The Saint Patrick High School football program honored three of their players last week with the annual Walter Payton Memorial Award. Richard Schak (St. Giles), Adam Nitsche (St. Juliana), and Tom Mockler (St. Eugene) were all named recipients of this year’s award.

The 2006 football season marks the seventh year for the award, and dictates that no football player on any level may wear the number “34” until the last game of the regular season. Schak (varsity), Nitsche (sophomore), and Mockler (freshman) were each chosen by their coaches as the players who best exemplified the character of the late Chicago Bear great, Walter Payton, both on and off the field. These players were rewarded by having the distinct honor of wearing Payton’s number “34” in the last regular season game of the year.

Schak has been one of the Shamrocks’ top defensive players, recording 41 tackles, 16 solo tackles, two tackles for loss, and forcing a fumble. The younger Payton Award winners are both offensive forces. Nitsche plays running back for the Shamrock sophomores, while Mockler is a tight end on the freshman level.


(left-to-right) Adam Nitsche, Tom Mockler, and Richard Schak.