SUNY Cortland Athletics

* A native of Buffalo, N.Y., he earned a bachelor's degree in history from Cortland in 1998

* A four-year football center at Cortland from 1993-96; started 39 consecutive games - the last seven games of his freshman season in 1993, all 11 games in both 1994 and 1995, and all 10 games in 1996

* Earned first team American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) All-America honors in 1996 and was a preseason All-American by College Football Preview in 1995 and Don Hansen's Football Gazette in 1996

* Played on teams that qualified for postseason ECAC Northeast Bowl games in 1994 (at Maine Maritime) and 1995 (at Springfield), defeated preseason nationally top-ranked Washington & Jefferson and eventual national runner-up on the road in 1994, and defeated Ithaca at home, 41-13, in 1996 in Cortland's largest margin of victory in its Cortaca Jug history versus the Bombers

* Recipient of the football team's John W. Morgan Award for dedication to the sport of football and leadership by example

* Served as head strength and conditioning coach and a JV football coach for the Red Dragons from the spring of 1997 to the spring of 1998

* Member of the Buffalo Fire Department since 1999; served as a firefighter from 1999-2010, a lieutenant from 2010-17, a captain from 2017-24, and battalion chief since 2024; he also currently serves as the city's chief fire marshal

* Earned 15 Awards of Valor from the Buffalo Fire Department between 2001-23 recognizing heroic actions in the line of duty

* Recognized by the Buffalo Police Benevolent Association with the Detective Sergeant Joseph C. Nigrelli Service Award in 2018 for his actions in October 2017 coordinating water response efforts in an international search and rescue/recovery operation when a Buffalo Police diver became trapped during a training dive

* Co-owner of the Blackthorn Restaurant & Pub in South Buffalo since 2006; the restaurant has provided numerous free meals to front line workers during storms and COVID, and has hosted Cortland football team meals when the team has played in the Buffalo area

* A supporter of the 100 Club of Buffalo, which provides assistance to first responder service providers in Western New York, including police, fire and emergency service agencies

* Established and served on the executive committee of the KPL Memorial Foundation from 2001-16; the foundation was named in memory of his brother Kevin, who passed away in 2000, and provided Christmas gifts to families in need and scholarship money to grammar school students to help with high school expenses