Joe Theismann returns to South River on homecoming
Andy Mendlowitz
@andy_mendlowitz
SOUTH RIVER - Every step or two, Joe Theismann got stopped.
Someone knew his sister. Another remembered a specific play. The elementary school kids heard stories from their parents. Sharpies came out and so did the memories.
Before Theismann was a Notre Dame star and a Super Bowl-winning quarterback, he honed his gridiron craft at South River High School. Saturday, he returned for the first time in decades to attend his alma mater's game against Highland Park for homecoming, which celebrated the 50th anniversary of his 1967 graduating class.
"It's great to be back home," said Theismann, who turned 68 last month. "It's amazing, nothing's changed. The baseball diamond's located in the same place. The field's the same place. The additions to the high school are nice — the middle school and stuff there."
He paused for a second.
"You know, I'm still looking at Campbell School," Theismann continued. "I used to play stickball right against that wall over there when I was a kid growing up. So I remember so many things. Great memories. Fond memories."
Here, he's just Joe, the guy who grew up on Arlington Avenue off Old Bridge Turnpike, a few first downs from the high school.
"I lived basically a block and a half from here," he said while stopping for a brief interview. "So if my mother ever wondered where I was, all she had to do was wander up here and find me."
Theismann joked with his friends and addressed the current squad at halftime. South River coach Rich Marchesi said his talk covered having a good work ethic.
As Theismann strolled back across the football field from the locker room to the bleachers, looking like a star quarterback with thick hair, tanned and sporting sunglasses, he was stopped for autographs and pictures and chatter. Then more autographs and pictures and chatter.
And he obliged everyone.
He stood near the row of signs with the school's retired numbers against a fence. They were all big-time college or pro players. Theismann's right up there. He quarterbacked the Washington Redskins from 1974 to 1985, winning Super Bowl XVII in 1983 and losing Super Bowl XVIII in 1984. His awards include earning the NFL MVP in 1983 and entry into the College Football Hall of Fame for his exploits at Notre Dame.
"It's just amazing," said Theismann, thinking how his career turned out. "Elmer Stout. Alex Wojciechowicz. My mother went to school with Alex. And of course, Drew (Pearson) and Kenny (Jackson). It's just amazing. You have dreams. I think when you're a little kid, you have dreams. You emulate a professional football player. I wanted to be Joe Namath. I wanted to be Johnny Unitas. I wanted to be Bart Starr. And as time went on, and as time would have it, I was lucky enough to be able to meet those men and call them friends."
Last October, Pearson, a former NFL All-pro, returned to South River for homecoming. Now, it was Theismann's turn and he saw the current South River resurgence continue after a couple rebuilding seasons with a 49-20 win over Highland Park.
Just like an Alex Wojciechowicz might have come back after playing for the famed Fordham teams of the 1930s and in the NFL during the 1940s. Or, Elmer Stout after he was an All-America at Army in 1950.
"It means a lot to the people," Marchesi said. "It means a lot to the town. You got to remember what's come before you and kind of keep that foundation. ... There's a video history of South River football. And Joe's on it. Drew's on it. These kids got to know what came before them. Why we're talking about tradition and why we're talking about what we're talking about. That groundwork was laid in the '30s and passed on, passed on. That's what I'm doing. I'm trying to pass it on to these younger kids."
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The 2017 South River names include Thomas and DeSantis and Drum and Outlaw Jr. Saturday, the Rams played another tradition-rich program in Highland Park, which is facing low numbers this season. South River (6-0) jumped to a 35-0 lead in the first quarter and Marchesi put in reserve players the rest of the way.
Quarterback Mike DeSantis and receiver/defensive back Travis Thomas each accounted for two scores. DeSantis threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Thomas that opened the scoring early in the first quarter.
DeSantis also had a 44-yard touchdown scamper and Thomas had a 27-yard interception return for a score. Terry Outlaw Jr. added a 41-yard punt return for a touchdown and Billy Drum scored on a 39-yard run, Trenton Balitsky on a 47-yard scamper and Tarrio Kelly on a 29-yard run.
In the third quarter, as Theismann worked his way to the stands, someone handed him a maroon shirt that said, "Once A Ram, Always A Ram. SRHS Alumni."
He proudly held it up.
"It's wonderful to be a part of a tradition," Theismann said. "And I think we have a great tradition here at South River High School."