Tiger Pride Enjoys Dream Year

Union-Endicott grad Arthur Jones capped off an incredible run for former Union-Endicott standouts with a Super Bowl Championship on Sunday evening.  Jones was a dominant force for the Baltimore Ravens in their win over San Francisco with a fumble recovery and a key sack.  Jones honed his skills at U-E's Ty Cobb  Stadium before moving on to Syracuse and the NFL Draft.

For most school's that is more than anyone could imagine.  But most schools aren't Union-Endicott. U-E's rich tradition of outstanding athletes has never been better exemplified than in the past year.  Not only has Arthur Jones captured a Super Bowl crown but his Ravens defeated his brother Chandler and the New England Patriots to advance to play the 49'ers.  Chandler left Syracuse a season early as he became the Patriots' number one draft pick last spring.

For most schools having two brothers make the National Football League would be remarkable, let alone meet for the AFC Championship. But this is Union-Endicott we are talking about.  Another ex-Tiger football player with the name of Jones has fared pretty well, also.  Jon, brother of Arthur and Chandler, is the reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship Light-Heavyweight Champion.  Three brothers, all at the top of the sports world and all from Union-Endicott.

And for most schools this would be quite a remarkable achievement.  But with Union-Endicott there is more to the story.  Jim Johnson,another former Tiger, was a Baltimore Orioles' fifth round draft pick in 2001and helped lead his team to the American League Division Series and led all relief pitchers in Major League baseball with 51 saves.

And yes....there is more.  David Archer, a former U-E Captain and First Team All-State selection was named as the new Head Football Coach at Cornell University where he was a standout linemen and served as the team's recruiting coordinator for several seasons.  Archer becomes the youngest head football coach in the nation at the Division I level at the age of 30.

All of this plus the recollection that Isaiah Kacyvenski , another U-E alum was in the same spot as Arthur Jones.  Kacyvenski was Special Teams Captain for the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL, when they dropped a 21-10 decision to the Pittsburgh Steelers.  All this from one high school and one winning tradition.