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The events of Sept. 11 robbed countless families and communities of their loved ones. One such victim was Joe Eacobacci, a 1996 graduate of the MSB and a captain of the varsity football team during the 1995 season. On that tragic fall day in 2001, Mr. Eacobacci lost his life, and in reverence of the determination, work ethic, intensity and deep pride he displayed during his playing days for the Blue and Gray, his uniform, No. 35, has been given a special significance.
Since retiring Eacobacci’s number in 2002 to honor the man that once wore it, the Georgetown football team has awarded the jersey each year to the player that displays the same qualities in practice and during games that made Joe Eacobacci such a valued member of the Hoya football team.
As a safety for the Blue and Gray, Eacobacci was awarded a spot on the all-Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference team in 1993, which Georgetown competed in prior to joining the Patriot League. After he graduated from Georgetown, Eacobacci became an energy trader, leading to his job with Cantor Fitzgerald on the 105th floor in the World Trade Center’s North Tower.
Since the tradition began in 2003, the jersey has been awarded six times to five different players (All-American defensive end Michael Ononibaku wore it for two consecutive years). The five players awarded the jersey prior to this year included three linebackers and two defensive linemen; Alex Buzbee, a defensive lineman, last year signed with the Washington Redskins, becoming the first Georgetown graduate in the NFL in decades.
It was never that defensive players received the award because Eacobacci was a defensive player, but it just seemed to become a trend. This year, however, that style was broken and the jersey was given to Robert Lane, a senior running back who had missed most of the 2008 season after suffering a broken jaw. Since arriving for his freshman year in 2006, Lane played in every game for the Hoyas during the 2006 and 2007 seasons, his freshman and sophomore years, respectively. He played in the first two games last year before missing the rest due to his injury. Lane has been effective both on the ground as a halfback and through the air in the slot position. He even took some snaps behind the line at quarterback during a game his sophomore year.
However, its not the stats or the position that make the man, but rather the character that he reveals and the leadership style he orchestrates for his other teammates.
“Rob’s a great player,” said senior offensive lineman and co-captain Dan Matheny. “There was a serious drop-off in how the team played last year, after [Lane] got injured.”
“When the award is given, it’s not about the position, it’s about the character in the person,” said Head Coach Kevin Kelly, who is entering his fourth season as the Hoya’s head coach. The honor has been given to players since before Kelly arrived on the Hilltop in 2006.
“Rob’s an enthusiastic player who works very hard,” Kelly said.
This award is even more significant this year, as the Georgetown senior leadership, team chemistry and game experience all drastically improved last year.
“It was easier to pick someone this year for the No. 35 jersey, because there are a lot of good guys on the team, and Rob’s one of them,” co-captain and junior linebacker Nick Parrish said.
Lane is one of a number of offensive weapons that returns to the Hoyas’ lineup this year after suffering from injury last season. However, it is more than just his production on the field that matters for Georgetown football. He is one of the 22 seniors in Kelly’s first recruiting class, a group that now has the opportunity to lead a more cohesive and experienced team than in years past.
Joe Eacobacci would not have preferred his team to play any other way. “
