Princeton, Rutgers Football Honored At New Jersey Statehouse

The celebration of the 150th anniversary of college football reached the New Jersey Statehouse Monday afternoon.

The Princeton and Rutgers football teams were both represented in Trenton Monday as the New Jersey state legislature unanimously approved a proclamation that honored the two schools for their role in having played in the first college football game, back on Nov. 6, 1869. Princeton was represented by head coach Bob Surace, sophomore wide receiver Dylan Classi and football alum Michael Senft '80.

Among those representing Rutgers was longtime NFL tight end Marco Battaglia. The proclamation was brought to the floor by Assemblyman Erik Peterson, who spoke about the anniversary and New Jersey's role in the sport's birth.

Here are Surace's remarks as he spoke to the legislators and visitors:

My name is Bob Surace, and I am the head football coach at Princeton University. On behalf of the football program and the Department of Athletics, I would like to thank Assemblyman Erik Peterson for this wonderful recognition and speaker Craig Coughlin for inviting us to join you today. College football has grown into a national phenomenon that is loved by millions of people all around the country, and the sport has done so much to unify players and fans across racial, socioeconomic and political lines. At Princeton we are thrilled to have been part of the first game back in 1869, and we have just finished a season in which we and our friends at Rutgers have celebrated the 150^th anniversary of that first game with events including our game at Yankee Stadium against Dartmouth and the lighting of the Empire State Building in orange and red. Since 1869, Princeton has produced 28 national championship teams, 12 Ivy League championship teams, 72 first-team All-Americans, 44 NFL players and even one Heisman Trophy winner, and generations of Tigers have taken the lessons they've learned as football players at Princeton and gone on to do great things in fields like medicine, law, the military, education and business – all while living lives of service and loyalty to their communities. This lineage traces its way all the way back to that first game, as Princeton's captain that day, William Gummere, went on to spend more than 30 years as the Chief Justice of the New Jersey State Supreme Court. Again, we are so proud of our long history and tradition in football, as well as the success that we've enjoyed this past decade, and again we thank Assemblyman Peterson for having us here today.

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