The Piscataway High School football program honored one of its most accomplished alumni on Friday night, Oct. 3, when it celebrated 2005 graduate Kyle Wilson at halftime of their game against Sayreville.

“As a young boy, Kyle Wilson posted a note on his ceiling with his life goals: Pop Warner, High School, College, and NFL,” said PHS broadcasting teacher Christopher Nowak, who acted as emcee for the ceremony. “He looked at that paper every day and it remains on his ceiling to this day, a testament to the power of goals, dreams and hard work. Kyle did not just achieve those goals, he excelled at each level.”

Wilson, who went on to excel in college at Boise State University and in the NFL for the New York Jets and New Orleans Saints, was surrounded on the field by family members, Piscataway Township Schools officials and Board of Education members, and the PHS cheerleaders, who held up a banner of his No. 22 jersey and broke into a spontaneous cheer of “We are proud of you!”

Pictured at right are, from left, Assistant Superintendent of Schools Dr. Glenn Lottmann, Board members Inieka Stafford and Prashant Patel, Kyle Wilson, Board President Shantell Cherry, Board member Courtney King, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and Student Engagement Dr. C. Alex Gray, and PHS teachers Brian Tuskan and Christopher Nowak.

The Chiefs record while Wilson played was 33-3, as he helped the team win three consecutive state sectional championships in 2002, 2003, and 2004.

“Pway Nation, stand up for Kyle Wilson!” Hall of Fame PHS head football coach Dan Higgins told the crowd during the ceremony. “Kyle had a commitment to his goals and dreams. When your best player has the work ethic and the goals to be the best player he could possibly be, it makes the entire team better. Kyle was unselfish and he gave everything he had.

“With that being said, he was even a better person than he was a player.”

Wilson made that dedication to his team and his goals clear. When asked for his greatest memory from his playing days, he didn’t respond with the championships or personal accolades, but instead talked about the hard work he and his teammates put in at practice on Green Acres, the practice site next to PHS.

 “It’s really just a testament to hard work and dedication,” he said of being honored at halftime. “I’m very happy and very glad to be here. It’s a very special place and I’m glad to be here with all my friends and family.”

Wilson was an electric player for Piscataway in his senior year. Although he only touched the ball 106 times that fall, he scored 23 touchdowns and 138 points, setting school records for both. His final touch was a 31-yard overtime strike from Robert Rose, which helped defeat Phillipsburg at Rutgers Stadium, giving Piscataway a 12-0 season and the North 2 Group 4 Sectional Championship.

At Boise State, Wilson was named All-Academic and All-Western Athletic Conference all four years. He played in 50 games, intercepting 11 passes and leading the nation with 3 punt returns for touchdowns in 2008 and 2 interception returns for touchdowns in 2009. He was named All American by The Sporting News and was one of 12 semifinalists for the Jim Thorpe Award in 2009. Boise State went 49-4 during Wilson’s four years.

Wilson was drafted in the first round of the 2010 NFL Draft, making him a member of the most unique group of high school football players in the country. Piscataway graduates Kyle Wilson, Malcolm Jenkins, and Anthony Davis were all first round NFL Draft picks that year – making  Piscataway the only public high school in the United States with three first-round NFL draft picks.

Kyle went on to play for seven years as a cornerback in the NFL with the New York Jets and New Orleans Saints.

He has made many visits to Piscataway schools to inspire and encourage Piscataway youth. He even donated funds to construct an auxiliary gym at Quibbletown Middle School.

“There’s no better feeling than coming home,” he said.