Who is Your Favorite NJ Athlete?

Even though neither our Giants nor Jets made the Super Bowl this year, many New Jerseyians were rooting for the Ravens because Super Bowl MVP quarterback Joe Flacco hails from Audobon.

Friday night I had the pleasure of performing at a fundraiser put on by the Audobon Fathers Association which raises scholarship money and all you could hear throughout the night is the pride these people had in their son Joe who grew up a local hero and would now be taking the big stage in America’s biggest sporting event.

New Jersey has turned out many famous athletes. Along with Flacco, some football wise would be South River’s Joe Theisman and Drew Pearson, Mt Holly’s  Franco Harris, Englewood’s Vince Lombardi,  Ed Marinaro comes from New Milford, George Martin, and Englewood’s Bill Parcells who was just inducted into the Pro Football Hall Of Fame .

Baseball brings us Pequannock’s Derek Jeter, Rick Cerone and Jim Bouton came from Newark, Larry Doby from Patterson and let’s not forget Vineland’s Mike Trout. among countless others. From basketball we have Shaquille O Neal and Al Attles of Newark, Rick Barry from Roselle Park, (remember when he played for the Nets?). Boxing gives us Marvelous Marvin Hagler and James J Braddock who was immortalized in the movie “Cinderella Man.”

These athletes give those that live in the towns they grew up in a familial connection even though they may never have known them personally, their stories are passed down through the generations. Who is/was your favorite New Jersey athlete?

Please let us know by commenting below.