Major: Exercise and Sports Science
Hometown: Salinas, CA
Career Highlights: Four-time letter winner for Men's Soccer; 2010 Dean's List
Biography: Vera played soccer for your years on the Hilltop from 2010-2013. He was a walk-on who played on the varsity, and also played club soccer on the Hilltop.
Why Vera Chose USF: “I always wanted to become a professional soccer player since I was in elementary school, and my club soccer coach made sure I got the experience I needed to compete at the university level. He attended USF, and he set up a meeting with the coaches a few months before I started at USF. USF also offered me the best financial aid packet, and that tremendously influenced my decision towards attending USF.”
Favorite USF Memories: “I walked on to the team with only academic scholarships and no athletic scholarships, and I red shirted my first semester during the 2010 Fall season. At the beginning of the spring season I joined the USF club soccer team that also traveled, where I was a starter on that team. With the club team, I remember playing UC Merced, Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, UC Berkeley, and other universities. I returned to playing with the varsity team during the 2013 spring season, and my love for the sport just kept me going. During the bus rides and airplane rides, I took the time to study towards a BS Degree in Exercise and Sports Science, but I couldn't pass my Chemistry classes with a C or better. As a result, I had to settle for a BA degree in Exercise and Sports Science and a minor in Health Studies. It was a lot of fun, and I would do it again.”
The USF Student-Athlete Experience: “Being mentally and physically healthy and exercising to stay physically fit 24/7 for four and a half years was the best. I loved the workouts.”
Life After USF: Vera is currently an online student from the California Institute of Arts and Technology, and is studying Information Technology and Cyber Security. He worked for a short time at a general labor job as a broccoli dumper where he dumped tons of broccoli daily for seven months. He currently lives at home with his mother, family and a few pets in Salinas, California. Gerardo Tapia Vera continues to study and practice exercise and sports science, and encourages fellow Dons to reach out.
