Joe was one of the best two sport athletes, I’ve had the pleasure of knowing in the Washington, D.C. area. Joe may have been small in statue but he was big in heart. There wasn’t a game or situation where he didn’t rise above all he competed against. In football, DeMatha High School had consistently been a powerhouse in the Washington, D.C. area, and was nationally ranked every year. During Joe’s four years at Archbishop Carroll High School, one of our staunch competitors, they enjoyed a record of 41-1-1 beating DeMatha in all fours year. In each of the games with DeMatha, Joe greatly impacted the game’s outcome on both sides of the ball. In his senior year on the final drive as DeMatha was leading, he caught three passes in a row, with the last one being the game winning TD with 33 seconds remaining in the game.
Joe not only faciliated the wins over DeMatha in football, he also impacted the win over the Morgan Whooten lead DeMatha basketball team in their final home game one year. While Joe was a true team player, his competitive spirit drove him to strive to have the ball in his hands and in that game he sank seven free throws in a row to lead Carroll to the win.
Joe was one of the greatest competitors to come out of the D.C. area. After high school, he went on to the University of Notre Dame where he started four years on the football team and also played on the basketball team during his senior year. After his playing days were over at Notre Dame, Joe enjoyed a successful career in the NFL, CFL and WFL. He was a part of the Washington Redskin’s winning Super Bowl team in 1992.
While I coached against Joe in his high school years eventually I hired him on my staff at Dematha for three primary reasons; his extensive knowledge of the game; his ability to develop our players; and most importantly the profound positive impact he had with our young men. Joe made an immediate impact on our players and our staff as the Defensive Back and Special Teams Coach. He is a loving family man, a great coach and a has always been a mentor for our youth today.