Community Corner

Rutgers Football Team Retires Eric LeGrand's Number

A men's soccer player also received national recognition and the women's soccer team saw an offensive explosion unlike any since 1984.

Article by Anthony Bellano, anthony.bellano@patch.com

The Rutgers University football team surpassed the .500 mark with its 28-10 win over Eastern Michigan on Saturday, an historic day for the football program.

Head coach Kyle Flood was on the field at halftime to address the crowd as the program retired Eric LeGrand’s No. 52 jersey. It was the first time in the history of the program that a number was retired.

"It's the first halftime I think I've been on the field for in 20 years, and I thought it was important that I be there, to at least start the ceremony as the person on the staff who was here with Eric," Flood said in a release posted on scarletknights.com.

LeGrand, who fractured his C3 and C4 vertebrae making a tackle against Army in a game at MetLife Stadium in 2010, also spoke briefly to the crowd. Flood and the football staff presented LeGrand with an honorary sword.

LeGrand played for the Scarlet Knights from 2008-2010. He returned to the school following his injury in the spring of 2011, and led the team onto the field in a snowstorm for its game against West Virginia on Oct. 29, 2011.

Following his injury, LeGrand was symbolically signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and his former coach Greg Schiano in 2012. He subsequently retired. 

Junior running back Paul James led the way for the Scarlet Knights, collecting 192 yards and three touchdowns, his second consecutive three-touchdown game.

Rutgers (2-1) has now won two games in a row, following its season-opening overtime loss to Fresno State.

NATIONAL RECOGNITION: Sophomore midfielder Mael Corboz, of Green Brook, was named to College Soccer News’ National Team of the Week for the week ending Sept. 15, according to the University.

Corboz scored twice in the men’s soccer team’s 3-2 win over Princeton, and had another goal in the 3-0 win over South Carolina. He also had a pair of assists over the weekend. He leads the team with five goals and two assists, according to scarletknights.com.

The 3-0 win over South Carolina was David Grezcek’s first career shutout. He made four saves in the win, and had five saves against Princeton.

The Scarlet Knights are 3-2-1 this season.

SOCCER STANDOUT: : Junior Stef Scholz, of South Hackensack, scored four goals in the women’s soccer team’s 5-1 win over Princeton this weekend. It was the most goals scored by a player on the women’s soccer team since Sept. 23, 1984, according to scarletknights.com. She now leads the team with five goals this season.

Freshman Madison Tiernan, of Voorhees, scored the other goal.

Senior Goalie Jess Janosz made eight saves, a career-high.

Rutgers is 6-1-1 this season.


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