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Princeton University Athletics
Kai Colon
Remaining Patient: Kai Colón '26
November 05, 2025 | Football
By Craig Sachson
PrincetonTigersFootball.com
Work hard. Stay patient. Good things will come your way.
Those weren't just words to Kai Colón. They provided a roadmap to a senior season he always believed could happen, even if he was never sure it ever would.
They came from his father Ali, a former Division III quarterback who trained Kai in all facets of quarterback play, both on and off the field. His mother Cheryl pushed work ethic as well, though her focus was more inside the classroom. It's no surprise that Colón never dropped his head when upperclassmen or injuries kept him off the field.
He worked. He remained patient. Good things are coming his way right now, and he is making the most of it.
• • •
Colón, along with his two siblings, grew up in Middletown, N.Y., where he put together an all-state resumé on the football field. He spent some time at Paramus Catholic to become more visible on the recruiting trail, and it was there he caught the attention of former Tiger assistant and current Marist head coach Mike Willis.
Other Ivy League and Patriot League schools also took notice, but the relationship between Colón and Princeton had grown strong. He didn't waste time committing to a Tiger program that had won four Ivy League titles over the span of a decade, even though he knew he was joining a locker room loaded with talent, including a transfer quarterback in Blake Stenstrom.
Colón was eager to pick up winning traits from Stenstrom, who started both the 2022 and 2023 seasons for Princeton. After all, he spent a lifetime learning the position from another quarterback.
"Besides the mechanics and all that, my dad taught me how to be a leader," Colón said. "He taught me how to carry myself throughout the game, and always staying calm and confident. He always preached body language to me. I wanted to be like my dad and throw around the football. And I was always pretty good at it, so that helped."
He studied the Princeton offense in great detail, and he picked up tips from Stenstrom about coverage recognition and the need to understand every bit of the playbook. He worked hard, knowing he would be in an open competition entering his junior season. He stayed patient. It was time for the good thing to come his way.
Instead, it was a poorly timed injury.
• • •
Colón remembers how painful it was to stand on the sideline and watch the 2024 season unfold the way it did. He competed with classmate and friend Blaine Hipa for the starting job in the preseason, but Colón suffered a strained oblique with only days remaining in the preseason. The injury cost him a few weeks, and he never quite found both his rhythm and full health until the season was near completion.
"It's difficult to be on the sidelines and watch when you thought this was going to be your time," he said. "I just continued to work hard, remained patient and did my best each day in practice so that if my opportunity did come, I'd be ready to go."
He may have dealt with the disappointment during some long phone calls home, but he never allowed it to affect his demeanor as a teammate. He knows it came from the work ethic and mentality instilled from his parents, and it served him well enough that he found himself back in a quarterback competition entering his senior season.
Work hard. Stay patient.
This time, the good thing happened.
• • •
Colón and Hipa entered the 2025 season ready to split snaps at the quarterback position. They also entered as co-captains, along with standout defensive players Marco Scarano and Nasir Hill. Hipa, Scarano and Hill were full-time starters already, while Colón had only made a brief appearance in one game last season. Still, when his teammates chose their leaders for the 2025 season, they showed faith in Colón.
Colón got the first series in the opener against San Diego, and he can vividly recall the 18-yard completion to Joey Wassler on third-and-13 that reinforced his belief that he belonged on the field.
"As soon as I hit that pass, I know I was good to go," Colón said. "I'm in it now. Let's go play football and try to win this game."
Colón completed 12 passes that day, then averaged 10 completions over the next two games. But head coach Bob Surace was seeing everything he wanted from Colón over the first month.
"Kai Colón has done an excellent job for us." Surace said. "He has all the qualities we want in a quarterback. He is always prepared, which helps him be near-perfect as a decision maker. His accuracy is outstanding and it's clear why his teammates selected him to lead the team. He has such a great attitude and energy."
Surace's increased trust in Colón has been evident over recent Saturdays. Through the first four games of 2025, he averaged 19 pass attempts per game. Over the last three weeks, that total has risen to 30.7 attempts, and he has thrown for more than 210 yards in each game.
"I'm getting into more of a flow and feeling it out a bit more now," Colón said. "I am seeing the defenses and understanding what is happening more. The game has slowed down a bit."
He has also found an unexpected connection in Josh Robinson, a four-time Ivy League Rookie of the Week at the wide receiver position. The duo came up with key plays in back-to-back Ivy League wins over Columbia and Brown, and they connected for another touchdown last weekend at Cornell (though Robinson did a bit more of the heavy lifting on that play).
"He'll get open, and then he has such a crazy catch radius that he is going to find a way to come down with any pass," Colón said. "It's definitely special having a receiver like that, and he's such a great kid."
The joy in Colón's voice makes it obvious that he has appreciated every moment of the season. The competitor in him wants to win every game, but he has dealt with the realities of both watching the game and playing the game. He'll choose playing every time.
"Being grateful is something I have taken to heart this year," Colón said. "When we win, it's the best thing ever, because I'm doing it with my friends. When we don't, I still remind myself that I get to play football. For all the ups and downs, I'd been a fun ride, and I'm having a great time."
He should be. He worked hard. He stayed patient. The good thing came, and Colón is enjoying every moment of it.
PrincetonTigersFootball.com
Work hard. Stay patient. Good things will come your way.
Those weren't just words to Kai Colón. They provided a roadmap to a senior season he always believed could happen, even if he was never sure it ever would.
They came from his father Ali, a former Division III quarterback who trained Kai in all facets of quarterback play, both on and off the field. His mother Cheryl pushed work ethic as well, though her focus was more inside the classroom. It's no surprise that Colón never dropped his head when upperclassmen or injuries kept him off the field.
He worked. He remained patient. Good things are coming his way right now, and he is making the most of it.
• • •
Colón, along with his two siblings, grew up in Middletown, N.Y., where he put together an all-state resumé on the football field. He spent some time at Paramus Catholic to become more visible on the recruiting trail, and it was there he caught the attention of former Tiger assistant and current Marist head coach Mike Willis.
Other Ivy League and Patriot League schools also took notice, but the relationship between Colón and Princeton had grown strong. He didn't waste time committing to a Tiger program that had won four Ivy League titles over the span of a decade, even though he knew he was joining a locker room loaded with talent, including a transfer quarterback in Blake Stenstrom.
Colón was eager to pick up winning traits from Stenstrom, who started both the 2022 and 2023 seasons for Princeton. After all, he spent a lifetime learning the position from another quarterback.
"Besides the mechanics and all that, my dad taught me how to be a leader," Colón said. "He taught me how to carry myself throughout the game, and always staying calm and confident. He always preached body language to me. I wanted to be like my dad and throw around the football. And I was always pretty good at it, so that helped."
He studied the Princeton offense in great detail, and he picked up tips from Stenstrom about coverage recognition and the need to understand every bit of the playbook. He worked hard, knowing he would be in an open competition entering his junior season. He stayed patient. It was time for the good thing to come his way.
Instead, it was a poorly timed injury.
• • •
Colón remembers how painful it was to stand on the sideline and watch the 2024 season unfold the way it did. He competed with classmate and friend Blaine Hipa for the starting job in the preseason, but Colón suffered a strained oblique with only days remaining in the preseason. The injury cost him a few weeks, and he never quite found both his rhythm and full health until the season was near completion.
"It's difficult to be on the sidelines and watch when you thought this was going to be your time," he said. "I just continued to work hard, remained patient and did my best each day in practice so that if my opportunity did come, I'd be ready to go."
He may have dealt with the disappointment during some long phone calls home, but he never allowed it to affect his demeanor as a teammate. He knows it came from the work ethic and mentality instilled from his parents, and it served him well enough that he found himself back in a quarterback competition entering his senior season.
Work hard. Stay patient.
This time, the good thing happened.
• • •
Colón and Hipa entered the 2025 season ready to split snaps at the quarterback position. They also entered as co-captains, along with standout defensive players Marco Scarano and Nasir Hill. Hipa, Scarano and Hill were full-time starters already, while Colón had only made a brief appearance in one game last season. Still, when his teammates chose their leaders for the 2025 season, they showed faith in Colón.
Colón got the first series in the opener against San Diego, and he can vividly recall the 18-yard completion to Joey Wassler on third-and-13 that reinforced his belief that he belonged on the field.
"As soon as I hit that pass, I know I was good to go," Colón said. "I'm in it now. Let's go play football and try to win this game."
Colón completed 12 passes that day, then averaged 10 completions over the next two games. But head coach Bob Surace was seeing everything he wanted from Colón over the first month.
"Kai Colón has done an excellent job for us." Surace said. "He has all the qualities we want in a quarterback. He is always prepared, which helps him be near-perfect as a decision maker. His accuracy is outstanding and it's clear why his teammates selected him to lead the team. He has such a great attitude and energy."
Surace's increased trust in Colón has been evident over recent Saturdays. Through the first four games of 2025, he averaged 19 pass attempts per game. Over the last three weeks, that total has risen to 30.7 attempts, and he has thrown for more than 210 yards in each game.
"I'm getting into more of a flow and feeling it out a bit more now," Colón said. "I am seeing the defenses and understanding what is happening more. The game has slowed down a bit."
He has also found an unexpected connection in Josh Robinson, a four-time Ivy League Rookie of the Week at the wide receiver position. The duo came up with key plays in back-to-back Ivy League wins over Columbia and Brown, and they connected for another touchdown last weekend at Cornell (though Robinson did a bit more of the heavy lifting on that play).
"He'll get open, and then he has such a crazy catch radius that he is going to find a way to come down with any pass," Colón said. "It's definitely special having a receiver like that, and he's such a great kid."
The joy in Colón's voice makes it obvious that he has appreciated every moment of the season. The competitor in him wants to win every game, but he has dealt with the realities of both watching the game and playing the game. He'll choose playing every time.
"Being grateful is something I have taken to heart this year," Colón said. "When we win, it's the best thing ever, because I'm doing it with my friends. When we don't, I still remind myself that I get to play football. For all the ups and downs, I'd been a fun ride, and I'm having a great time."
He should be. He worked hard. He stayed patient. The good thing came, and Colón is enjoying every moment of it.
Players Mentioned
DB
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QB
/ Football
WR
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LB
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TE
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