Senior Joe Emerson is one out of 65 recipients to receive the 2017 New Jersey High School Football Mini Max Award.

“When notified about this award, among the many emotions running through me, overwhelmed is the best way to describe it. It is truly an honor,” he said.  He added that it was a great privilege knowing that he was recognized in a group of this caliber.

Joe began to play football when he was only five years old, and he said that the strength and sharpness of the sport is what made him fall in love with it.

For this particular award, players are nominated by their coaches during the season and are chosen based on their athletic performance, academics and community service.

The individuals who were given the award will be honored at a dinner on January 28 at St. David the King Church in Princeton, NJ. During the dinner, the Maxwell Football Club will also announce the New Jersey Player of the Year. The New Jersey Player of the Year also has the opportunity to win the Jim Henry Award, which is given to an outstanding player in the region, and the winner of this accolade will be announced on March 19 during the Maxwell Football Club’s National Awards Gala, which will be held at the Tropicana Casino and Resort in Atlantic City.                                                                         

Being physically strong is not all it takes to succeed according to Joe, motivation and determination have had a big impact on his athletic career. “I put my life into this sport and was able to be successful because of it,” he said.

A facet that he will miss the most about the sport is the family aspect and the brotherhood that was formed throughout the years. “Not playing for this program will be something I will miss dearly. I left no regrets on the field and could not be happier with my performance.”

Some advice he has for younger football players who want to succeed in high school is “success isn’t given, you have to earn it.”

Last but certainly not least, if the Becton football athlete could go back and tell his younger self something about football it would be “to cherish every day like it is your last because it goes by quicker than you think.”