In his last homecoming game, he had already scored two touchdowns. The stadium was roaring with excitement for the annual event. All of a sudden he was running free, straight towards the end zone, leaving defenders in the dust.

Assistant principal Jerome Easton described this as his shining moment during his career as a running back for the New Brighton High School football team in Pennsylvania. This week, he was surrounded by family and friends as he was honored for his high school accomplishments and inducted into the school’s football Hall of Fame.

Easton was a three-year letterman in both football and track and was named an all-star player in both sports. He also received a full-ride scholarship to Boston University to play for their D-I football team.

For Easton, football was a large part of his childhood. Receiving the award took him on a trip down memory lane.

“It was joyously overwhelming because I was thinking about all those nostalgic moments about playing football, and being part of a great football team,” Easton said.

In New Brighton, football is a large part of the town’s culture, Easton explained. On Friday nights the town would shut down and almost the entire community would come watch the games, he said.

“Back home, football is king,” he said. “You never saw an empty space in the stadium.”

Easton emphasized the positive impact that football had on his life and his belief that it can similarly impact others.

“By participating in football you learn a lot of life lessons,” Easton said. “Football prepares you for a lot of life challenges.”