Incoming football duo making headlines at Saint Anthony's

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Peter Corbett (Wantagh, N.Y.) and Josh Jefferson (Lindenhurst, N.Y.), a pair of incoming freshmen on the Bryant University football team, have already started making headlines before even arriving on campus.

Teammates at Saint Anthony's High School in Huntington, N.Y., Corbett and Jefferson wrapped up historic careers both athletically and academically this June. In addition, the two will become the sixth and seventh players from Saint Anthony's to play football at Bryant in the past five years.

A defensive end and fullback as a senior, Corbett was standout for Saint Anthony's this past year. He broke the all-time sacks record with 22.5 and was named All-CHSFL, First Team All-Long Island and Second Team All-Metro. Corbett's outstanding play also earned him three more recognitions this spring. He was selected to play in the Boomer Esiason All-Star Game on Long Island, was named the Saint Anthony's Athlete of the Year and was a finalist for the Dellecave Award, given to the top athlete in Suffolk County.

"It was a great honor to receive such an award," Corbett said. "It shows that all the hard work over the past four years has paid off and it is a great way to finish my career at Saint Anthony's."

Jefferson, Corbett's teammate for the last four years, was not only a standout on the field but in the classroom as well. A team captain, he led the Friars in tackles and interceptions as a senior and was named All-CHSFL. Jefferson, however, accomplished a much greater feat off the field. Upon graduation from Saint Anthony's, Jefferson complete his schooling without missing a single day of class in 13 years. A member of the National Honor Society and a Duns Scotus Member, Jefferson spent eight months out of his home due to Super Storm Sandy but still managed to get to school every day.

"I felt a great responsibility to contribute to my team and to my school on a daily basis," Jefferson said. "I never wanted to let my teammates or my classmates down."

"In 35 years of coaching, I have never come across a player that has never missed a day of school especially with the amount of obstacles in the way," head coach Marty Fine said. 

The two close friends and teammates will now take their talents to college as members of the Black and Gold. Both are part of a stellar recruiting class that is expected to keep the Bryant football program at the top of the Northeast Conference standings.

"We are thrilled to have these two outstanding young men join our program this fall," Fine said. "We have had a long line of players from Saint Anthony's and they all have been phenomenal people and have been great players that have been well coached."