Jim grew up in the great little town of Lincoln Park, NJ, as did I. We would play pickup football games between the "upper end" and "lower end" of Lincoln Park. Jim was younger and smaller than everyone else, but hit harder than anyone else. I was coaching the Boonton H.S. basketball team when Jim came back after his first year at Wyoming to play in the alumni game. He put on a bit of a show, dunking in the warmup line. He also was a very good baseball player; he played some summer ball there in North Jersey with Richie Zisk, who went on to hit a few homers for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Just a great athlete, and really a quiet, unassuming guy. Have to think that his dementia had to be linked to all the punishment his head took from throwing all those blocks for Csonka. According to Jim's daughter Allie( who is a professional tennis player)Jim's brain has been donated for CTE research.
