Football: All-purpose Lusardi of Summit issues a pledge to Rutgers

Joe Lusardi Summit FB

Summit's Joe Lusardi dives into the end zone to score in a game against Rahway last autumn.Andrew Mills |NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

There was a rather long pause when Joe Lusardi was asked whether he preferred offense or defense when it came to football.

Not a delay-of-game-type pause, but maybe in the neighborhood of “Check...have to call an audible here.”

Fact is, Lusardi loves playing football too much to hold any one particular discipline of the game over another, unless he’s being pressed to make a decision. Which he sort of was. To this versatile Summit senior, almost any job has always been his favorite in that precise moment he was being asked to do it, simply because it meant he would get him on the field, and hopefully keep him there.

And such may be Lusardi’s lot again in the near future as a preferred walk-on at Rutgers. The 5-11, 175-pound senior made a verbal to the Scarlet Knights Tuesday evening, about two weeks after he had de-committed from UMass.

“That’s a tough one. I guess I would say defense right now,” Lusardi said. “I always played offense through most of my early years, but these last couple of years I’ve been playing a lot of defensive back. It’s a lot of fun.”

Well, a lot of defensive back, but also running back, wide receiver and punt and kick returner for a Hilltopper squad that finished 6-3 last season after going 10-2 and claiming the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 championship in 2018.

Or, as Summit head coach Kevin Kostibos so succinctly sums it up:

“Does it all,” he wrote to nominate Lusardi for post-season honors.

Lusardi was recruited as a cornerback by Rutgers assistant coach Nunzio Campanile, though also told he possibly could ultimately find a spot in the receiving corps. He is a talented three-sport athlete who also plays guard for a basketball team that is currently 17-2, and he runs the 100 -and-200-meter sprints and long jumps for the track team in the spring.

“I don’t really go in there with any expectations about position or playing time or anything like that,” Lusardi said. “Coach Campanile said if you can play, you’re going to play. I definitely go with the intention of competing for a spot. And with this new coaching staff coming in, I feel everyone is going to have a chance to prove himself on the field.”

Lusardi rushed for just under 1,000 yards and 13 touchdowns and he also caught two TD passes last season. As a junior, he played a pivotal role in the Summit’s championship drive, scoring five touchdowns in a semifinal-round victory over Montville and three in the North 2, Group 3 final against Rahway, 36-14.

Lusardi said he noticed the buzz suddenly surrounding the Rutgers program with the hiring last fall of former head coach Greg Schiano. The buzz intensified when he spoke with family friend and former Rutgers standout (also at defensive back) Anthony Cioffi, who just Thursday afternoon signed a contract with the Jets after playing the last two seasons in Canadian Football League.

“That got me going,” Lusardi said. “I definitely get the sense that something big is happening at Rutgers, even knowing all the struggles they went through. I sense a lot of success coming in their near future.”

Lusardi was recruited by Rutgers during the Chris Ash period, but was not offered a scholarship. He initially gave a verbal to UMass last August. After de-committing, Lusardi also attracted renewed interest from several Patriot League schools and Northern Illinois.

But proximity to home, the inspiring words of both Campanile and Cioffi and, of course, that new buzz had Lusardi convinced that Rutgers was a great fit.

“Knowing that my family can see me is a big reason why Rutgers is the perfect choice for me,” Lusardi said. "It’s a great fit for me.

“I feel very fortunate to have this opportunity,” he said. “None of this would be possible without the support of my family, my coaches and my teammates. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for them.”

Mike Kinney may be reached at mkinney@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter @MikeKinneyHS.

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