Hopatcong's Martinek, Pope John's Tucker rub shoulders with college football greats

BY STEVE TOBER
SPECIAL TO THE DAILY RECORD

NEW YORK -- Pope John's Jeremy Tucker could turn his head and look at the table right in back of him where former Heisman Trophy winners stood.

Howard "Hopalong" Cassady (running back, Ohio State, 1955), John David Crow (RB, Texas A&M, 1957), Steve Owens (RB, Oklahoma, 1969), Johnny Lattner (RB, Notre Dame, 1953) and Steve Spurrier (quarterback, Florida, 1966)) were all sipping coffee and enjoying their Heisman Breakfast.

For the Tri-State (New Jersey, New York and Connecticut) stars feted at Monday's annual Heisman High School All-Star Breakfast, hosted by Madison Square Garden Network's Mike Quick at the New York Hilton, the aura of the room just resonated with college football history.

Tucker, the speedy Lions running back, and Hopatcong's record-setting Joe Martinek, the Rutgers-bound tailback/linebacker, were two of the 23 Heisman High School All-Stars honored from the Tri-State area, including 14 from the Garden State.

"It's an honor just to be here," said Tucker, who ran for 2,541 yards and scored 206 points this past fall for 9-1 Pope John. "To see Troy Smith, who is such a great quarterback at Ohio State, and so many other guys, who won the Heisman many years ago, all here at the same time, is just incredible.

"Plus, being here with Coach (Vic) Paternostro, who has been honored at this breakfast in the past, is an added thrill."

Patersnostro, a former Heisman Breakfast "Legends of Coaching" honoree, and Tucker were joined at their table by two other active 300-win coaches from New Jersey in New Providence's Frank Bottone and North Bergen's Vinnie Ascolese.

"Vic Paternostro has coached some simply great backs at Pope John through the years and Jeremy is right up there with the best of them," said Bottone, another "Legends of Coaching" past recipient, whose grandson, Ryan Pepe, was once in the Lions' backfield.

Martinek was joined at his table by both his parents and coach, Paul Reduzzi.

"I grew up watching Steve Spurrier and he was one of the players I really looked up to,"Martinek said. "Last year, when I was a (Heisman) player of the week, I sat at a table right next to his and that was tremendous.

"Being here in this room, with all the past Heisman winners, is simply an eye opener and you appreciate even more how great this game is."

Reduzzi, like his star player, was wide-eyed with all the legendary names in the room for the Heisman Breakfast.

"Before I came last year with Joe when he was a weekly winner, I'd never been here for the breakfast, and it's great to be back and see past Heisman winners who still return so many years after they received the award," said the Chiefs' head coach.

Among the other former Heisman winners in the Hilton banquet room for Monday's breakfast were RB John Cappelletti (Penn State, 1973), RB Mike Rozier (Nebraska, 1983), QB Ty Detmer (Brigham Young, 1990) and QB Danny Wuerffel (Florida, 1996). The Hopatcong coach was also thrilled to be sitting at one more awards gathering with one of New Jersey's all-time greats.

Martinek, a straight A student, is New Jersey's all-time leading rusher with 7.589 yards.

The New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year rushed for 2,079 yards and 27 touchdowns this past season when the Chiefs (9-2) were upset by Pascack Valley in the playoff semifinals.

"I've worked with a lot of tough and hard-nosed kids at both Belvidere and Hopatcong during my coaching career, but I've never had an athlete with as much talent as Joe,"Reduzzi said. "We're all looking forward to him having a great career at Rutgers."

Sitting not too far from Martinek and Reduzzi was Rutgers coach Greg Schiano, whose 10-2 Scarlet Knights are headed to the Texas Bowl and are continuing to gather in some of the best high school players in the Garden State for 2007.

Speculation on where Matinek may wind up playing at the next level -- either on offense at running back or on defense at linebacker or in the secondary -- is still apparently undecided.

"They've (the Rutgers coaches) have told me that anything can happen going into training camp, and to just stay in shape and keep working on getting stronger," said the 6-foot, 200-pound Martinek. "I can't wait to get down there in June and July to start getting ready for next season.

"They can use me anywhere they need me. I just want to be part of what they're doing there."

Reduzzi does not buy into the preconceptions by some that Martinek is destined to be used solely on the defensive side of the ball in Piscataway.

"There is an understanding that he's an 'athlete' and Greg (Schiano) is going to put him in the best position to be out on the field as soon as possible," Reduzzi said. "If that's in the secondary or at running back, as long as Joe gets an opportunity to play somewhere that's a benefit to the program and to him, that's what matters."

Reduzzi, who guided Hopatcong's football resurgence during the Martinek era, including the 2005 North 1, Group 2 title, indicated that he is considering other possibilities and did not refute the speculation that he may not be back with the Chiefs in 2007.

"There are some opportunities out there that have been presented and I'm going to have to take a look at those,"he said. "I'm going to talk about some things with the kids (Tuesday)."

Martinek said he believes that whatever happens with his high school coach the Hopatcong program should remain in solid shape.

"We set the foundation and the new kids know how to win," he said. "They're getting into the weight room ready to work and I feel they can be good for years to come."

Meanwhile, Tucker's college prospects keep getting more intriguing by the day.

As far as his potential official college visits at this point, Pope John's 5-foot-9, 180-pound standout listed Wake Forest, the University of Connecticut, Boston College and Temple as four of the possible destinations he'll be headed to for a look-see in the coming weeks.

"I was down to Maryland to see my brother (Jyles) play for Wake and I spoke to the coaches there in what was an 'unofficial' visit," he said. "I've also heard from Miami and Michigan in the last few weeks so we'll have to see what happens."

An opposing coach who has certainly felt the wrath of Tucker's great ability to run with the football sees a tremendous upside for the Lions' star.

"You see so many guys in the game now who are specialists, whether it's as a running back or as a great return guy,"said Hopatcong's Reduzzi. "I don't see size as being a factor with Jeremy unless you want him to carry the ball 30 to 35 times a game.

"But, if you get him in for 10 to 15 touches a game he could be very effective."

Tucker was seated at a table at the Heisman Breakfast alongside his good buddy and former Bayley-Ellard backfield mate Darius Kinney, who was a member of the Heisman High School All-Star Team following his sensational two-year career (3,600 yards and 48 touchdowns) at Hudson Catholic.

The 6-foot, 210-pound Kinney has Temple, Iowa, Cincinnati, Arizona State and Michigan State hot on his trail.

"Darius and I are best of friends and, dating back to our days at Bayley-Ellard, we always said we wanted to be '1-2' and we both did pretty well for ourselves with what we did after Bayley closed," Tucker said. "Now, sitting with him at this great event is like a dream come true."