Glenn Foley elected to South Jersey Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame

Lil Bit Special · June 28, 2007

Former Jets Glenn Foley and Kareem McKenzie elected to South Jersey Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_kmtpi/is_200705/ai_n19158015

Five members will be inducted into the South Jersey Football Hall of Fame on June 27, it was announced yesterday by the South Jersey Football Coaches' Association.

The inductees include two players who reached the NFL - Willingboro's Kareem McKenzie, a 6-foot-6, 327-pound offensive tackle who has played in the league for the last six years, and Cherry Hill East grad Glenn Foley, who is now a sportscaster for WPEN-AM (950).

http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070628/SPORTS/706280384/1002/sports

Kareem McKenzie could be the poster child for what's right about the NFL.

He's humble, gracious, mannerly, articulate and grateful for the opportunity of playing with the world's best players on the world's biggest stage every Sunday. Oh yeah, he's law abiding, too.

"Very proud," Harriet McKenzie said of her son, who was one of five inductees into the South Jersey Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame on Wednesday evening at Masso's Catering in Glassboro. "It's something I tried to instill in him ever since he was a little kid. Jail is full of bad people. That's easy to do. Let's do something that's hard."

The message got through to McKenzie, as well as his older sister Tamika, who is a nurse today. While Harriet is divorced from McKenzie's father Hayword, both were at the induction ceremony to support their son, who was named Outstanding Active NFL Player.

A 6-foot-6, 327-pound offensive tackle with the New York Giants, the Willingboro High School graduate is a gentle giant who takes his good name seriously.

"I was always raised to be a thoughtful, caring individual, and to be a leader and not a follower," he said. "My mother always told me if anything else in life, you will always have your name. Make sure you are proud and respectful of your name."

As far as Wednesday's honor, McKenzie was extremely surprised when he heard he'd be one of this year's honorees. At the ripe old age of 28, with plenty of football still in front of him, he's proud to be in a Hall of Fame at this point of his career. "It means a lot," said McKenzie, who is community-oriented as well, having adopted the Edison Firehouse and actively participating with the Food Bank of New York City. "When you first start off playing football, you don't think about the accolades. You think about the effort it takes to go ahead and become a better athlete, a better player and overall a better student of the game itself. It's a great accolade and is something you can't take for granted. I'm glad I've been able to live my life where they've been able to recognize me for my efforts on and off the field."

McKenzie signed with the Giants in 2005. He started every game at right tackle for the New York Jets from 2002 to 2004.

A third-round pick (79th overall) out of Penn State by the Jets in 2001, McKenzie has played his entire NFL career -- at least home games -- at Giants Stadium, where the Jets and Giants both play. Said McKenzie, who was never really an Eagles fan growing up: "I've been blessed to be in the same area for the past 11 years (including college) and to be as successful as I am."

"I'm very proud of him," his father said. "There's so many kids that don't have a direction. He's very strong and has a mind to succeed. He gives it 100 percent. Never quits." McKenzie played just two years of high school football at Willingboro, yet was named All-American by the time his career was through.

But his mother remembers a time when he wanted to quit. "The coaches begged me for years to put him on the team and I wouldn't let him. Finally, I let him play," she said. "Once he got there, the team wasn't working to its potential. He said, "I'm going to quit.' I said "I don't care if everybody on that team falls down, you do your part.' He stayed in the game." That he did.

HALL OF FAME
What: South Jersey Football Coaches Association 17th annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony at Masso's in Glassboro.

Honorees: The late Herb Fisher (Legend Award), Joe Mulhern (Clem Homan Distinguished Service Award), Glenn Foley (Outstanding Inactive NFL Player), Sal Marchese Jr. (Outstanding Coach) and Kareem McKenzie (Outstanding Active NFL Player).

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