Washington, D.C. – This weekend, Georgetown University celebrates Homecoming Day. It is a day to welcome alumni back to campus. Spirits will be high as fans return to the Hilltop to relive their college days. Many former Hoya football players will be in attendance at the team’s game against Ivy League foe Cornell on Saturday (2 p.m. kickoff) at the Multi-Sport Field.
When the players return, they will look out to the field to watch the newest edition of the Hoyas and many will look for their former jersey number on the field. For a select group of former players, however, the number they will look for will have special significance.
Since the 2003 season, the player who has donned the No. 35 jersey has carried with him an additional weight. The No. 35 jersey is presented each year to a member of the Georgetown football team who shows extreme dedication to the community and the football program in memory of former team captain Joe Eacobacci. Eacobacci was working as an energy trader for the investment firm Cantor Fitzgerald, which was headquartered on the 105th floor of the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City.
Eacobacci was among the lives lost on September 11, 2001 and, since then, four players – Matt Fronczke, Michael Ononibaku, Alex Buzbee and now Stephen Smith – have carried on the tradition that comes with the No. 35. For each of the players, being the recipient of the jersey had a very personal importance.
“When I was first selected to wear the jersey, I was deeply honored because I knew how much Joe Eacobacci's legacy meant to the program, especially the coaches,” Ononibaku said. “Bob Benson and Rob Sgarlata both coached Eaccobacci during his playing days, so I knew that being selected to honor his legacy meant that this would be an important role to take on.
“Although I was the player selected, I felt there were plenty of other guys on the team just as deserving who embodied everything the Eacobacci legacy stood for. In my opinion, the Eaccobacci legacy relates to leadership, a strong work ethic, and perseverance. The hard work you put forth on the gridiron should parallel in the classroom. I think as a team, most of us carried these ideals, so to be the only one selected amongst such a great group of teammates was truly an honor.” “It’s a tough question to answer, but I think it is best answered by defining what the award symbolizes,” Fronczke said. “The award is not about talent or how an athlete performs on the field, it’s about strength in adversity, leadership, and perseverance.
“It's about a young man who exemplifies all the virtues one would expect out of a student-athlete at Georgetown University . It's about helping and supporting others in tough times and not being afraid to ask for help and support in our own tough times. The award is all of that and more and I try to live like that every day of my life.”
“It meant a lot to me,” Buzbee said. “Up to that point, it was probably the most honorable thing I’ve ever had. It wasn’t like a trophy I put in my room, it was something I wore every day. I represented that every day. It wasn’t just Georgetown, the team and yourself, you were representing Joe and that’s a real special feeling.”
While the jersey presentation is still in its infancy, Ononibaku has the distinction of being the only player, so far, to wear the number in back-to-back seasons, a fact that is not lost on him. “To have been able to wear the jersey back-to-back years certainly meant a lot to me... I consider myself to be lucky, because after all, I played alongside some great athletes and individuals,” he explained. “I'm just glad to have been a part of Eacobacci's legacy, as well as a Georgetown tradition. There have been, and will be, many great players to wear the No. 35 jersey, so it means a lot to be in their company”
The company that each of the players is in is a strong group. Each of the players has graduated from Georgetown and started careers in varying business sectors. Fronczke took a position as a consultant with Citrix Systems following his graduation. He spent two years there before deciding to pursue his master’s of business administration. He is currently attending the Webster Graduate School at Regents College in London. At the same time, he was able to secure a position with Franklin Templeton Investments. He plans on starting a full-time position in London as a business risk analyst after his graduation in December.
Following his graduation, Ononibaku made a brief attempt at playing football professionally – he had a tryout with the Washington Redskins – but has since moved into the business sector. “I have since decided to hang up the cleats and instead of tackling opponents on the gridiron, I now tackle Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations,” he said. Ononibaku is currently a financial analyst for Citigroup Markets and Banking.
Buzbee, meanwhile, still has his cleats on. After long and arduous training following the end of the 2006 football season, he had a tryout with the Redskins and was signed to a professional contract. He is currently a member of the team’s practice squad.
“I think when you get that jersey, it’s a big, big deal,” Buzbee said after practice on Thursday. “You’re not just expected to perform on the field, you’re expected to do great things. There is the expectation to do great in school, get a good job and continue the legacy that Joe started. With each year, the expectations keep rising. When, I got it, I looked up to Matt and Mike and I felt the pressure to follow in their footsteps.”
Smith, the current bearer of the jersey, knows that he has a lot to live up to. A senior linebacker and defensive co-captain, Smith plans on graduating in May after earning a double major in finance and management. This past summer, he interned in the Executive Office of the President, after spending the previous two summers on Capitol Hill.
“You feel the weight of it,” Smith said after practice this week. “Everyone knows who’s worn the 35 and the accomplishment of those guys. It’s a lot of weight on my shoulders to do the same, if not more. I just try to do the best I can to represent the number and the legacy as well as I can.” The significance of the jersey hits Ononibaku, who lives and works on Wall Street, nearly every day.
“Living on Wall Street has been a great experience, particularly from a cultural standpoint,” he said. “Situated just blocks away from the historic site of the 9/11 attacks, I often pass by it on my way to work. Knowing that a fellow Georgetown football alum lost his life as a result of this tragedy, really does hit home.
“The fact that I wore Joe Eacobacci’s jersey and carried his legacy has made the tragedy an even more significant part of my life. At times, when I walk by the WTC, my heart goes out to the families that lost their loved loves, particularly the Eacobacci’s, despite never meeting Joe in person myself.”
Whether they met Joe Eacobacci or not, the recipients of the No. 35 jersey carry with them the legacy of that jersey every day.
“I am always reminded of this as September 11th comes along and I reflect on the day’s tragic events,” Fronczke said. “I can't help but feel I have sometimes fallen short of this 'motto', but when I think about what the 35 jersey symbolizes it has always impacted me in a way to try improve upon my weaknesses and fortify my strengths.”
“Being selected to wear the jersey has affected me more as an individual rather than as a football player,” Ononibaku said. “Coach Sgarlata described Joe Eacobacci as being a class act that everyone loved, and that he was a great leader both on and off the field. Those were pretty big shoes to fill, but I tried to do my best while taking on his legacy. To be part of this group means a lot to me, and it is something that will carry with me for the rest of my life. I will always have close ties with the Georgetown program and continue to support the team for years to come.”
On Saturday, when the Hoyas take the field, Smith knows that he will be looking to lead the Hoyas to a win, but he knows that he’ll also have the eyes of players of like Ononibaku and Buzbee, who will be in attendance, on him. “It’s very special,” Smith said. “I don’t even have the words to describe it. I’m sure it will be more special this weekend with a great atmosphere and all of the alumni support coming back and looking forward to a great game.
“Knowing that I’m coming out representing Georgetown and representing such a strong legacy, it’s a big deal. You hope that you can perform to the best of your ability, get a win and together, all of that can accomplish a good day and carrying on the legacy of the No. 35.”
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