Coach Gibbs; a man, mentor, leader, inspiration, and a friend. Coach Gibbs was the person to pick you up when you fell and put you back on the right path. He was a Ramapo gym teacher as well as a legendary New Jersey high school football coach. “Gibbs won five Group III, State Sectional Championships at Ramapo and has a career record of 167 wins against 48 losses. He was also named North Section 1 Coach of the Year by the NJFCA in both 2001 and 2009.”(Wikipedia). I was lucky enough to be part of the powerhouse program he built for the last two years. That small amount of time impacted me not only as a football player but as a student, and a young man. Coach taught me the importance of time management, teamwork and how to prioritize academics as a student athlete.

         Coach Gibbs was one of a kind, he easily transitioned from a strict and intense coach demanding the best from his players to a man who would joke around and dance with us at team dinners. He was not only a coach to all of us, but a friend, and someone we could lean on when times were tough. Coach was a special person to be around and was the type of leader that made you want to work harder and be better without saying a word.

         Coach Gibbs truly left an impact on me, the school, and the entire community, bringing championships and numerous awards, and making each one of us better players and better young men. Today I wear a Coach Gibbs memorial bracelet on my wrist proudly, showing my support and love for Coach. The man who gave us these bracelets said, “when you look at this bracelet; work harder, work harder for the big guy up there”. Coach Gibbs put us on the path to success on the field and in life. Going forward on the football field and in the classroom I will always remember to work hard for him, for Coach Gibbs. “FOREVER A RAIDER”.