April 17, 2008
From Georgetown Athletic Communications
Washington, D.C. - When the Georgetown University football team took the field on Saturday, April 12 for the Blue-Gray Scrimmage, junior defensive end Nicholas Umar joined a select group of Hoya football players. When spring practice first began on March 12, Umar donned the No. 35 jersey, which was presented to him at the team's banquet earlier in the semester.
The Joe Eacobacci No. 35 Memorial Jersey has been presented annually since 2003 to the player who shows extreme dedication to the Georgetown community and its football program. The award honors the memory of former Georgetown defensive standout Joe Eacobacci, who was killed in the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. For the 2008 season, Umar will honor Eacobacci by wearing his No. 35 jersey throughout the year.
Umar, a rising senior and two-year starter for the Hoyas, played in all 11 games this past year, collecting 19 tackles to go along with a sack and a forced fumble. He will be the fifth Hoya to wear Eacobacci's No. 35 in the six years the award has been presented, following Matt Fronczke (2003), Michael Ononibaku (2004, 2005), Alex Buzbee (2006), and Stephen Smith (2007).
Following in the footsteps of Eacobacci and other former Hoyas, Umar understands and accepts the legacy and responsibility that comes with wearing No. 35 for the Blue and Gray.
"It's a great honor and something that I'm very grateful and appreciative to be chosen for," Umar said. "With the award comes great responsibility and big shoes to fill, but I'm excited to carry on the legacy that comes with the 35."
Smith, who wore the jersey this past season, echoed those sentiments. "The jersey and the award symbolize what Joe stood for and the hard work, dedication, and leadership that he put into this program and into the community," he said. "It means a lot to win the award because it means that you exhibit the qualities that Joe had and the values he embodied."
Umar understands, as the past winners know, that Joe Eacobacci's jersey is more than just a number to be worn while on the field. "Wearing the jersey isn't just an in-season thing," he said. "You carry the responsibility during the off-season and after the season as well. So I'm going to do my best to lead both vocally and by example."
Past recipients of the award, including Buzbee, who signed a free agent contract with the Washington Redskins following his graduation and was moved to the active roster during the season, say the impact of being the bearer of the jersey carries on, even after graduation. "It is not one of those awards that you hang on the wall," he said "You wear it on your back every time out and you want to live up to that responsibility."
During Umar's first season at Georgetown, he had the chance to become friends with Ononibaku, an All-American defensive end who is the only player to wear the jersey for two-straight years. "We have had great players who have worn Joe's jersey and held his name with great honor," Ononibaku said. "I myself will forever be grateful for the opportunity to receive the award and carry on his legacy."
Umar knows who wore No. 35 before him and that it is his job to carry on the tradition for those who will wear it in the future,
"The guys that wore it before me did a great job and have set the bar high," he explained. "I'm going to try to honor the jersey the way they have and the way Joe did."
