Vineland's first NFL player to be honored by city on Sept. 29 with street name, key
VINELAND – Lou Piccone, the first Vineland High School football player to compete in the National Football League, will be honored with a street dedication and key to the city on Sept. 29.
The City of Vineland made the announcement about Piccone’s special day, which will start at the corner of Montrose Street and S.W. Avenue. The dedication takes place at 11 a.m.
Later that evening, the Key to the City presentation and dinner reception will be held at the Greenview Inn starting at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $75 per person. For reservations, please call 856-794-4000, ext. 4814, or e-mail Loupiccone@vinelandcity.org
Piccone played nine years in the NFL, six with the Buffalo Bills and three with the New York Jets before retiring in 1982.
“Lou Piccone was known as a gritty football player who always gave it his all on the field. But above all, he is a kind and gentle man who never forgot where he came from,” Vineland mayor Anthony Fanucci said in a news release.
“Lou was the quintessential utility player who could fill several positions. His work ethic and contribution on special teams and as a receiver made him a fan favorite, and they loved to show their appreciation by chanting ‘Lou, Lou, Lou’ whenever he took the field. He has been an inspiration to many that have donned the ‘Fighting Clan’ red and grey uniforms, and it will be an honor to welcome him back to Vineland to show our appreciation.”
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A 5-9, 175-pound wide receiver, kick/punt returner, Piccone signed a free agent contract with the New York Jets in 1974. That season, he led the league in kickoff returns with 39 and kickoff return yards with 961. He was traded to the Bills in 1977 and had all of his six career touchdowns over his first three seasons with the team.
Reflecting on his NFL career, Piccone said in a news release, “My father Lew is my hero and he deserves a lot of the credit for my making it. Because I had an education degree, my father wanted me to use my brains instead of my brawn. ‘You are too small,’ he said. I think that's what really did it because he had forgotten all of the stories he told me. My father was only 5-7 and he was a professional boxer in the 1920s and '30s. He won 84 fights and lost three. Once he knew I was serious about making it in the NFL, he was in my corner all the way."
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It’s been a big year for former Vineland football players. Jamil Demby was a member of the Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams in February and Isiah Pacheco was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in June. Both players were honored by the city in separate ceremonies in April and June, respectively.
Tom McGurk is a regional sports editor for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 30 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him at (856) 486-2420 or email tmcgurk@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Vineland Daily Journal: Vineland's Piccone to be honored by city with street name, key
