 (Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction) caption: |
As Marc Andre headed into his junior year at Princeton High in 2004, his football career appeared to be on the skids.
After struggling in the classroom his sophomore year, Andre was academically ineligible to play as a junior.
Rather than feeling sorry for himself, Andre worked out with PHS head coach Steve Everette and got things back on track.
Last fall, Andre made up for lost time, emerging as a star at tight end and defensive lineman to help the Little Tigers go 6-4.
This Thursday, Andre will be rewarded for his superb senior season as he plays for the East squad in the Sunshine Classic All-Star Game at The College of New Jersey.
Andre is proud of how much progress he made in his senior season. "I only played one year of varsity ball; it shows how hard I worked and how hard Coach Everette worked to get me to this point," said the 6'3 Andre, who noted that he weighed 120 pounds as a freshman and grew to 230 pounds by his senior season.
"It was a big change; I had a lot of things to learn. In JV, you just blocked the guy in front of you. Playing defensive end, you have to learn line calls, blitzes, and secondary assignments. As a tight end, you have to learn pass routes and blocking assignments."
In the process, Andre developed a close relationship with Everette. "When Coach Everette found out I was doing poorly in school, he took me aside and said it was time for me to be a man; this wasn't kid's stuff," recalled Andre. "We started working out together and got real close. He's been like a second father to me. I would not have made it here if it wasn't for him."
Andre also developed a bond with his teammates last fall as they overcame a disappointing season-opening 24-18 loss to Ewing to make a serious run at a state playoff spot.
"It was great, all of us working together, we are great friends," said Andre, who will be joined at the Sunshine Classic by classmates Ben Guervil, Huguens Jean, Frank Giacalone, and Adam Brunner. "We had so much fun. I'm one of the goofballs. The team is so diverse but all of us get along."
Andre has found that same camaraderie at the practices for the Sunshine Classic. "The guys all love to have fun; they all like to joke around," said Andre, who will play football this fall at Hudson Valley Community College with the goal of later transferring to a Division I program. "We just got our pads so we're starting to hit."
The confident Andre is looking to be a hit Thursday night. "I want to have fun, kick butt, and get a few sacks," asserted a chuckling Andre, who has been in the stands the last two years at the Sunshine Classic to cheer on teammates. "I want to hear my name announced over the loudspeaker."
While Andre may have only played one year of varsity football at PHS, he certainly made a name for himself.
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