Alright, picture this: Phillipsburg, New Jersey—a small town where folks care about three things: education, patriotism, and football. My dad, George Arangio, was a legend in this tight-knit community. Not only was he crushing it on the football field, but he was an honor student too. Yeah, you heard that right. My great grandmother, used to brag that her grandson was going to be a doctor. Spoiler alert: she was right.

But first, Dad had to take care of business at Phillipsburg Parochial High School, a tiny Class C school with about 300 kids. Did that stop them from winning the state championship? Absolutely not. They went 9-0 and became New Jersey Class B State Champs.

With scholarship offers pouring in, including from Bear Bryant at Alabama, Dad chose Cornell. So, how does a small-town football star juggle academics and athletics? You’re about to find out.

Academics and Athletics: Lessons from Phillipsburg to Cornell

Phillipsburg, New Jersey is a close-knit blue-collar town where families stress education and patriotism and football. My grandmother Donna Maria Gazzana Arangio would announce to anyone who would listen that “her grandson” was going to be a doctor. And he was a good football player. But could a Class C school with an enrollment of 300 compete with larger Class B schools academically and on the football field? The 1960 Phillipsburg Parochial Varsity football team finished undefeated and untied, 9-0 (12-0 overall) and were the New Jersey Class B State Champion.

“STAR-LEDGER’S ALL STATE ELEVEN …. The other tackle is George Arangio of unbeaten Phillipsburg Parochial … An ‘A’ honor student, he’s considering a bunch of offers” (Newark, N.J. Star Ledger, Dec. 4, 1960) “Arangio is the first youth in the Diocese of Trenton to be chosen to the No. 1 team in modern scholastic history” (The Monitor, Bob Carmignani). “Surely appreciate the films from Phillipsburg … We liked Arangio and will offer him a scholarship…” (Sam Bailey Asst. Football Coach, for “Bear” Bryant, University of Alabama, Jan. 18, 1961)

Seniors and Coaches, Phillipsburg Parochial H.S. New Jersey State Champion

I received a full academic scholarship to Cornell University. My family and I selected Cornell and the opportunity to pursue a career at Cornell’s Medical School in Manhattan. “George, the family is proud that you are coming to Cornell”, said Coach Thoren. Around the table everyone raised a glass and Donna Maria Gazzana Arangio asked in her rich Sicilian-American dialect with what priests would her grandson live. George at Cornell living with priests? Coach Thoren answered, “We can arrange that.”  A smile came to Donna Maria’s face and then to all around the table. ( All Ivy Guard, ’64 - cornellbigred.com, Joe Cervasio)

One mid-August day in 1961, while the sun set, my father and I drove up to The Newman Oratory on Stewart Avenue, in Ithaca, New York.  We were greeted by four men in tee shirts playing penny poker on the front porch. “Welcome”, said Father White, a tall and sturdy Jesuit and Professor at Fordham, writing his second doctoral thesis in Physics and my Cornell education began.

Cornell University, 1865, Ithaca New York

Father Tormey was Chaplain of The Neuman Club organized as the “Cornell Catholic Union “in 1888. The Oratory was in a three story 1920’s, four-square Victorian house with a central foyer and a chapel in the basement.  I lived on the third floor with my roommate sophomore Harry, a baseball player, from Cheektowaga New York. Her grandson lived with “priests” for three years and my grandmother was happy.

The Cornell Jesuits were graduate students. Jesuits wear no uniform, and they conform to the customs of their country of residence. They have been educators and “soldiers” in the Catholic Church since the 1540s and they gently challenged my parochial education and my naiveté. They bantered with me about the catechism and asked me to explain the “meat on Friday” and other changes of Vatican II. I think about those discussions with a smile.  Father Sacrista was studying for his PhD in economics. A diminutive man, missioned in Japan, who drove to Brooklyn weekly to minister to a “gang” of boys. One weekend, he returned, dismayed, that “his boys” had filled the club house with stolen furniture - oh my.

In our life, boys and girls and unmarried college kids struggle to maintain moral discipline. One fall Saturday morning before a game in my freshman year, I anxiously knocked on Father White’s door and I asked for confession. Standing in his underwear and bleary eyed, he asked me if I was sorry for my sins. I replied, “I was”. He said, “then God forgives you.” I said, “Is that it? Are you sure”?  He smiled - more Cornell education. “… I say to the unmarried, it is good for them if they abide as I, unmarried. But if they cannot contain themselves, let them marry for it is better to marry than to burn” in hell of passion. (Apostle Paul, I Corinthians 7: 8-11) I ran up the hill to Schoellkopf and boarded the bus to Princeton. Living among the Jesuits expanded my spiritual and intellectual horizons.

Two-hour football practice double sessions in August were hot and grueling. Cornell ran the Army’s lonely end offense. I was a pulling guard on offense and nose guard on defense. My schedule was full. Off season, I worked 24 hours a weekend (7am-7pm, Saturday, Sunday) at the Statler Hotel School. In season, I bused tables after meals. For that work, I received my meals. 

After studying and working, I tasted college life and enjoyed my friends at Psi Upsilon fraternity and ventured to the College town hangout, “The Palms” and less so, downtown Ithaca. I did not drink alcohol. Most of all, I loved being a part of the football team. They were my friends. Two-time honorable mention All American Gary Wood, from Cortland, NY, our quarterback, and Peter Gogolak, a Hungarian immigrant from Watertown NY, the first ever soccer type American football place kicker, were among my friends. Gary and Pete played for the NY Giants and Pete is still the highest scoring player of the franchise with 646 points. We were friends with a common goal; we played our war games. They were my family away from home.

I received the “C” in football ’62, ’63 and ’64. In October of 1964 my senior year at the Penn game in Ithaca, my dad was in the stands with binoculars. With a smile he said, “I had a good game.  Our defense dominated Penn. I pulled left and right and threw the key block on the touchdown shown below. 

Touchdown, Cornell 33, Penn 0, Arangio, ECAC, All East

“CORNELL’S ARANGIO WINS ECAC HONOR…George Arangio, a senior at Cornell has been named guard to the ECAC, university division, All-East football squad ….” (New York Times, Allentown Morning Call, John Kunda, November 1964)

Our Cornell varsity football team crossed the 59^th Street Bridge to Manhattan and Coach Harp stood and pointed to the distant cluster of white buildings to the right, and he announced that it was the Cornell Medical School. I was impressed, and I had a personal interest. I had applied. On that day, our football team beat a good Columbia team 57-20 with Archie Roberts at quarterback. It was a Cornell scoring record that would stand for 47 years.

In our final game November 21, we were playing at Princeton on regional television. “PRINCETON COACH WARY OF CORNELL…. Bob Pflug, who scouted Cornell against Dartmouth and other opponents said that the Big Red should be coming into Palmer Stadium undefeated…  he rated Phil Ratner and George Arangio the equal of any defensive tackle and offensive guard in the league.” (New York Times, Nov. 18, 1964) I was co-captain for that regionally televised game. Many fans in P’burg watched their “favorite son” compete.

The teams competed toe to toe on offense and defense. I blocked All-American Maliszewski, and we scored our second touchdown. Princeton led 14 - 12 with minutes to go.  We were driving for a touchdown in Princeton’s red zone and Cornell fans were elated. We were on our way to victory. Princeton intercepted our pass. In the final minutes, Charlie Gogolak, yes Pete’s brother, kicked a field goal and Princeton was victorious 17-12 and undefeated Ivy League Champs for the first time since 1951. Our offensive line coach Gottfried complimented our team. “I have never seen a team that has played together, hit so well, shown better second effort, or has known its assignments so perfectly as this year’s team”. Thanks, coach. My opinion, we had the best offensive line in the east. It is noteworthy that Princeton’s Iacavazzi and Gogolak should have been on our team, but that is another story.

“PRINCETON AND CORNELL PLACE 7 ON IVY LEAGUES FOOTBALL TEAM … George Arangio Cornell University guard from Phillipsburg was named to the first offensive unit of the Coaches All Ivy League football team”. (New York Times, 1964)

My pre-med studies were very competitive. In Comparative Anatomy, I dissected the shark’s inner ear at 5 am and in the off season I had four 8 am labs each week. In genetics, we counted thousands of colorful Drosophila Melanogaster (fruit flies) under the microscope. Today, students quantitate Drosophila nucleotides by computer generated electrophoresis.  I was fascinated with the “surrogate monkey” studies by Professor Urie Bronfenbrenner. The small discussion sessions in Elizabethan Literature were a favorite time and I still refer to Professor Strunk’s classic book with the yellow cover, “Elements of Style”.  England born Professor Frederick Marcham taught us to think between the lines of historical manuscripts. Some of my science teachers were Nobel Laureates. I grew to love the academic environment.

My coaches nominated me for the Red Key Athletic Honor Society, “junior athletes, who have displayed leadership, integrity, service to the Ithaca region, academic achievement and excellence beyond their athletic ability. I was chosen for the Sphinx Head Society, “Cornell senior men and women who have demonstrated strength of character, dedication to leadership and service at Cornell University”.

On December 4, 1964, I received the letter of acceptance into the class of 1969 of Cornell Medical College. My Cornell education would continue, and my family and I were thrilled. The 1960’s were a decade of moral and political change, and the United States of America would never be the same and neither would George Arangio. The 60’s in the “Big Apple” awaited my arrival.

Until next time, God bless you.

George A. Arangio, M.D.

P.S. Keep We Talk with God at your bedside and share it with your family.

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Summary:

George A. Arangio, M.D., is the author of We Talk with God, a scripture-based guide to God’s advice that will boost your spiritual energy, bring you peace, and enrich your life. It is full of simple lessons. It shows how God’s Word guarantees answers to life’s important questions. It may also be the answer to your prayers. Please read it and write a review on Amazon.com. For further insights and discussion, visit WeTalkWithGod.com.