In this day and age, two-sport athletes at the Naval Academy are hard to find, especially one as successful as Nathan Kent ‘26. It likely has to do with sport specialization in the current era of high school sports. Most young athletes have to focus on one sport just to be recruited for college athletics, let alone be offered admissions support or an athletic scholarship. Navy has had its fair share of famous multi-sport athletes; like Roger Staubach ‘65, Joe Bellino ‘61, and Pat Donnelly ‘65, all of whom played two sports at an All-American level. That is rare today, until you get a special athlete like Nathan Kent.
Nathan knew he wanted to compete in both football and track at the collegiate level and he received many offers to play both at some of the top universities in the country. At Navy, both Coach Brian Newberry (football) and Coach Jaime Cook (track & field) recruited Nathan and thought he could be a standout for their respective teams. They agreed to let Nathan compete in both arenas, and he has definitely flourished in each.
As a track athlete, Nathan was one of four men from the Navy track & field team to attend the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Ore. Nathan made it to the semifinals of the 400m, where he was narrowly nudged out for a spot in the Olympic Trials final. Currently, Nathan holds four Navy school records (100m outdoor, 400m outdoor, and both indoor and outdoor 4x400m relays). “Being able to set the school record in the 400m at the U.S. Olympic Trials and then beating my own record in the following round was truly something special,” Kent explained as one of his most memorable experiences on the track. “But the 4x400m relay will always be my favorite race in track and with my teammates I have at Navy, it makes the race so much more special.”
As a football wide receiver, Nathan averaged 22 yards per catch this season, scored two touchdowns, and helped Navy beat Army for the first time since 2021. CBS Sports filmed a spotlight video about Nathan Kent for the Army-Navy Football game. Nathan has earned five stars for his “N” letter sweater and has a chance to win two more by the end of his junior year, as he prepares for the indoor and outdoor track seasons.
Nathan will quickly tell you Navy has other two-sport athletes on the Yard. Recently, Xavier Arline ‘24 played both football and lacrosse and, currently, Nathan’s football teammate Rayne Fry ‘27 (Long Snapper) is also a pitcher for Navy baseball. “Although it is definitely possible, what makes being a two-sport athlete at the academy difficult is the time aspect,” said Kent. “Therefore, we have to prioritize the season that we are in and be willing to give 100% when it is time to compete and train.”
Nathan is majoring in Foreign Area Studies, focusing in Middle East history, with a minor in Arabic. He is still deciding on his service assignment career path.
