Longtime Sachem educator and administrator Charles Cardillo was on-hand when football star Jim Brown was honored with a “Hometown Hall of Famers” plaque at Manhasset High School, presented by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in April.
Cardillo, who has been the Superintendent of Manhasset Schools since 2005, was mentioned in the New York Times article about the event.
Relaying a sentiment from one of Brown’s former Manhasset teammates, Mike Pascucci, he told Cardillo: “Jim was relentless in everything he did. He is so competitive that he won’t give you a six-inch putt because he wants so badly to win.”
Cardillo began his career in education as a social studies teacher at Sachem High School.
Brown, who won 13 varsity letters in five sports at Manhasset, starred in lacrosse and football at Syracuse. He was the first player selected in the 1957 NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns and led the league in rushing yards for nine straight seasons before retiring on his own terms. He was inducted to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971.
“This school formed my life, gave me my foundation and taught me to never give up,” said Brown.
-Words by Chris R. Vaccaro