For one night, athletes from sister schools, West Morris Central and West Morris Mendham high schools, put aside their rivalry and joined together for a wonderful cause. Football players Patrick Jacobsen of West Morris and Shane Sullivan of Mendham, who both graduated in June, were honored as Geoffrey’s Most Valuable Person winners at Dante’s Italian Restaurant in Mendham in late July. The award, in its eighth year, is named for Mendham resident Geoffrey D’Aries, a passionate Morris County sports fan who has suffered from Cerebral Palsy from birth.
Jacobsen and Sullivan received scholarship money for college. Both athletes were thrilled to receive the award. Jacobsen, who is attending Ohio University this fall, was very proud to be honored. “This is one of the most important things I have ever received,” he said. “It’s such a great honor and I’m kind of speechless. It means a lot to my parents (Joy and Erik). They are very proud. My family raised me right, the correct way, and they are very proud of this.”
While the Wolfpack football team was winning back-to-back sectional championships on the field, Jacobsen was on the sidelines constantly keeping his teammates motivated. “Hopefully, I was a good teammate,” he said. “I always try and keep everything positive and bring the guys up. I want to bring life to the team.” That was the case on the sidelines and at halftime during the Old Tappan game last Nov. 20 when West Morris lost in the state Group 3 semifinals. “I remember it being the seniors’ last game and saying, ‘We cannot let up! We have to keep fighting!’” he said. “You always want to keep fighting and keep yourselves alive. “The game was not over (West Morris trailed at the half, 14-6) and we still had an opportunity to win.”
Jacobsen’s team-first attitude carried on to the baseball field, where he was a corner outfielder on a Wolfpack team that won back-to-back conference championships. He played the last two years despite a severely injured right (throwing) shoulder. He had labrum surgery earlier this month. “I had to tough it out,” he said. “Pain doesn’t matter to me. I played baseball for my teammates. It was all worth it. If I made a bad throw, they understood.”
“Patrick was very easy to talk to,” said Geoffrey D’Aries, who is on the interview committee. “He came to the interview extremely knowledgeable about Geoffrey’s MVP and knew all about it. He took his tasks seriously on the football team.”
Sullivan, meanwhile, is legally blind but a big contributor to the Minutemen. That was apparent during a late-season 21-20 victory over eventual division champion Chatham – a win that propelled Mendham to a berth in the state playoffs. “It was late in the game and the defense was on the field and I told them, ‘Make a stop! Make a stop!’” he said. “They scored a touchdown late in the game and then they went for two. I was like, ‘Come on, defense!’ The pass got tipped and we won the game.
“I’m not on the field a lot, but I always give my best and try and lift up the entire team. I’m not a superstar at Mendham. Even if we are three touchdowns down, I try and lift the team. I never think we are ever out of a game, no matter who the opponent is.” “Shane has overcome a lot of obstacles,” Geoffrey D’Aries said. “He is legally blind but brings his team a lot of passion for his teammates.”
Former Mendham English teacher and football coach Doug Kirk, now retired, chose to begin a charity in D’Aries’ honor eight years ago. “He decided he wanted to give back to the community,” Jeanne D’Aries, Geoffrey’s mother, said. “All the friends, teachers and co-workers wanted to donate money to a charity for him when he retired. He couldn’t find a charity, so he started his own charity and couldn’t think of a better one than a football scholarship. He thought about Geoffrey, who went to all the football games. They became friends and decided to start a scholarship. He met with me and my husband (Gary, now deceased) and we decided to have the Geoffrey Most Valuable Person award.”
The award is strictly for football players and are nominated by their coach. Award winners must undergo a rigorous process. First, the athletes must fill out an application, provide references, write an essay describing why they are worthy of the honor and know what the scholarship is intended for. Then they must undergo a 20-30 minutes interview in front of a panel that includes Kirk, Geoffrey D’Aries, former Star-Ledger sports writer Sean Reilly, former Morristown Athletic Director Kathy Perri, former Mendham football player Pat Valli, and Delbarton assistant coach Gerry Gallagher.
“The kids are grilled,” Jeanne D’Aries said. “They get a lot of questions asked. For a lot of kids, it is the first time they have ever gone for an interview. It’s great practice for them. They’ll go off to college and then go for a job. It’s a great experience for them.” The three main requirements to be nominated by the coach include:
- Be a good person (not just a student-athlete but a volunteer and helper community.
- Bound for college and needing financial aid.
- Not be a key part of the football team.
“This is not for the key player, but someone is always available, who cheers on the team, helps the team, brings water to his teammates, cleans up, or in any way possible helps the team,” Jeanne D’Aries said