Huntington Names Local Field After Football Legend Emerson Boozer

The turf field at Manor Field Park in Huntington Station was officially named after Huntington’s own football legend Emerson Boozer at a dedication ceremony on Saturday.

Boozer was a former New York Jets star running back who went on to spend almost 20 years as the Town’s parks and recreation director. He continues to serve as a member of the Town’s open space committee.

Boozer said he feels “at home” at the park. When he was playing ball, he used to train at the park and jog the perimeter.

“It is not Shea Stadium, Giants Stadium or Yankee Stadium, it is Manor Park – a great location, one that I have known for quite a long time,” Boozer said. “It is a place that is dear to me and to many youngsters who come and play the various sports here.”

A brief history of Boozer’s life and accomplishments, courtesy of the Town of Huntington:

A Georgia native, Boozer went to a college that is now called University of Maryland Eastern Shore. He was drafted in the seventh round in 1966 by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League (7th round) and the New York Jets (6th round) in the American Football League. The leagues were separate then; they combined after the end of the next year.

Boozer played his entire career with the Jets, from 1966 to 1975. He gained 5,135 yards rushing, 1,488 yards receiving and scored 64 touchdowns (52 rushing, 12 receiving). He was a two-time AFL all-star and one-time all-pro.

Most memorably, he played on the Jets team that won Super Bowl III in January 1969, defeating the Baltimore Colts, 16-7. His blocking, especially on Matt Snell’s touchdown run, was a key to the Jets’ success that day.

After retiring from football, Boozer went into broadcasting, invested in a tool-and-dye machine shop, and owned a bar, Em Boozer’s Pub 32 (after his uniform number) in the building that is now the Town’s Business Incubator on New York Avenue in Huntington Station.

In 1986, he took a job as deputy parks and recreation director with the Town as was appointed director a year later. He served as executive assistant to the Supervisor in 1998 and returned to the post as parks director in January 2001. He retired in 2005. In 2010, he was appointed to the Town’s Environmental Open Space and Parks Improvement (EOSPA) Committee. He still serves on that committee.

Town Supervisor Frank Petrone and council members Mark Cuthbertson, Susan Berland and Tracey Edwards were joined at the ceremony by Tax Receiver Ester Bivona and members of the Long Island Bulldogs youth football team. Councilman Eugene Cook was unable to attend. They presented Boozer with a proclamation and with a Jets commemorative football the Board signed.

Cuthbertson, who sponsored the park dedication, said, “How proud we were to have him as our parks director for all those years. We have a cutting edge parks program due in no small part to the efforts of Emerson.”

Image via TOH