Yuma athlete inks his future on football field, medical career

Andrey Acosta signs letter of intent to Elmhurst University

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - It was a special weekend for Cibola high school's own Andrey Acosta, who signed the bottom line of his letter of intent to continue playing football at the next level.

Acosta, who rose from the surface this past season as the field general for the Raiders, will be headed out to the midwest and play for Elmhurst University in Illinois.

Acosta signed his official letter on Friday afternoon on Cibola's campus and then again in front of a crowd of family and friends at Brewer's on Saturday.

He was joined at the table by former coaches where he addressed everyone, thanking them for their part in his journey thus far.

And it has been quite the journey for the quarterback who transferred from Yuma Catholic to Cibola ahead of his junior season.

Once he arrived at Cibola, his time was limited due to the Covid-shortened season.

Despite the tough stretch, it still paved the way for a breakout senior season in the fall of 2021.

Acosta and several other Raiders led Cibola to a 6-4 year, including sweeping the season series against the other Yuma schools.

Acosta finished the season with a 67% completion percentage, 1,889 yards passing, 220 yards rushing and 22 passing touchdowns.

While football has been Andrey's dream since he began playing, signing to a school gives him the chance to advance his pursuit of being a nurse.

Getting into the medical field is just as important to him as football is.

"As a little kid playing football, growing up, you want to be in college playing the sport you love or possibly going further than college," said Andrey. "In high school I found out what I want to do as far as nursing. Football, I don't want to let that go anytime soon, so it's a way to do both. Set my path to be a nurse and continue to play the sport I love."

His father, David Acosta, has been waiting for this moment and can't wait to see his son move on to the next level.

"It means a lot. We've been planning this since he first started throwing the football," said Acosta. "It's been a long journey and it's been a blessing in the sky."

As for his mother, Alejandra Acosta, she points to how great of a kid he is and why he is going to go far in both football and his career.

"He's always had a good head on his shoulder," said Alejandra. "He's never given us any trouble. He's a good student. I'm confident he's going to achieve many things."