“The hardest part is going out 1-9, but one good thing is there will be eight back on both sides of the ball,” Weiss said. “I was there 22 seasons, and after 34 years [as a coach] it is not the way guys like me want to walk away. It was best to do for the program and myself.”<\/p>\n
Typical coach, always thinking of the team, even though he won’t be the one in charge.<\/p>\n
Weiss was also a head coach for three seasons each at two North Jersey schools, Voorhees and Phillipsburg Catholic. He was also an assistant for six seasons at two other schools.<\/p>\n
Few realize the time that coaching high school football consumes, and the sacrifices both a coach and his family make.<\/p>\n
“High school football is 13 months a year and eight days a week,” said Weiss, only slightly overstating the fact. “It’s not easy on a family, and you can’t be at three places at once.”<\/p>\n
It meant that sometimes, he had to miss the football games of his sons Joe and Robert, who were standouts at Mainland.<\/p>\n
What’s interesting is that in the memorable 1999 season the only Atlantic City loss was a 19-7 regular-season defeat to Mainland, where Joe was a fullback and linebacker and would earn honors as The Inquirer’s South Jersey defensive player of the year.
\nAs a freshman in the fall of 2000, Penn State football player Adam Taliaferro suffered a severe neck injury while making a tackle during a game at Ohio State. Doctors feared he would never walk again.<\/p>\n
He did.<\/p>\n
And on Sept. 1, 2001, following a grueling rehabilitation regimen, Taliaferro walked onto the Beaver Stadium field before a game. His recovery proved an inspiration to teammates, fans and friends. In 2005, he graduated from Penn State. And in May 2008, he graduated from law school. Joe Paterno called Taliaferro a hero. \u201cAdam has been an inspiration to everyone at our university and many others. He is courageous, dedicated and an example of being able to overcome extreme adversity.\u201d<\/p>\n