State Police honors IHS football duo
By Joe Ragozzino
Sports Editor
When Nijee Leverett learned he was diagnosed with testicular cancer, he wasn’t worried about whether he would live or not.
“My biggest fear was whether I can play football,” he said.
Leverett missed his entire sophomore season for the Irvington High School varsity football team, as he underwent 46 weeks of chemotherapy and six weeks of radiation. Some days were good, some were really, really bad. Leverett remembers feeling nauseous from the putrid smell while in the hospital.
But like cyclist and Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong - a testicular cancer survivor - Leverett made a miraculous recovery. He returned to the football team this past season, earning the starting quarterback position as a junior.
But right before the start of season, tragedy struck the IHS football team again.
Senior linebacker Aaron Gowans fractured his neck while attempting a tackle during a scrimmage in Union on Aug. 26.
Gowans, who lives in Irvington with his sister and grandmother and is a student at Bloomfield Tech, underwent spinal-fusion surgery and began physical therapy at Children’s Specialized Hospital in New Brunswick. Five weeks after the injury occurred, he was discharged. Though he couldn’t play, he was on the sidelines for his team each week, serving as a captain. Because Bloomfield Tech does not have a football team, Gowans is allowed to be a member of the IHS football team.
The remarkable resiliency of these two players recently were recognized as Leverett and Gowans were honored by the New Jersey State Police on Feb. 5. Leverett and Gowans received Certificates of Commendation during the New Jersey State Police Monthly Command Staff Meeting in the State Police Division Headquarters West Trenton.
“I feel special,” said Leverett. “A lot of people don’t get honored, especially from where I am from.”
During his freshman season, Leverett felt he made a good enough impact to have a shot at gaining more playing time the following year. He got a lot of advice from his best friend on the team, Joshua Evans, the starting QB/safety who later became an All-Stater for the 2008 year as a senior and is now playing at the University of Florida.
But his football career was put on hold once he found out he got cancer. It’s no wonder Leverett was anxious to return to the team, trying to make up for lost time.
“I took a more aggressive approach to my junior year,” he said.
Leverett’s time in the spotlight came in the season opener this past fall. But again, there was misfortune. Leverett suffered a severe knee injury in the loss to Pope John in Sparta.
After sitting out the following week - a 6-0 win at East Orange Campus - Leverett returned to health and was back at the QB controls, leading the Blue Knights the rest of the season.
As the starting QB, Leverett understood his role as a vital leader.
“I felt like a leader, he said. “Whatever type of mood I am in, that’s the mood that the team was in. So I took my responsibility and I think I handled it good.”
That leadership proved pivotal in helping the Blue Knights earned the No. 1 seed for the fourth straight season in the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 playoffs. But their state sectional championship hopes once again were dashed as they fell to Passaic Valley in the semifinals and finished with an 8-3 record.
Because of that bitter end to the season, Leverett seems more determined to lead the Blue Knights as a senior in the fall, hoping to give the program its first state sectional championship.
“For me to be the first quarterback to do that, would be great,” said Leverett of trying to win a sectional title.
Most cancer victims get much sympathy. Leverett, though, doesn’t want people to feel sorry for him. He just wants to be treated like any other kid.
But Leverett recognizes that he can become an inspiration to others.
“I do want people to be inspired by me, more for young kids,” he said.
To Leverett, beating cancer definitely puts life in perspective.
“It made me a better person,” he said. “It made me not take life for granted. It made me step up and get into football and want to get into college.”
Sports Editor
When Nijee Leverett learned he was diagnosed with testicular cancer, he wasn’t worried about whether he would live or not.
“My biggest fear was whether I can play football,” he said.
Leverett missed his entire sophomore season for the Irvington High School varsity football team, as he underwent 46 weeks of chemotherapy and six weeks of radiation. Some days were good, some were really, really bad. Leverett remembers feeling nauseous from the putrid smell while in the hospital.
But like cyclist and Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong - a testicular cancer survivor - Leverett made a miraculous recovery. He returned to the football team this past season, earning the starting quarterback position as a junior.
But right before the start of season, tragedy struck the IHS football team again.
Senior linebacker Aaron Gowans fractured his neck while attempting a tackle during a scrimmage in Union on Aug. 26.
Gowans, who lives in Irvington with his sister and grandmother and is a student at Bloomfield Tech, underwent spinal-fusion surgery and began physical therapy at Children’s Specialized Hospital in New Brunswick. Five weeks after the injury occurred, he was discharged. Though he couldn’t play, he was on the sidelines for his team each week, serving as a captain. Because Bloomfield Tech does not have a football team, Gowans is allowed to be a member of the IHS football team.
The remarkable resiliency of these two players recently were recognized as Leverett and Gowans were honored by the New Jersey State Police on Feb. 5. Leverett and Gowans received Certificates of Commendation during the New Jersey State Police Monthly Command Staff Meeting in the State Police Division Headquarters West Trenton.
“I feel special,” said Leverett. “A lot of people don’t get honored, especially from where I am from.”
During his freshman season, Leverett felt he made a good enough impact to have a shot at gaining more playing time the following year. He got a lot of advice from his best friend on the team, Joshua Evans, the starting QB/safety who later became an All-Stater for the 2008 year as a senior and is now playing at the University of Florida.
But his football career was put on hold once he found out he got cancer. It’s no wonder Leverett was anxious to return to the team, trying to make up for lost time.
“I took a more aggressive approach to my junior year,” he said.
Leverett’s time in the spotlight came in the season opener this past fall. But again, there was misfortune. Leverett suffered a severe knee injury in the loss to Pope John in Sparta.
After sitting out the following week - a 6-0 win at East Orange Campus - Leverett returned to health and was back at the QB controls, leading the Blue Knights the rest of the season.
As the starting QB, Leverett understood his role as a vital leader.
“I felt like a leader, he said. “Whatever type of mood I am in, that’s the mood that the team was in. So I took my responsibility and I think I handled it good.”
That leadership proved pivotal in helping the Blue Knights earned the No. 1 seed for the fourth straight season in the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 playoffs. But their state sectional championship hopes once again were dashed as they fell to Passaic Valley in the semifinals and finished with an 8-3 record.
Because of that bitter end to the season, Leverett seems more determined to lead the Blue Knights as a senior in the fall, hoping to give the program its first state sectional championship.
“For me to be the first quarterback to do that, would be great,” said Leverett of trying to win a sectional title.
Most cancer victims get much sympathy. Leverett, though, doesn’t want people to feel sorry for him. He just wants to be treated like any other kid.
But Leverett recognizes that he can become an inspiration to others.
“I do want people to be inspired by me, more for young kids,” he said.
To Leverett, beating cancer definitely puts life in perspective.
“It made me a better person,” he said. “It made me not take life for granted. It made me step up and get into football and want to get into college.”
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