By ANTHONY LAMBERTI

POSTED 3-26-08

Joe Minucci still has one foot in both worlds. You've seen his bulky 6-3 frame stalking the sidelines for the St. Anthony's Friars football team as a defensive assistant coach in the fall. But for Minucci, that's just the off-season. He leads a double-life in a way, because back in Ohio, he's the ace defensive end for the AFL Cleveland Gladiators.

The 26-year-old St. Anthony's alum is still living the football dream, balancing his time between making key defensive stops in the AFL and mentoring prospective footballers at St. Anthony's.

Minucci graduated from St. Anthony's in 1999, where he played football and baseball. He earned team MVP and All-Long Island honors as a senior and graduated to Delaware, where he was an All-Atlantic 10 selection as a senior and led the Blue Hens to the Division I-AA semifinals.

Minucci knows what he's talking about when he tells the Friars' current crop how important hard work is. The Friars football team won their seventh consecutive CHSFL title this fall, but Minucci insists their incredible run of success was more than just practice and drills.

"The friendships they build and the morals coach Rich Reichert tries to instill in these kids, he's not just preparing them for football and college," Minucci said. "He's preparing them for life. He's preparing them to be better people. The rest of the staff tries to reaffirm and preach the same message to these kids every day."

At 6-3, 298 pounds Minucci is a one-man wrecking crew. The Ironman rules of the AFL have changed, meaning he no longer has to play on both sides of the ball, but he still commands a vital role in the Gladiators offense and even scores the odd touchdown from time to time.

Minucci spent three seasons with the Nashville Kats, leading the team in sacks, quarterback hurries and forced fumbles in 2006. But his 2007 campaign with Nashville was marred by injuries and he was limited to just seven games. Now, he's refocused his intensity and is set on proving himself once again.

"I'm just looking to regain the respect of my teammates and the league after last season was filled with injuries," he said. "I'm trying to help the Gladiators to win in every possible way I can."

The Gladiators needed little incentive to sign Minucci. After Nashville disbanded following the 2007 season, Cleveland selected Minucci with the first overall pick of the dispersal draft. The Gladiators are 3-3 heading into Saturday's game in Los Angeles, and Minucci is a big reason why.

He has recorded 10 tackles, including four sacks, through five games with the Gladiators this season. But this season is no aberration. He's amassed an impressive 49.5 tackles in 40 career games and provides his team with intensity down the stretch.

He brought that same intensity to the St. Anthony's sidelines every week.

"He's knows his stuff. He's an intense guy that knows his stuff. He's a great coach and I loved working with him," said senior center Austen Fletcher. "He always kept his cool out on the sidelines and tried never to raise his voice. He was good mentor and had a definite impact on our team."

But after helping coach the Friars football team for four years, Minucci hasn't decided if he will return to the sidelines in the fall. He's working on other plans to stay in Cleveland and he's recently been engaged to his longtime girlfriend — another St. Anthony's alum.

Asked if he had any regrets about leaving St. Anthony's, Minucci was quick to respond. "St. Anthony's helped me turn into who I am today and it was great decision and I'm happy to still be part of that family. Once you leave there, you're still part of that family. They're always there for me — to turn to when I have a problem, to talk and to help me."





©2007-08 Early Edition Media, Inc. Terms of Service are applicable to you. All rights reserved.