He came to Lipscomb from Little Rock, Arkansas, and he has made Nashville home. He was a soccer player who married a soccer player, and now Andrew “Drew” Longinotti is an RN in a Level II Trauma ICU. We found out how he won over his wife, who his favorite instructors were, why he is grateful for his Lipscomb experience, and much more when he sat down this week with LipscombSports.com.
What years did you compete for Lipscomb?
I played soccer from 2008-2012. Our head coach was Charles Morrow, and his assistant was Kevin Burk.
What teammate was most memorable?
Several stand out to me, but the first is Andrew Chamberlain. We started at Lipscomb together in 2008, along with a large recruiting class of about 30. Although we didn’t really run in the same circles our freshman year, we became close after that. Now we find ourselves years removed from that team, but he is the friend I speak to each week and the teammate I enjoy the closest bond with.
What degrees have you earned?
I received my B.S. in Exercise Science from Lipscomb in 2012, and I went to Columbia State a few years later and earned an associate’s degree in Nursing.
Why did you attend Lipscomb?
Travel soccer was big in my area of Little Rock, and my Dad was our team manager. He arranged for several of my teammates and me to come to Nashville for Lipscomb’s I.D. Camp the summer of my junior year in high school. I had a good enough camp that Charles and Kevin began recruiting me. I really liked Nashville – it felt slightly larger and a little more fun than Little Rock – so Lipscomb seemed like a good fit for me.
What is your favorite athletic memory at Lipscomb?
Since we were both soccer players, I consider my favorite athletic memory to be meeting my wife, Andie.
Beyond that, traveling together and spending time with my teammates is my strongest memory. I came from an all-boys Catholic school, so I learned the value of brotherhood in high school. Even today when a bunch of teammates get together, we talk about things that happened in the airport or on the bus or on campus, not the games or the wins.
Who influenced your athletic career at Lipscomb?
Our assistant coach, Kevin Burk, was a pretty big influence on me. He was a young guy, real competitive, who had just finished playing professional soccer. He was still in great shape, so he went through all the fitness tests with us and played with us all the time. His greatest influence on me, though, was the fact that he introduced me to coaching. Thanks to him, I coached travel soccer for seven years before I became a nurse, and I really enjoyed it. I’ll always appreciate his encouragement and interest in me.
What do you remember about Lipscomb campus life during your time here?
I was a sophomore, sitting with my teammates in the Training Room in Allen Arena after practice, when this beautiful freshman girl walked through. Her legs were completely wrapped in ice, and she was kind of waddling through, so I jumped out of the cold tub and used some of my best lines on her – making fun of the way she was walking with her knees wrapped in ice. Somehow the stars aligned, and Andie and I have been together ever since.
On our first date, I took her to Chili’s, a restaurant I found out later was not her favorite, and then we went to a hill in town with a nice view of the Nashville skyline. We talked for hours – so long, in fact, that I got her in trouble for getting her back to the dorm late. In my view, it was a good date.
I am one of those who came to Lipscomb from a completely different background. I grew up in private Christian schools pretty much my whole life – I went to a Lutheran school through the 8th grade, and a Catholic high school – but I had never heard anything about the Church of Christ. It was new to me. I remember walking into my first Chapel service and everybody started singing acappella, and my jaw dropped – it sounded great. I really enjoyed my time at Lipscomb, and to be honest, coming out of high school I probably wasn’t in a great place, so it was good for me. In addition to that, I met Andie, and we started going to worship together at Ethos. It really created a 180-degree turn in my life and my journey with Jesus. I really have positive feelings about Lipscomb and the difference it made in my life.
What is the most valuable lesson you learned in your time at Lipscomb?
If anything, up until I got to Lipscomb I had no interest in putting Jesus first in my life. I came to school to play soccer. That’s what interested me. But as I look back at it now, the soccer and other things I valued weren’t important. What was important was the fact that I was in an environment that made me take Bible classes, made me do service, made me go to Chapel, let me meet my wife, and helped me get involved in a great community at Ethos. My expectations coming in were completely different from what God had planned for me, and I’m thankful. His plan was better than mine.
Who were your favorite professors & why?
I remember Dr. Phil Choate as a brilliant instructor who probably helped me realize I could make the medical profession a career – not that I did very well in Anatomy & Physiology class, unfortunately. Another I really enjoyed was Earl Lavender. I took every Bible class he taught because, honestly, I could sit and listen to that man speak for hours. He was so knowledgeable, and he had a big impact on me while I was there.
What do you do now?
I’m a registered nurse at Skyline Medical Center in Nashville, and I work in the Trauma ICU, a Level II trauma center.
Tell us about your family:
I’ve already mentioned my wife, Andie – we live here, in Nashville, and her parents live with us. My side of our family is still in Arkansas. My parents are doing well in Little Rock, and my older brother works for a bank and lives just north of them in Batesville.
FAST FINISH: (please answer as many or as few of the following as you wish)
- Favorite food: Sushi
- Favorite TV show or movie: The Gladiator
- Favorite Bible scripture: John 21: 18-19 – “Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, “Follow me!”
- Favorite sports team: Arkansas Razorbacks in football and basketball
- Pet peeve: I don’t like carrying things (I’m a terrible shopper)
- Person I most admire: My Dad, Steve
- Rather ride or drive? Drive
- Pick one – salad or dessert: Dessert
- Dream vacation spot: Bora Bora
- Early morning or late night person? Late night
You can reach Andrew by email at andrewlonginotti@gmail.com.
