HS Football Player In The Caldwells Nominated For ‘Giant’ Award

CALDWELLS, NJ — Jake Gruzas has proven that he has the “heart of a Giant.” Now, the rest of the Tri-State Area needs to know it.

Gruzas, a football player at James Caldwell High School in West Caldwell, has been nominated for USA Football’s Heart of a Giant Award, presented by Hospital for Special Surgery and the New York Giants.

Coaches throughout New Jersey nominate student-athletes for the award, praising their “commitment, teamwork, will, character and dedication.”

Here’s why Gruzas earned a nod this year, according to his coach:

“Jake is a selfless teammate who cares more about the overall success of our team rather than his own statistics. Jake is an outstanding leader who is vocal every day and motivates his teammates to be better every snap. Jake is also an extremely hard worker who serves as an example to every player on our roster.”

The voting period for Gruzas and the current round of nominees is open until Sunday, Oct. 22 at 11:59 p.m., with the final vote tally determining who will be named the weekly group’s finalist. Vote online here.

At the end of the six-week voting process six finalists and five wild card finalists will be named, for a total of 11 finalist honorees. Each finalist will receive $1,000 grant for their high school’s football program, with the grand prize winner’s school getting an additional $9,000 equipment grant. The grand prize winner and his coach will be honored on the field at a future New York Giants game this season. The grand prize winner will be selected based on video submissions stating why they have the “Heart of a Giant.”

Send local news tips and correction requests to [email protected]. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don’t forget to visit the Patch Caldwells Facebook page.