athletic Conference) gets set to take on East Carolina (4-6, 2-4) Thursday night at Bright House Networks Stadium.