Congressman Runyan Honors Lacey Township High School Varsity Football Team

Congressman Jon Runyan (R-3) visited Lacey Township High School Thursday morning to honor the state championship football team with a proclamation.

“I am so pleased to be able to personally congratulate the student-athletes of Lacey Township on this great accomplishment,” Runyan said. “As a former student-athlete I understand the time commitment and sacrifice that these young men have made to achieve success. Each and every one of them should take great pride in this achievement.”

Runyan presented an official Congressional certificate to Head Coach Lou Vircillo for the team’s achievements.

The Lacey Township High School football team defeated Delsea Regional High School by a score of 56 to 7 to win their fourth New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) South Group III championship in school history. The win drove Lacey to an undefeated season. This marks the schools third perfect season in its history.

“I just want to congratulate you guys for everything you’ve done. Take the lessons you’ve learned because quite frankly, you had an opportunity to win a championship, which a lot of people don’t have,” Runyan said. “Remember that day, when you won. That excitement is a motivational tool and you can carry that over to every aspect of your life.”

Runyan shared his experiences playing football and all that being an athlete can teach the students.

For Runyan, football was an afterthought, he said. Runyan was a two-time varsity letter winner in football and a four-time letter winner in basketball. He also received All-State honors in basketball.

Although Runyan said he never won a football championship and his high school team probably only won five games during his two years on varsity, Runyan went on to play in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons.

Runyan was drafted to the Houston Oilers (now the Tennessee Titans) in 1996. He helped lead the Oilers to a Super Bowl appearance in 2000 and the Philadelphia Eagles in 2004.

“You have experiences in here that you’ll carry your whole life. You have buddies, you have teammates that you sweat with, you bled with, and you’ve cried with, you’ve celebrated with. Those things don’t go away. Those are things that you can draw upon for the rest of your lives, to really check who you are, and what you’re made of because you put yourself in situations that a lot of people haven’t,” Runyan said.

Runyan won a congressional seat for New Jersey’s third congressional district in November 2010, defeating Democratic incumbent John Adler.

“He has risen to become your congressman in Washington, D.C.,” Principal Will Zylinski said to the football team. “That’s more an awe for me than any of his athletic accomplishments. It really is. But I used to tell you guys, the best leaders, and many of the leaders of the world are varsity athletes. And I think Mr. Runyan recognizes that.”