The Saint Patrick High School football program honored three of their players last week with the annual Walter Payton Memorial Award.  Michael O’Neill (St. Hilary), Filipo Meli (Reinberg), Sean Timothy (St. Francis Borgia), and Jack Platt (St. Andrew) were all named recipients of this year’s award.
 
The 2007 football season marks the eighth year for the award, which dictates that no football player on any level may wear the number “34” until the last game of the regular season.  O’Neill and Meli (varsity), Timothy (sophomore), and Platt (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.

O’Neill has been a force on the offensive line, opening the holes for the running backs and protecting the quarterbacks.  O’Neill and his line mates have allowed the Shamrocks to rush for 998 yards and pass for 1,087 yards in their first eight games. Meli is being recognized for his behind the scenes work as a football manager.  Meli is a tireless worker who has become an invaluable resource to the Saint Patrick Athletic Department over his four years at the school.  The younger Payton Award winners are both two-way players.  Timothy is a factor on both sides of the ball for Shamrocks’ sophomore team, playing both running back and defensive back.  Platt allows the Saint Patrick freshman team to control the line of scrimmage as both an offensive and defensive lineman.